Weekly Bulletin to 5/30/14

For a full listing of upcoming events, take a look at our May 2014 Digest.

Coming up next week:

LEED Learning & Networking in Eastham, MA (Cape Cod), Tuesday June 3

Combined Quarterly Committees Gathering in Boston, Tuesday June 3

Any ideas where this might be?

Anyone recognize these guys?

You may have seen information about sea level rise and Boston here and there. The Nature Conservancy is hosting a program on June 9th: "Weathering the Storm: Boston's Future Climate" from 5:30-8pm at the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts at 527 Tremont St. Speakers include the Boston Harbor Association President Vivian Lee and Brian Swett, Chief of Energy, Environment and Open Space for the City of Boston.

LEED ND: Beyond Buildings Attracts Neighborhood Professionals

By Bob Weiss, Sustainable Neighborhood Development Working Group, USGBC MA


Before a spirited crowd filling the seats in the Atlantic Wharf’s Fort Point Room, the USGBC MA Chapter, in conjunction with the Boston Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the American Planning Association Massachusetts Chapter (APA-MA), presented a half-day program on LEED ND in Massachusetts communities. Billed as not-a-LEED-101-course, experienced professionals in neighborhood development provided insights and true accounts of their applications of USGBC’s platform to fellow professionals.

After opening comments from the USGBC MA Chapter Chair Jim Newman, LISC’s Bob Van Meter and the APA MA’s Bob Mitchell, the day began with an overall retrospective of LEED ND from the USGBC MA Chapter Vice Chair Neil Angus. Attendees were brought up to date with LEED ND’s evolution including the changes in V4.

Neil then moderated a panel presentation on two LEED ND pilot projects from 2008. The 11 acre Jackson Square project in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain was presented by Carolyn Edwards, Real Estate Project Manager with Urban Edge,who discussed how the project is bringing healthy sustainable living to a mixed-income inner city area with new commercial spaces, community facilities and transportation alternatives to an area that 40 years ago was going to be surrendered to the interstate system. Greg Sampson, a Land Use Attorney with Robinson & Cole presented The Village at Taylor Pond in Bedford, a great example of how LEED ND can be a tool for sustainable development in suburban areas.

Mike Davis, Program Officer with LISC Boston, moderated a panel discussion introducing three new projects illustrating how LEED ND will help build sustainable neighborhoods for the future. Darcy Jameson with Beacon Communities and Lauren Baumann of New Ecology, Inc. noted how Old Colony housing, a traditional public housing project in South Boston used LEED ND to create a holistic approach in transforming it into a neighborhood integrated into a larger urban community. The Neighborhood Developers’ Emily Loomis described how Chelsea’s Box District is turning an older industrial area into a pedestrian oriented community with enhanced transportation that will connect it with the metropolitan area. Paul Malkemes, a local resident and community advocate gave a great resident perspective of how LEED ND was used to drive quality-of-life improvements to Codman Square NDC’s Talbot Norfolk Triangle. Paul said LEED ND was used as a “framing mechanism” and helped residents embrace sustainable development.

Neil, along with Tad Read of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, brought the program together in their presentations on using the LEED ND rating system as a tool to enhance the sustainability of local projects, regulations and development codes.

The audience initiated discussions on several LEED ND subjects such as quantifiable requirements, how to use the system’s formulas to facilitate a project and the importance of public education and outreach. There were detailed questions on using program credits to compliment other credits. Though the event ran to its noon finish, many attendees remained for an informal improvised networking. Chapter organizers have more LEED ND events planned and will be announcing them shortly.  

Strategic Priorities of the USGBC

While at the Mid-Year Meeting of the big USGBC Family - the National Staff, the Board, the various technical committees and LEED Steering Committee and the various designees from the Chapters - chapter leaders, staff, emerging professionals, green schools folks and yet others, we heard a bit about the USGBC's Strategic Priorities and the health of the Chapter network.

Elizabeth Heider, SVP at Skanska and a former USGBC Board Chair, spoke to the crowd and brought out the old 2013-2015 Strategic Plan. Much of it is still relevant - so please feel free to take a look to learn more.

How do you see yourself supporting and engaging on these priorities? Are these important to your firm and your practice?

What are we doing at USGBC MA Chapter in regards to these priorities? How are we supporting the network and growing the movement for green buildings?

In the words of Board Chair George Bandy, we need to look at how the Chapter network is functioning as a whole, and what we can do to improve it. Some big chapters are doing great, but many of the smaller chapters are struggling. Facilitated by Jason Dunlop, Chair of the Chapters Steering Committee, we participated in a series of working sessions and came out with the framework of a plan.

"Starting in early June and working through July, attendees that signed up in Detroit to take part in groups focused on one of the three topics (structure, mission + engagement, business + operations) will collaborate to identify elements of the chapters that are working well, and those that must evolve." 

Thank you to all the Chapters facilitators and supporters as we work to build a stronger network. In the words of Chair Bandy, let's get uncomfortable so we can get better!

Weekly Bulletin to 5/23/14

I hope you enjoyed the recent post about the USGBC Mid-Year Meeting.

What's coming up for USGBC MA?

Tues, 5/27, 5:30-6:30 Green Schools Committee Conference Call

Thurs, 5/29, 5:30-7:30 in Hudson, MA, Green Schools Tour of Quinn Middle School

Tues, 6/3, 5-7pm in Easton, MA on Cape Cod, LEED Learning & Networking with the Cape & Islands Interest Group

Tues 6/3 6:30-8pm in Boston, the Quarterly Combined Committees Gathering - calling all volunteers to meetup and plan the next few months of activities and priorities.

Friday, 6/6 3-5pm in Boston, the Regenesis Group's "Regenerative Practitioner" Intro Session with Bill Reed. Come and check it out!

Don't forget to keep the upcoming all-colleague gatherings on your calendar: Networking Nights with upcoming sessions on 6/10 and 7/17 in Boston. 

See you soon!