Policy

• Seattle Green Building Capital Initiative Summary Report April 22, 2009
  The City of Seattle is advancing a suite of new policy and program directions that will enable us to achieve the objectives of the Green Building Capital Initiative. This policy direction maximizes environmental, economic and social benefit and minimizes adverse impact to stakeholders, while providing a high degree of confidence that the stated energy efficiency goals will be achieved.
  
  Seattle’s Community Carbon Footprint, Available

Code Research

• Code and Regulatory Barriers to the Living Building Challenge for Sustainable, Affordable, Residential Development Report 1: Findings. November 2008
  Prepared by: Cascadia Region Green Building Council for the City of Vancouver, WA and Clark County, WA.
• Code and Regulatory Barriers to the Living Building Challenge for Sustainable, Affordable, Residential Development Report 2: Strategies and Recommendations. April 2009
  Prepared by: Cascadia Region Green Building Council for the City of Vancouver, WA and Clark County, WA.

Annual Reports

• 2007 Annual Report

5-Year Report on Green Building in Seattle
In our 5-Year Report: "Building a Better City" you will learn about the tremendous growth in the green building industry and Seattle's noteworthy sustainability achievements between 2000-2005.

Eco-Charrette Report for Neighborhood Fire Station Projects
Seattle neighborhood fire stations serve a critical role in localized emergency response, binding neighborhoods together and reflecting the local culture. With the Mayor’s environmental priorities and Seattle’s commitment to LEED certification, green building is an important criterion for the fire station projects. This report together with technical briefs on Water Harvesting and Health & Wellness summarizes the results of a collaboration throughout 2006 between City Green Building and Seattle’s Fleets and Facilities Department (FFD) that focused on sustainable design for the neighborhood fire station program.

Strategic Plans

• Seattle Comprehensive Plan 2004-2024:  "Towards a Sustainable Seattle"
• Northwest Sustainable Building Action Plan - 1999

Building Research Reports

• Incremental Cost, Measurable Savings: Enterprise Green Communities Criteria - October 2009. Enterprise released this first-of-its-kind study showing the cost effectiveness of meeting Enterprise Green Communities Criteria, the only comprehensive green building framework for affordable housing.
• Cost of Green Analysis for Affordable Housing in Seattle and Portland - July 2009
• LEED Portfolio Analysis 2008 - May 2009. Report evaluates the impacts of innovative LEED certified green buildings on the City's infrastructure and resources over time. The report calculates the anticipated savings in transportation, water, energy, carbon and waste for these projects.
• Built Green Portfolio Analysis 2008 - May 2009. The report identifies the most commonly implemented sustainable design strategies and evaluates the impacts of innovative Built Green certified projects on the City's infrastructure and resources over time.
• Residential Energy Comparison: Built Green and LEED - November 2008. The report focuses on the energy impacts of LEED and Built Green rating systems in single and multifamily construction in the local area (Seattle and King County).
• LEED-Certified Buildings in Seattle: Analysis and Projections - January 2006
• National Review of Green Schools:  Costs, Benefits and Implications for Massachusetts" - December 2005. By Greg Kats for Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
• Green Value: Green Buildings, Growing Assets - 2005.  Study of 11 green buildings in the U.S. and Canada which found that--in addition to the payback efficiency measures provide over time--a "green" designation can also increase a building's market value.
• Cost of Green Revisited: Reexamining the Feasibility and Cost Impact of Sustainable Design in the Light of Increased Market Adoption - July 2007
  Analysis of relative costs of various building types (LEED and non-LEED) which concludes there is no significant difference in average costs for green buildings as compared to non-green buildings.
• Charting Common Ground for Salmon and Buildings -December 2003
• LEED Performance & Evaluation Plan: Seattle Justice Center & City Hall - December 2003.  Results of post-occupancy evaluation will be posted on this site when they become available.
• The Costs and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings - October 2003.  Analysis of both first costs and 20-year operational costs and savings of 30 completed LEED projects.
• LEED Cost/Benefit Analysis of McCaw Performance Hall and Seattle Justice Center - April 2003.  Analysis of anticipated cost/benefit of two City facilities slated for LEED Silver certification. While preliminary in nature, the conclusion was that LEED is a good investment, particulary in owner-occupied office-type environments.  For a one-page overview of the report, read the Summary.

Market Research Reports

• LEED Portfolio Analysis - Dec. 2008
• Green Building Pre- and Post- Campaign Testing - 2005.  Part of Build Green NW Marketing Campaign.
• High Performance Building Delivers Results - May 2001.  Final report from Seattle City Light's Sustainable Demand Project.