I just read about an initiative going on right now called 'Greening America's Capitals.' It's a project of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, which is composed of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). This program helps state capitals implement their visions of environmentally friendly neighborhoods complete with green building and design strategies. This is definitely something we fully support here!

According to the news the first projects will begin this fall, and the program itself will help between three and four communities a year. Each capital city will have a different way of implementing these green features and whether that includes efficient recycling programs, renewables, more public green spaces,  or alternative transportation. The EPA will fund a team of designers to visit several state capital cities and produce designs to kickstart the planning process and environmental considerations. I want to note again that these are neighborhoods, and it is believed that once these pilot projects get underway they can influence citywide changes and even larger movements if done right. 

I feel that if done properly the results can be very positive. It always helps having a real-world example of anything you're trying to accomplish. Having that be a local neighborhood helps that much more if you're pushing a city-wide or region-wide initiative. I myself can't wait to see the results by the end of the year or beginning of next, and only hope for continued growth once this gets under way.