Meeting the rigorous standards of today’s environmental regulations can go a long way toward qualifying your wind or solar energy project for Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) certification. Development of wind and solar energy projects has increased exponentially over the past twenty years, which is the… [Read More]
Atlanta Beltline Goes for Gold: Another SITES v2 Project!
Take one part industrial greyfield, one part invasive kudzu “farm” and one part utility scale transmission line. Mix in economic and recreational investment from the Atlanta Beltline, Inc. (ABI) and the creative design team led by Agency Landscape Planning and Perkins + Will, and you get Boulevard… [Read More]
Atlanta Proud! Atlanta Beltline Registers First Sustainable SITES Project
The Atlanta Beltline has an impressive list of accomplishments: 33 miles of multi-use trails, 1,300 acres of parks, 5,600 units of affordable housing, and more than $10 billion in economic development. Next on the list of accomplishments is the registration of the $7 million… [Read More]
Studioverde Leads Colby College Launch of SITES Certification Process
Getting started on any project can be daunting, but working with experts can make the process smoother. Colby College reached out for insight on the multi-year SITES certification process for its $200 million Athletic Complex. As the SITES expert and advisor on the project team,… [Read More]
SITES Certification: a Perfect Match for Small Projects with Big Ideas
Administered by the GBCI (Green Business Certification), the Sustainable Sites Initiative’s SITESv2 is the rating system that aligns land development and management with innovative sustainable design. And, unlike LEED, SITES certification is accessible to small projects with limited budgets. Today a variety of projects in the… [Read More]
SITES Certification Helps College Stand Out for Sustainability
There is a lot of sustainability talk in the higher education community, but who is delivering on the promise? Prospective students (and prospective donors) are bombarded with marketing pitches that tout sustainability in food and waste recycling, energy-saving buildings, and more, but the standard sustainability… [Read More]
Learning from Non-Traditional Landscapes: The Integrated Team Approach Makes Sense
Designing sites and outdoor areas for sustainability and then “building it right the first time” may seem like no-brainer goals for site development or ecological restoration, but that doesn’t mean that it is being done on most projects, much less being done well. Why is… [Read More]
SITES from the Ground Up: Rating Sustainable Landscapes
Lisa Cowan, PLA, Studioverde, teamed with with CeCe Haydock, PLA, New York to co-host a webinar titled “SITES from the Ground Up, How to Rate Sustainable Landscapes” on January 21, 2014 for the Ecological Landscape Association. The webinar was well-attended and we received very positive feedback from participants. At… [Read More]
A Surprising Champion Emerges for SITES
The Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES) is a far-reaching effort by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the United States Botanic Garden to create a rating system and methodologies for truly sustainable sites. Like LEED, SITES is… [Read More]
7 Reasons You Should be Using SITES v2 for Ecological Restoration
Although the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES™) Rating System may first appear to be just another green rating system, SITES can be a valuable resource for ecological site restoration projects (even if you are not going for certification). For those who have not familiarized themselves with… [Read More]