Los Angeles — As part of the City of Los Angeles’ green building effort, the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) is moving forward with its Healthy Neighborhoods Policy. Available online at www.crala.org, the policy will guide sustainable development in the CRA/LA’s 32 project areas, reportedly making it the largest redevelopment agency in the country to follow environmentally friendly building practices.

“Even as we accommodate more residents and grow more jobs, CRA/LA will be doing its part to ensure that Los Angeles is the greenest big city in America,” said Cecilia V. Estolano, Chief Executive Officer of CRA/LA.

The Healthy Neighborhoods Policy will include free environmental consulting, beginning the end of August, for new and rehabilitated larger projects within CRA/LA project areas. A “GreenTeam” has been assembled and is creating new standards for sustainable project area planning and urban design, sustainable building practices and internal CRA/LA operations.

“Most people know about the high-profile work that CRA/LA is doing with projects such asGrand Avenue and L.A. Live,” Estolano said. “Our mission stretches beyond individual projects and buildings and includes providing healthy, livable neighborhoods for the residents of our project areas and their children. Sustainable urban design standards, energy-efficient buildings,access to transit, and ample open space are all vital to that mission.”

The no-cost, one-time “green” consultation will be available for new projects within the 18,000 acres over which CRA/LA has jurisdiction citywide. The two- year, $300,000 pilot program will help developers identify ways to integrate sustainable design features into their projects to reduce resource consumption, operating costs and environmental impact. Suggestions could include building placement onsite to reduce energy use via natural shading and daylight and use of energy-efficient utilities and recycled materials.

The Green Team, meanwhile, will help create energy-efficient building design and urban planning standards, identify energy- and water-saving steps that the CRA/LA can make with its own operations and create an outreach and communication plan to inform developers, City staff members and communities on how to “green” CRA/LA redevelopment areas.

The Healthy Neighborhoods Policy was prepared in coordination with the Green Building Ordinance, passed April 22 by the City of Los Angeles. The ordnance requires all buildings greater than 50,000 square feet and/or consisting of 50 residential units or more to be built toLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. Established by the U.S.Green Building Council, LEED is a nationally accepted benchmark for designing, constructing and operating high performance green buildings through sustainable site development, watersavings, energy efficiency, material selection and indoor environmental quality.

“With the City of Los Angeles enacting the most ambitious green building plan of any big city in the country, having incentives like free ‘green’ consulting will foster sustainable development inCRA/LA project areas,” said CRA/LA Chairman William H. Jackson.