Over the years, GBCI has built a suite of green business programs dedicated to enhancing environmental performance and human health benefits. As companies continue to work to validate sustainability performance and communicate progress, more and more are finding value in pursuing multiple certifications.
For more than 80 years, Bartholdi Park at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., has served as a demonstration garden for residents and visitors visiting the nation’s capital. When it came time to undergo a renovation, the team saw an opportunity to show how applying sustainable design and development principles can help elevate the value of land in a way that better serves communities and the environment.
Feature image: Washington Canal Park in Washington, D.C.
New construction projects that follow design guidelines and aim to meet performance benchmarks set a critical foundation for sustainability. The SITES v2 Rating System provides a clear framework for developing such projects, while emphasizing site maintenance and encouraging performance monitoring post-construction.
During the first SITES Quarterly Call of 2018, our panel of experts from GBCI and Design Workshop dissected the various stages of the SITES certification process.
Administered by GBCI, SITES is a rating system used by landscape professionals to align land development and management with sustainable design. After several years of beta testing, SITES v2 was released in 2015. By 2018, a wide variety of projects in the U.S. and abroad have become certified—more than 40 million square feet to date.
Learn about SITES at the Gulf Coast Green 2018 Symposium and Expo in Houston, Texas, on June 1 at the session "Promoting Resilient Communities with the SITES Rating System." Participants will discover the importance of land design and development through the exploration of the SITES v2 Rating System and relevant case studies.
A key part of the SITES framework is enhancing physical, mental and social well-being as a result of human interaction with nature. SITES projects also provide education that promotes the understanding of natural systems and offers opportunities for community involvement and advocacy.
In honor of Earth Month, we’re celebrating three SITES projects that bring us back to nature:
SITES is a comprehensive rating system designed to distinguish sustainable landscapes, measure their performance and elevate their value.
SITES-certified projects across the country are strengthening communities by educating them on sustainable site practices and the benefits of being in nature. Always evolving through continued research and experience, SITES projects transform the way people interact with the built environment.