ShareThisEcodistricts and Certified Communities: What’s the difference?
BY Guest Blogger: Fiona Harland, EAI Intern
This year in Oregon we’ve seen increasing attention paid to both Ecodistricts and certified green communities. Both focus on positive environmental impact in similar ways, including location and linkage, material and resource efficiency, and enhanced community engagement and well-being. However, each development type brings different benefits to the community.
Ecodistricts
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In 2009 the Portland Sustainability Institute started planning for five pilot ecodistrict projects in the Portland metropolitan area. The organization defines an ecodistrict as: “A neighborhood or district with a broad commitment to accelerate neighborhood-scale sustainability. Ecodistricts commit to achieving ambitious sustainability performance goals, guiding district investments and community action, and tracking the results over time.”
Ecodistricts provide a range of advantages to existing communities. They are retrofitted neighborhoods that primarily focus on community resources and energy use, rather than building materials and existing structure alterations. For example, in one Portland neighborhood, the Lloyd District, stakeholders are interested in a community-wide waste management system that incorporates composting, in addition to other retrofits. Because ecodistricts alter already-functioning communities, the process and strategies vary based on the neighborhood profile. Ecodistricts also require community leaders and members that will work with the district during and after the retrofits, encouraging behavior and policy change to make the community most efficient.
City Community Development Director Don Mazzioti points out “Calling something an EcoDistrict doesn’t mean it’s a green place, just that it plans to be,” emphasizing the long process of gaining support and implementing sustainable changes. The stakeholder recruiting process, public/private sector partnerships, and evaluation of the current community are three additional aspects that separate ecodistricts from certified green communities.
Certified Communities
The process of certifying sustainable neighborhoods is usually pursued by developers before the start of construction. Therefore, when construction is completed, energy saving begins. Homes within the communities are often individually certified, which is not required for homes in ecodistricts. Certification for sustainable communities, some may argue, can also bring more local or national recognition, due to the rigid criteria. Many developers build and certify sustainable communities to promote and market the project.
Common Characteristics
Both ecodistricts and certified sustainable communities strive to place residents or workers within walking distance of their daily needs or public transit. This living style brings community members closer socially and reduces excess energy use incurred by driving. The two styles of environmentally-friendly communities also try to reduce the energy needed for remodeling and bringing in new materials. In addition to benefiting the environment, ecodistricts and certified neighborhoods also seek to improve the well being of community members through enhanced community engagement, education, and by providing desirable local resources such as parks and markets.
Ecodistricts and certified sustainable communities bring individual benefits and challenges. Incorporating sustainable practices into preexisting communities is usually the focus of ecodistricts while certified sustainable communities are created with a sustainable goal. Despite the differences, the two practices try to bring about both environmental change and improved well being.
