In recognition of the importance of sustainable parking facilities and practices to the development of sustainable communities, the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), the certification body for the U.S. Green Building Council’s global LEED green building rating system, today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the International Parking Institute (IPI), the world’s largest parking association, and the Green Parking Council (GPC).
“Sustainability in parking is integral to building a greener future, not only structurally, but also by shaping transportation networks that support more livable, walkable communities,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president, GBCI. “This agreement will also expand the GBCI’s portfolio and mission to recognize excellence in green performance and practice.”
The three organizations will work in a strategic partnership for the delivery and promotion of the GPC’s recently launched Green Garage Certification program, which applies to both new and existing parking structures.
Green Garage Certification was developed by experts from a range of related fields, including parking, architecture, engineering, technology, property management, and academia. It assesses 50 elements of parking facility sustainability, including management practices that maximize performance while minimizing waste; programs encouraging alternate modes of transportation and community engagement; and efficient and sustainable technology and structure design.
“This is a game-changer,” explained John Schmid, chairman of GP, an affiliate of IPI. “Collaborating with the GBCI will result in a multiplier effect, dramatically increasing awareness of sustainable parking design, operations, and management. This is an epic moment for parking and a giant leap forward toward a more environmentally and economically sustainable garage of the future”
“With GPC’s Green Garage Certification standards, IPI’s established focus on education related to sustainability, and GBCI’s distribution channels all working in sync, we’re enthusiastic that we can mainstream sustainable parking,” said Shawn Conrad, CAE, IPI’s executive director. “We are confident that will have a positive, far-reaching effect on the environment.”
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | Apr 10, 2024
Surprise, surprise: Students excel in modernized K-12 school buildings
Too many of the nation’s school districts are having to make it work with less-than-ideal educational facilities. But at what cost to student performance and staff satisfaction?
Industrial Facilities | Apr 9, 2024
Confessions of a cold storage architect
Designing energy-efficient cold storage facilities that keep food safe and look beautiful takes special knowledge.
Cultural Facilities | Apr 8, 2024
Multipurpose sports facility will be first completed building at Obama Presidential Center
When it opens in late 2025, the Home Court will be the first completed space on the Obama Presidential Center campus in Chicago. Located on the southwest corner of the 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, the Home Court will be the largest gathering space on the campus. Renderings recently have been released of the 45,000-sf multipurpose sports facility and events space designed by Moody Nolan.
Green | Apr 8, 2024
LEED v5 released for public comment
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has opened the first public comment period for the first draft of LEED v5. The new version of the LEED green building rating system will drive deep decarbonization, quality of life improvements, and ecological conservation and restoration, USGBC says.
Codes and Standards | Apr 8, 2024
Boston’s plans to hold back rising seawater stall amid real estate slowdown
Boston has placed significant aspects of its plan to protect the city from rising sea levels on the actions of private developers. Amid a post-Covid commercial development slump, though, efforts to build protective infrastructure have stalled.
Sustainability | Apr 8, 2024
3 sustainable design decisions to make early
In her experience as an architect, Megan Valentine AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, WELL AP, Fitwel, Director of Sustainability, KTGY has found three impactful sustainable design decisions: site selection, massing and orientation, and proper window-to-wall ratios.
Brick and Masonry | Apr 4, 2024
Best in brick buildings: 9 projects take top honors in the Brick in Architecture Awards
The Ace Hotel Toronto, designed by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, and the TCU Music Center by Bora Architecture & Interiors are among nine "Best in Class" winners and 44 overall winners in the Brick Industry Association's 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards.
Retail Centers | Apr 4, 2024
Retail design trends: Consumers are looking for wellness in where they shop
Consumers are making lifestyle choices with wellness in mind, which ignites in them a feeling of purpose and a sense of motivation. That’s the conclusion that the architecture and design firm MG2 draws from a survey of 1,182 U.S. adult consumers the firm conducted last December about retail design and what consumers want in healthier shopping experiences.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 3, 2024
Foster + Partners, CannonDesign unveil design for Mayo Clinic campus expansion
A redesign of the Mayo Clinic’s downtown campus in Rochester, Minn., centers around two new clinical high-rise buildings. The two nine-story structures will reach a height of 221 feet, with the potential to expand to 420 feet.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Apr 2, 2024
How university rec centers are evolving to support wellbeing
In a LinkedIn Live, Recreation & Wellbeing’s Sadat Khan and Abby Diehl joined HOK architect Emily Ostertag to discuss the growing trend to design and program rec centers to support mental wellbeing and holistic health.
