EcoDistricts unveils sustainable neighborhood framework

The non-profit organization EcoDistricts has launched EcoDistricts Protocol, a process-based framework and performance standard that empowers sustainable neighborhood- and district-scale urban development.

The Protocol is structured around three core areas:

Three Imperatives: Social, economic, and environmental sustainability is at the center of neighborhood initiatives. These include Equity, Resilience, and Climate Protection.
Six Priorities: Six rigorous goals, 49 objectives, and 94 indicators are used to scope and define a district’s sustainability agenda. These include: Place, Prosperity, Health + Wellness, Connectivity, Living Infrastructure, and Resource Restoration.
Three Implementation Phases: A framework sets the conditions for sustained, scalable, outcomes that address the Protocol’s Imperatives and Priorities and meet the specific needs of the district over time. These phases include Formation, Roadmap, and Performance.

“The EcoDistricts Protocol represents an important tool to help city leaders think about sustainability in an integrated way and at a scale that is truly effective,” said Joel Mills, senior director, Communities by Design, The American Institute of Architects. “Using the EcoDistricts Protocol, cities can build momentum for scalable change that transforms urban sustainability and positions communities for success in the 21st century.”

New York City has two very large buildings dedicated to answering the 911 calls of its five boroughs. With more than 11 million emergency calls annually, it makes perfect sense. The second of these buildings, the Public Safety Answering Center II (PSAC II) is located on a nine-acre parcel of land in the Bronx. It’s an imposing 450,000 square-foot structure—a 240-foot-wide by 240-foot-tall cube. The gleaming aluminum cube risesthe equivalent of 24 stories from behind a grassy berm, projecting the unlikely impression that it might actually be floating. Like most visually striking structures, the building has drawn as much scorn as it has admiration.