Building Green for Quality of Life Improvements

The quality of life or residents might be the best way to measure the benefits of green building programs, according to the president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council.

1 minute read

November 30, 2019, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell

Tom Grundy / Shutterstock

Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council, writes for Smart Cities Dive to make the case for improvements in building construction for the benefit of quality of life in the United States.

Ramanujam uses the example of Atlanta to begin the story:

Utility costs are a very real concern in Atlanta, where residents spend on average 48% of their income on housing, utilities and transportation. And for the more than 336,000 households whose incomes are at or below the poverty line, that percentage can be even higher.

Building better, according to Ramanujam, can be a powerful way to improve quality of life. "Better homes, better schools, better hospitals, better offices." In fact, writes Ramanujam, the true measure of success of buildings won't necessarily be measured in terms of environmental outcomes, but in the health and well-being of residents.

FULL STORY: Raising the living standard in cities requires us to build better

Tuesday, November 26, 2019 in Smart Cities Dive

Architecture Technology Urban Development United States Georgia Green Building Quality of Life Sustainability Renewable Energy Construction Industry View More

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.