EPA HQ moves to suburbs despite advocating smart growth
The Environmental Protection Agency announced it is moving its headquarters from Kansas City, Kan., to Lenexa, Kan., a more rural area. Negotiated by the General Services Administration, the decision to move was ultimately based on cost—it is less expensive to rent a building in a rural area than in an urban center.
However, for advocates of smart growth, “the decision was a slap in the face,” Sustainable Cities Collective’s Chris Cheatham writes, and could be overturned by green building policy.