[Image credit: Derek Baird at Flickr under a Creative Commons license]
Atlanta is big, y’all. The Greater Metropolitan Area consists of 10 counties, and is home to over 4 million residents. Faced with a growing population, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is working to encourage more sustainable growth in the metro-Atlanta area through its new Green Communities Program.
The ARC coordinates between government agencies and communities in the Atlanta area to “encourage healthy economic growth compatible with the environment, improve the region’s quality of life and provide opportunities for leadership development.” Its Green Communities Program is a voluntary certification program designed to encourage local governments in the metro-Atlanta area to become more sustainable by reducing their environmental impact. In order to get certified, local governments earn points in different categories for adopting sustainable practices. The categories are:
- Green Building – structures meeting LEED certification, EnergyStar, or EarthCraft standards
- Energy Efficiency – measures from LED traffic lights to cool roofs and light bulb exchange or incentive programs
- Green Power – purchasing alternative power equipment, like solar panels, or encouraging renewable energy growth
- Water Conservation – encouraging developers to build new homes with WaterSense certification
- Trees and Greenspace – programs for planting more trees, installing green roofs, and sustainable landscaping
- Transportation – measures such as making life easier for pedestrians and cyclists or using alternatively fueled vehicles
- Recycling and Waste Reduction – recycling programs and the use of recycled materials over new ones
- Responsible Land Use – revitalizing and cleaning up contaminated areas
- Education – educating government employees and the community on living more sustainably
- Innovation – green measures not encompassed by the other nine areas
Different measures are worth five or 10 points each, with more points for programs that have a larger impact. A 10 point measure would be something like performing water or energy audits, assessing government facilities’ use, and implementing changes to conserve. Communities working on projects like supporting and designating spaces for community gardens and farmers markets would get five points. There are three levels of certification: level one starts at 175 points, level two is at 225 points, and 275 points or higher puts a community at level three.
The ARC is offering training for any local governments interested in going for certification. They are touting benefits like community pride, higher quality of life, and a positive image for a place to live and conduct business. Certifications start this coming January. I’m interested to see which communities go for it! This could make a big difference in Atlanta’s worsening drought situation if enough communities get involved!
About Becky Striepe
