Green buildings are great, but don't do too much if they're located in grossly un-green places. The city of Portland is trying to address the issue by creating "eco-districts".
The idea is to create area- and neighborhood-specific plans that focus on pulling green buildings, green jobs and implementing other sustainability measures.
"'Green buildings are pretty far along, but if you really want green cities, you have to look at whole systems,' says Eric Ridenour, an associate with SERA Architects. Ridenour is under contract with the city of Portland to develop an eco-district plan for Portland State University, one of two pilot projects targeted for development next year. The second is the Lloyd Crossing neighborhood, a residential and business corridor across the Willamette River from downtown."
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