March 13, 2008
Sims: Social equity and green building a good fit
Communities across King County become strong and vibrant when sustainable building practices come to affordable housing worksites
That's the message King County Executive Ron Sims gave to construction and building professionals at the seventh-annual Built Green Conference and Expo, which kicked off today in Seattle.
"Applying the philosophy of social equity and justice to built-green projects is a natural combination," Sims said to participants of the sold-out conference. "The two go hand in hand, and they help form the fabric that makes streets become neighborhoods, and neighborhoods become communities."
Social equity is one of the pillars of sustainability, but it is often missing from the green building dialog, he added.
"Historically, affordable housing has not been built to the highest standards, adversely affecting the health and well being of its residents," Sims said. "In addition, affordable housing developments are often built on the edges of urban areas making it difficult for residents to participate in the most vital and vibrant elements of society."
Sims noted that Greenbridge, a new, mixed-income master-planned community in White Center, is the perfect example of green building coming together with the concepts of society equity and justice.
Greenbridge is being built on land that until recently held dilapidated public housing from the World War II era. Those old, inefficient houses are being replaced by new, sustainably designed and constructed homes that are affordable, comfortable and built well.
"I am here today to tell you that we are fully committed to support ongoing sustainable development efforts, and that our commitment breaks through any economic barriers," Sims said.
More than 12,000 certified Built Green homes have been constructed in King and Snohomish counties through the partnership.
"We were challenged to bring sustainable, earth-friendly design and construction practices to housing across the economic spectrum, and Greenbridge is proof that we were up to that challenge," Sims said.
"Now we face a new challenge: How can we train people from economically disadvantaged communities in our region for our green goals in environmental protection, climate action and clean energy?"
Sims said that as the "green"' economy grows, so do the opportunities for those living in affordable and mixed income communities to find greater economic prosperity, through work in green construction and trades.
King County's Equity and Social Justice Initiative and the King County Climate Team have announced a series of joint goals to address how King County as a leading green government can develop work opportunities for youth and adult work training program participants.
"We are partnering this year to bring green collar job education to the trades through the MBA University," Sims said. Hands-on workshops will be field tested through the City of Issaquah's "Zero Energy Project," where green-collar training will be directly implemented into the project, which includes advanced house framing and solar energy installation training.
Sims introduced conference keynote speaker James Chase from Sustainable South Bronx. Founded in 2001 by Dr. Majora Carter, a life-long South Bronx, N.Y., resident, Sustainable South Bronx addresses policies involving land-use, energy, transportation, water and waste, and advocates for policy and education to advance the environmental and economic rebirth of the South Bronx. More information is available at http://www.ssbx.org/staff.html.
The Built Green Conference is presented each year by the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, and draws hundreds of architects, crafts and trades experts and others, who learn about the latest advancements in sustainable construction practices.
Information on King County's green building program is available at http://www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/greenbuilding/.