UrbanGreen provides strategy, facilitation, expertise, and education for clients striving to achieve sustainability in their communities.
Our experience and body of work has evolved to embrace the best ideas emerging from smart growth; and sustainable community design combined with and high quality, financially viable real estate development. We have learned through over a decade of experience that sustainable development can only be acheived through a collaborative effort involving a diverse array of participants - consultants, scie
02/17/2016
How Small Grows Bigger Everyday My article in Friday's UrbanLand online highlighted the cross-organizational efforts to take small scale, incremental development to new heights. Chronicling the discussion and key findings from an
Hope to see you in NYC at the Fall ULI meeting. I'll be sharing some results from the 2014 UrbanGreen Index, which focused on Mixed Use development. When you see me, ask me for a copy of the preliminary results.
10/10/2014
This iconic mid century building underwent a major renovation to give it a new life. The evocative brise soleil¹ pattern is derived from the original tenant's core business. The exterior LED lighting scheme is a temporary nod to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Where am I and what is the building? For extra credit name the architect!
Last Week's Photo: Singapore. South Beach
10/02/2014
The third annual UrbanGreen Index – providing a barometer of trends and attitudes regarding sustainable real estate development – is ready for your input. I'd really appreciate your input. This year's survey is focused on the complexities and potential of Mixed Use development. Based on my work over the past 15 months leading study tours for the ULI in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Singapore and Hong Kong it is clear that this product category is undergoing significant evolution. As in previous years, I will share the survey results with all participants.
2014 UrbanGreen Index Survey The next four questions form the basis of the annual UrbanGreen Index's recurring survey to understand how the real estate industry is trending relative to sustainable development practices. SUSTAINABLE REAL ESTATE includes green, high performance and/or living buildings as well as green, low impact…
09/26/2014
Foster’s new mixed use complex includes office, residential, retail and a hotel takes shape. The sinuous form on the ground plane will hold a complex louver system to channel breezes and keep rain out from the public realm. Where am I and what’s the project?
09/26/2014
Shift! From Planning Paralysis to Complete, Connected Communities | Chasing Better In September 2014 I had the pleasure of providing one Keynote for the 2014 Hawaii Congress of Planning Officials – a yearly meeting of planners, designers, developers and policy makers focused on community development and land use issues in the State of Hawaii. This year’s theme – SHIFT! – provided…
09/17/2014
While on a study tour last week I stumbled onto this funky little place, on an island at a remote corner of the globe. Where am I?
09/05/2014
Friday Photo: Creating place with food trucks, music and movable furniture. What a great evening! Where was I last night?
Last week's photo: Lilydale, New York
08/22/2014
Friday Photo - Where Am I? This small village, located in Western New York, weaves old urbanism to the edge of a beautiful lake. During the summer folks gather to take part in a magical summer experience focused on spirituality, education and community. Where am I? (Hint: it is NOT Chautauqua!)
Last Week’s Photo: One Hyde Park, London
08/15/2014
Catching up to vital, urban lifestyles | Chasing Better A great take away from our recent vacation in Spain was how vibrant neighborhood life was in the areas we travelled. For years I have wondered whether the changes we are seeing here in the U.S. (best evidenced by the millennials) is a temporal or a systemic change? Through my time abroad I had an ‘…
08/15/2014
Friday Photo - Where am I? While wandering out from our hotel in London I was struck by the contrast of this spectacular piece of contemporary residential design set amidst historic properties. Facing Hyde Park the building is really a series of residential towers with inter-linking stair and elevator cores that are both transparent, and create pedestrian passages from the main street into the Park.
Just finished teaching 2011 Real Estate School for ULI. Final session included three experts from the capital markets. consensus is its getting better but a long way until it gets better. Better hunker down until 2015.