For Immediate Release: October 13, 2009

Green Community, a ground-breaking new book, published by the National Building Museum and the American Planning Association

Practical, political, and theoretical essays written by experts from around the world

Washington, D.C.—Where will we get our energy in the future? Is the greenest building one that already exists? What is the relationship of water to communities? Is there an ideal density for mass transit? These and other sustainable living questions are addressed in Green Community, a new publication featuring essays by experts from around the world. Planning, development, energy, agricultural policy, and public health experts contributed to the publication, which has been co-edited by Susan Piedmont-Palladino, National Building Museum curator, and Timothy Mennel, American Planning Association (APA) Planners Press senior editor.

The book and its essays focus on the interconnectivity of density and transportation, conservation and preservation, energy and resources, and local health and global health. The contributors represent a diverse range of backgrounds and perspectives, resulting in a multi-disciplinary collection of essays which examine the people and places of sustainable communities. This publication presents the opportunities and challenges for planning and designing sustainable communities, and demonstrates that creating sustainable communities is critical to the long-term health of our environment and our economy.

Commenting on the publication, the Honorable Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said, "Today, more than any time in history, we live in a global economy where quality of place drives the free flow of capital. And as the lines between urban, suburban and rural challenges blur, from poverty to housing affordability, strong neighborhoods are increasingly becoming a yardstick with which we measure America's success. With Green Community, Susan Piedmont-Palladino and Timothy Mennel have assembled a definitive work on the sustainability challenge—offering us a blueprint for integrated transportation, housing and land use development, and catalyzing a new generation of metropolitan and rural decision-making that builds a geography of opportunity for every American."

In addition to essays, the book includes photographs and rich explanatory diagrams, and is a way for the Museum and APA to extend the life of the exhibition by the same name. The Museum and APA's Planners Press co-published this publication to expand and deepen the content from the National Building Museum's ground-breaking exhibition, Green Community. The exhibition, which opened in October 2008 and runs through October 25, 2009 is the first major exhibition in the United States to explore the complex process of creating and sustaining healthy communities.

The publication of Green Community is made possible by the Home Depot Foundation, the founding partner of the Museum's sustainability initiatives.  

About the American Planning Association & the National Building Museum           

The American Planning Association and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, are dedicated to advancing the art, science and profession of good planning—physical, economic and social—so as to create communities that offer better choices for where and how people work and live. APA's 44,500 members help create communities of lasting value and encourage civic leaders, business interests, and citizens to play a meaningful role in creating communities that enrich people's lives. APA has offices in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, IL. For more information, visit www.planning.org.

The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to exploring and celebrating architecture, design, engineering, construction, and planning. Chartered by Congress in 1980 and open to the public since 1985, the Museum has become a vital forum for exchanging ideas and information about the built environment through its exhibitions, education programs, and publications. The Museum is located at 401 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. Museum hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. Admission is free. Museum Shop. Café. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org.