Environment

• Communities and urban areas are going green for the environmental wellness. According to Enterprise Green Communities, "Buildings account for 38 percent of annual carbon dioxide emissions, 30 percent of both raw materials waste and landfill waste and 12 percent of potable water consumption." Towns--especially large urban areas--that have prevalent pollution problems are planning environmental-friendly development projects with energy- and water-efficient buildings, cleaner air initiatives proper waste management plans and efficient land use.
  
  

Health

• The United States spends $55 billion yearly in health costs on environmentally disadvantaged people. Urban areas especially have high rates of childhood diseases such as asthma, lead poisoning and cancer as they are largely attributed to large community pollution problems. Green development will be the holistic approach to lowering these health cases. Hybrid public transit systems are a major solution that many major cities such as New York and Los Angeles are putting into effect. As of 2008, the city of Seattle plans to spend more than $30 million in the next coming years for its bicycling community development project. The city of Chicago will increase its renewable energy budget while pumping funding into the public transportation system to reduce hazardous emission.
  
  

Costs

• Communities with high poverty rates spend at least 40 cents on every dollar toward transportation and energy costs, with the latter for middle-class homes having doubled their incomes in recent decades. Communities are devising plans to combat high energy costs by maximizing taxpayers' resources through city commuting improvements. Communities such as Houston (a top green community) and Denver are also developing green jobs that will create manufacturers and computer-related industries to harness relatively cheap energy.
  
  

Development

• The United States is home to only five percent of the world's population, yet it consumes one-quarter of the world's energy. In addition, good jobs are going farther away from many low-income people living outside the city. Poor community development projects have been linked to increased traffic congestion, increased pollution and deteriorating health. Some communities are devising economic strategies to beat community economic turmoil. Towns such as Austin, Texas, lead in wind power and bio-diesel production, creating new jobs. Minneapolis is putting Americans back to work through renewable energy initiatives that encourage the construction of green buildings in and around the city.
  
  

Sustainable Future

• Community mayors and town leaders are implementing innovative strategies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, manage water and energy resources and create more livable communities by the year 2020. The goal is to ensure a cleaner, healthier environment for residents. Improving housing will greatly increase sustainability for the housing market; green designs and plans create healthier environments by improving indoor air quality and environmental-friendly construction materials, as well as better water and waste management systems. Developers and communities aboard the green plan will gain a competitive edge and an economic advantage in a marketplace that is moving forward in greener initiatives and higher-performance homes.