Green Building is the New Law in Evanston, Illinois

In late 2009 the city council of Evanston, Illinois, an inner-ring suburban community just north of Chicago, passed an ordinance requiring that all new construction projects larger than 10,000 ft2(930 m2) be certified to a LEED Silver level.

While some alderpersons were reportedly disappointed that the law would not apply to renovations or projects that were approved by the city before the law passed, Evanston’s green building ordinance is notable in that many other cities requiring LEED certification or other green building measures for projects of a certain size (including New York City) set the threshold for commercial buildings much higher, at 50,000 ft2 (4,600 m2). The green building law is one element of Evanston’s 200-point Climate Action Plan, which includes even more ambitious plans for an offshore wind farm in Lake Michigan that could supply power to at least 14,000 homes. For more information visit the City of Evanston on the web.

In late 2009 the city council of Evanston, Illinois, an inner-ring suburban community just north of Chicago, passed an ordinance requiring that all new construction projects larger than 10,000 ft²(930 m²) be certified to a LEED Silver level.

While some alderpersons were reportedly disappointed that the law would not apply to renovations or projects that were approved by the city before the law passed, Evanston’s green building ordinance is notable in that many other cities requiring LEED certification or other green building measures for projects of a certain size (including New York City) set the threshold for commercial buildings much higher, at 50,000 ft² (4,600 m²).

The green building law is one element of Evanston’s 200-point Climate Action Plan, which includes even more ambitious plans for an offshore wind farm in Lake Michigan that could supply power to at least 14,000 homes. For more information visit the City of Evanston on the web.