Green Building Trends To Watch in 2012

27 January 2012 - 12:00pm

Claire Easley talks with the "godfather of green," Jerry Yudelson, about the "megatrends" to watch for in the Green Building industry over the next year.

Green Building will not be immune to the overall trends in the economy and the real estate industry, but the market is still poised for growth, albeit growth that may be focused around "frugal green" amenities.

Trends in the U.S. include continued growth in LEED for Existing Buildings certifications, which will likely exceed registrations for new construction for the second year in a row. Net-zero energy buildings will gain traction and water issues will continue to grow in importance.

Yudelson also sees performance disclosure, which is already prevalent in the European Union and Australia, becoming widespread in U.S. cities as prospective tenants seeks to compare energy costs between buildings.

Source: Builder Magazine, January 18, 2012
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What the Census will not include is the long-form questions that have, since 1940, asked one-sixth of American households to reveal fine details about their lives. The long form was scrapped following the 2000 Census, so planners who are accustomed to relying on detailed, nuanced Census data to analyze and plan their communities may not get the detail that they expect.