Green Community: What Makes a Community Green?

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The communities featured in Green Community highlight a range of solutions to the problems of land contamination, sprawl, exploitation of natural resources, and the generation of trash and waste. Each is green in more ways than one, though perfectly green in none. Together, they form a mosaic of what makes a green community.

Remediating, Repurposing, Reinvigorating

Brown and gray can turn green. Brownfields are sites that have been polluted and have contaminated soil and water. Grayfields are abandoned sites, like old shopping malls, that are obsolete or in disrepair, but that have not been contaminated. Cleaning up and building on sites like this puts forgotten land to good use.

Getting Around

Walkable communities have streets and sidewalks designed for people instead of just roads for cars. The greenest communities offer residents--including children, the disabled, and the elderly--multiple ways to get around. Increasing the density of housing and commercial spaces makes it easier to walk or bike from place to place, and also makes it easier to set up mass transit systems.

Land Conservation

Preventing sprawl saves larger stretches of land, which in turn preserves green space in a community. By increasing density, a community reduces the threat of traffic and human encroachment on local ecosystems. Compact development also makes other important options, like mass transit, possible.

Resourcefulness

Throughout history, people have tried to keep the consumption and renewal of natural resources in a delicate balance, not always with success. Green communities today continue to pursue strategies--both ancient and new--to conserve resources such as fresh water and agricultural land for future generations to enjoy.

Waste

The old saying "one person's trash is another's treasure" is still true. Curbside recycling programs have been around for many years, but some green-minded communities have gone a step further, creating programs to turn food waste into fertilizer. In other parts of the world, communities support themselves by finding value in what others discard.

Close to Home

The example communities in the exhibition are from all over the globe, but the National Building Museum’s own backyard – the DC metro area – has its share of green initiatives. Local governments, school districts, and non-profits have all done their part to make the capital region greener.