Green Community Design
We are committed to the development of green or eco-friendly communities. What do we mean by a green community? Green communities reflect smart design choices: They can be characterized as Whole Communities or green communities, as defined by the US EPA and by Green Communities Canada. Green communities are also those designed to the specifications of rating systems such as Built GreenTM.
A green community practices natural resource and ecosystem function preservation through sustainable use, provides adequate affordable housing, promotes mixed use development that integrates open space, maintains safe, clean neighbourhoods, schools, work and recreational spaces, safeguards public health, and actively involves and relies upon citizens to preserve these community’s values.
In the context of the Caribbean, and particularly Trinidad and Tobago, green residential communities can be designed to maximize water and energy use efficiency, promote distributed renewable energy generation in load congested (electricity transmission) areas, and employ site water management and other innovation. These methods can balance rainy season floods and dry season drought through skillful eco-community design for large (government sponsored or other) housing developments.
Learn more about the development of green communities in other countries.
What is going on in China?
Learn about the proposed development of Eco-Blocs in China by viewing the Green Dragon film on our News page here.
What Green Communities programs are available in the United Kingdom?
Energy Saving Trust
Greets Green Partnership
Did you know that there are 53 green communities in Massachusetts alone?
Read about them here.
How about something closer to home?
Read about the CoHemis in Puerto Rico here.
What about Safe & Green Schools – including safe routes to school?
See a comprehensive listing of Safe Routes to School programs from around the world here.
Read about Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C.‘s environmental stewardship.