Better neighborhoods and quality of life

California's homebuilders and homebuyers are making decisions today that will affect the quality of our lives for decades to come. New construction, whether of a single home or a large development, contributes to the state's economic vitality and helps meet our pressing need for more housing. At the same time, every new home places additional demands on our supplies of land, water and energy, and on our infrastructure of roads, sewers and other services.

Green building offers homebuilders, community leaders and California residents sensible solutions that improve an individual home's performance and provide broadbased community benefits. These benefits range from cleaner air to reduced traffic congestion, from more appealing recreational opportunities to greater economic vitality.

For local municipalities, green building can provide many economic benefits. Developments designed to reduce dependence on cars help ease traffic congestion, which can improve business productivity. Mixed-use developments encourage economic vitality and a diversified municipal tax base. Infill projects help revitalize older urban areas and allow public funds to be used for upgrading existing services such as schools, transit and sewers, rather than diverting limited funds to the development of new services.

For California residents, developments designed to cluster homes help preserve open space for recreation, views and natural habitats. Pedestrian- and bicycle friendly neighborhoods provide people with opportunities to exercise and get to know their neighbors. Higher density urban infill developments allow people to live closer to where they work, shop and go to school, which means less time spent driving and more time for family, community and personal activities.

Clearly, green building cannot solve all the social, economic or environmental challenges facing California's communities. Still, green building gives homebuilders a valuable set of strategies for meeting residents' expectations for livable, healthy, sustainable communities.

Examples:

• Broader site considerations (as applicable) such as infill or mixed use developments
• Keep size in check--conserve resources by increasing density on buildable land (i.e. 10 units per acre or greater)
• Design for diverse households; ADA-compliant