Nature- and health-inspired facilities will help cities and counties reach sustainability goalsNature- and health-inspired facilities will help cities and counties reach sustainability goals

Local governments in 2025 will incorporate natural daylight and other nature-based features in their new and renovated facilities and grounds, says Elisandra Garcia, director of engagement with El Dorado, an architecture, urban design, education and fabrication practice in Kansas City, Mo., and Portland, Ore. 

“Nature-inspired elements such as natural daylight, views of outdoors, plantings, and figurative art depicting natural scenes are shown to improve well-being and performance in government workplaces, schools and more,” she explains.

Public officials, Garcia adds, are more aware of the importance of health and wellness for employees and others. “This will lead to even more changes in the way we view our government buildings and public environments. A growing number of government entities will adopt more flexible codes for their public buildings, making it easier and more common to select healthier materials and finishes.”

She explains: “This new and positive awareness of health and wellness is a direct result of the documented need to embrace trauma and lived experience as design tools for civic and public buildings. Trauma-informed design is an increasingly recognized standard within the architecture discipline that is not exclusive to healthcare facilities. These principles can be applied to housing (especially affordable), public space, schools and other civic environments.”

Garcia says sustainable construction practices can make a big difference. “Because buildings account for a third or more of carbon emissions, local officials can make big strides toward greater sustainability by prioritizing adoption of green building standards for all new residential and commercial construction, and incentivizing preservation and adaptive reuse over new construction whenever possible.”

Here’s another way to reduce carbon emissions, according to Garcia: “Investing in electric and hybrid vehicles for public transportation can reduce overall emissions, especially in parallel with reinforcing the infrastructure and resources needed to support all-electric transportation.”

Garcia says sustainability efforts can also focus on improving infrastructure that is already in place. “These structures include public and civic amenities and parks. We recommend focusing on those elements that incentivize sustainable mobility. Additionally, an open design process that engages the public will allow citizens to contribute ideas about sustainability, making the process more accessible to community input and increasing the level of public support.”

The El Dorado executive adds: “Beyond environmental sustainability, local government officials can pursue sustainable growth through the development of affordable housing and of equitable, accessible public space, as well as by encouraging the formation of circular economies within the community.” The term “circular economy” defines a fiscal or production system based on the regeneration and reuse of materials or products, especially as a means of continuing production in a sustainable or environmentally friendly way.

Garcia says a quick path to sustainability success for cities and counties is to create incentives for rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of existing structures. “This path also tends to be very popular because it is seen as helping to save those iconic buildings and sites that locals know and love. Historic tax credits are a great way to attract beneficial development and grow the economy while contributing significantly to achieving sustainability goals.”

She offers the following case study: “In St. Louis, Mo., El Dorado is part of a team redeveloping the historic Crunden-Martin industrial complex into a true 21st-century innovation, workplace, and advanced manufacturing hub. Taking an adaptive reuse approach to this project opens the door to some of these crucial incentive programs that make redevelopment financially feasible, while also taking into account the embodied carbon of existing buildings.”   

Getting citizens involved can help in reaching sustainability targets, Garcia believes. “We have seen the success of community-based initiatives that incentivize citizens to participate in events, projects, fundraisers, and other activities. Creating clear and open communication channels with the community will further push the impact of city-led sustainability projects.”

Garcia urges city-county leaders to tailor sustainability messages to all ages, including youngsters. “Communicating with young people about the importance of sustainability and achieving carbon neutrality is actually a great way to reach the adults in their lives.” She notes that her firm is leading a number of projects where interaction with nature serves as a primary learning tool. “In the process, we are increasingly envisioning future buildings where youth learn to understand the world around them.”

OMNIA Partners, who sponsors this page, offers a robust portfolio of cooperative contracts in the public procurement space. The firm lists a number of cooperative contracts under the keyword “sustainability.”