To go green, avoids greenfields for offices and homes

There are many articles on the green in the last buildings and homes. So when we find out about them is in office parks and low-density, which had only subdivisions in the open spaces, such as “green development” I just shake my head.

A “green” building surrounded by huge packs and car parking “green house” in the cul-de-sac, with several SUV in the driveway are equivalent to fitness fanatic who jogs to the shop to buy a pack of cigarettes.

How the matter is not energy-efficient structures of these gains are not fully compensate for losses to the environment caused by (a) maintain that favors the private automobile transport patterns, which consumes more resources and emit more pollutants, both directly and indirectly, than in any other mode, and (b) loss of oxygen generation, water supply, erosion control, food production and other capabilities of life giving benefits when the land is paved over.

That’s why I put quotes around a single “office parks” because of their implications for the environment contrary to what the real parks should be about and that is rejuvenating the image of their own health than the pretty picture, as the billboards to hide, that the destruction in the film Brazil.

Both the “office parks and their residential counterparts by their location and design of low-density access to transportation by other than private car impractical and costly to provide. Although the main line of transit routes serving downtowns and high-density residential, commercial and financial hubs not to serve the sprawling office and residential development incur high operating costs and low demand, and often are the first to be cut in the budget breakdown.

The Victoria Transport Policy Institute (VTPI) with headquarters in Victoria, BC, Canada, is a leading authority on direct and indirect costs of transport, including land use. I already worked with VTPI, executive director Todd Litman, and he knows his stuff.

For example, compared VTPI land for development and consumed by the compact development. For the office from 1000 square feet and parking requiring four points where it is located in the “Office Park” is the environmental footprint is about 2640 square feet, but if it is placed in three stories urban locations from 1 to street parking would be left to mark only 580 square feet.

Similarly, home of 1250 square feet, is located in a development would be built on the footprint of 2580 square feet is located in a compact agglomeration will consume only 1040 square feet.

This last point illustrates one of the possibilities of environmental disadvantage of telework. His reduce commuting, and the issue of teleworker may be degraded, if decides to buy a bigger house, as a subdivision that once was the field, which removes and public transit, cycling, walking or not to Commute trips.

To illustrate the overall impact on the environment to sprawl in particular transport, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (Canada, better heeled equivalent of Fannie Mae) and the Natural Resources Canada, the federal government, published a report which shows that families living in low-density suburban-type home in the outer suburbs emits 11800 kg of CO2 per year. Conversely, if the average density living in inner suburban compact development will only emit 6100 kg, mainly because public transit is readily available.

Therefore, if you really want to go green in the office and home / office at home you must:

* Select locations and buildings for offices and homes to existing long supported the land including buildings (such as recycling, reuse, renew), in mid-to higher-density areas well served by transit, cycling and walking access. The only exceptions are the new walkable transit-oriented development of rail and bus stations and ferry terminals on;

* Develop and implement a strategy to promote alternative driving ie not free parking, subsidized transit passes, bike rakes, and the development and expansion of telework programs;

* When choosing houses offices for the house to maximize existing space, such as basements, garages and spare rooms or, if you can not build or extend the attic.

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