October 31, 2008—The National Building Museum in Washington, DC, has opened a year-long exhibition titled “Green Community” featuring communities of all sizes where government and the private sector are coming together to work for a more sustainable future. It’s the third in a series of National Building Museum exhibitions that focus on sustainability in architecture, planning, and design.
One of the exhibits features a planned Muskegon Heights, MI, housing development called Mona Terrace, which will be built on the site of a former municipal wastewater treatment plant. Mona Terrace is part of a national US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pilot program to show how contaminated sites, or “brownfields,” can be redeveloped and put to good use. Sustainable plans for the 51-acre site include recycling all materials from the demolition of the old plant, using green roof technology, and incorporating solar and wind power.
The “Green Community” exhibition explains that a green community conserves its land, offers multiple options for transportation, provides open space for recreation and cultivation, and uses its natural and cultural resources wisely. Mona Terrace is featured in the part of the exhibit exploring sustainable planning strategies such as cleaning up and redeveloping brownfields, planning for diverse modes of transportation, smart use of natural resources, land conservation, and minimizing waste.
Other communities in the exhibit are located throughout the US as well as in countries such as Argentina and the United Arab Emirates. The diverse array of communities highlighted demonstrates successful and innovative examples of sustainable planning, policies, design, and technology at scales large and small.
After October 2009, the “Green Community” exhibit will travel to other cities. For more information about Sustainability or Brownfields and Land Revitalization, and EPA’s related programs, visit the EPA Web site.
