Building energy efficiency and sustainability into one building at a time is a great idea, but cities across the country are recognizing the collective benefits of populating their communities with sustainable buildings. Cities such as Austin, Denver, Tucson, Seattle, and New York City have raised the bar, community-wide, above basic minimums on sustainability issues.

Here in California, one city has taken an additional step by enacting higher energy performance requirements for non-residential buildings. In September 1994, Santa Monica's City Council adopted the Santa Monica Sustainable City Program developed by the city's Task Force on the Environment to create the basis for a more sustainable way of life. To meet the program goals, the Task Force recommended that the City adopt a set of guidelines for developing "green" buildings in Santa Monica without forcing excessive costs or other burdens upon developers, building owners, or occupants.