Mixed-Use Development and Financial Feasibility: Part I – Economic and Financial Factors
Spring 2009, Vol. 34, No. 1 Abstract: As mixed-use development grows in popularity, the economic and financial factors that lead to feasibility and success need to be known and understood. In this article, the authors examine the risks, as well as economic factors, revenue and lending issues, and costs of development, construction and property operation.
Shifting the Sustainability Paradigm: From Advocacy to Good Business
Fall 2008 Vol 33, No 3 Abstract: Sustainability has become the watchword for imagining a new utopia where the relationship of the human endeavor with the natural world is properly aligned to the benefit of both. But this, like all utopias, lies in the future. The present is a dichotomous public conversation between those wishing fervently… Read more
Blinded by the (Green) Light: The Rise of Environmentalism and a New Vocabulary – Four Perspectives
Fall 2008 Vol 33, No 3 Abstract: The United States Green Building Council’s LEED® Rating System has become the benchmark for sustainable design. Its widespread acceptance and adoption as a regulatory and programmatic requirement in local, state and federal developments focuses attention on the importance of green design. But, it also generates questions as to how… Read more
Energy Performance in Residential Green Developments: A Florida Case Study
Volume 33, Number 3 Published: Fall 2008 By Pierce Jones, Ph.D., and Ujjval K. Vyas, Ph.D., J.D. Abstract: Housing plays an important role in decreasing the overall U.S. energy consumption. To promote energy efficiency in the residential sector, utilities and governments are increasingly relying on incentives linked to “green certification” protocols. Programs like USGBC LEED®, Green… Read more
Legal Issues Arising Out of Green Building Legislation
Volume 33, Number 3 Fall 2008 By Stephen T. Del Percio, Esq. As concern about the state of the natural environment continues to rate higher on the public’s agenda, an increasing number of state and local governments have enacted legislation to combat the significant environmental impact of building construction and operations. As of August 2007,… Read more
Green Building Representations and the Emerging Potential for Securities Fraud Liability
Fall 2008 Vol 33, No 3 features Abstract: All public companies are required to file detailed disclosures on their activities with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A growing number of those companies are investing in green building practices and certification. An informal survey of recent securities filings citing to the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and USGBC’s certification program, the... Read More