Pittsburgh Council Okays LEED Legislation

The head of the Green Building Alliance in Pittsburgh says City Council's approval of a LEED certification bill "will really raise the bar in terms of new development." Council voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of a bill that would require all publicly-financed development in Pittsburgh to be certified green. The Alliance's executive director Holly Childs hopes this is a "stepping stone" to future legislation to require all buildings in Pittsburgh to be LEED certified.
Councilman Bill Peduto says his measure would require developers who receive TIF's (Tax Increment Financing), to achieve at least the silver level of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. A TIF is public money invested in a development based on the future increased property taxes that project will likely mean to the municipality, the county and the school district.
Peduto says the bill is a step in the right direction, but other cities like Boston and Dallas have gone further, requiring that all new major developments meet green standards.