Los Angeles to Host Greenbuild 2007

The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Greenbuild conference has selected Los Angeles as the location of the 2007 show.

Greenbuild will be held at the LA Convention Center from Oct. 17-19, 2007.

Peter Templeton, vice president of Education & Research for the USGBC, says Los Angeles is an ideal city for the growing event. “Not only is LA renowned for its culture and entertainment, but it’s also gaining significant recognition for its leadership in green building in their community,” he says.

Templeton also adds that the theme of the 2007 event is accelerating green communities, which coincides with the USGBC’s 2007 educational agenda.

The USGBC’s LEED green building rating system for Neighborhood Development will be launched as a pilot program next month as the green building industry focuses on developing entire green communities over the single green building approach.

The 2006 show was held in Denver and welcomed more than 13,500 attendees and more than 700 exhibit booths. The annual conference and expo features three days of green building educational sessions and workshops, a large exhibit floor and numerous networking events.

Los Angeles was chosen to host Greenbuild 2007 because of its involvement in green building, the strong USGBC chapter presence and the city’s overall commitment to sustainability. The local government has passed several initiatives to promote sustainability and the construction of green buildings citywide. In April 2002, the Los Angeles City Council voted to require LEED certification for all public works construction projects larger than 7,500 gross square feet. In July 2003, the city extended this requirement to all building projects funded by the city. In addition, in March 2002 LEED certification of new construction projects was approved as part of the $1.6 billion bond proposition funding building projects in nine campuses of the LA Community College District.

Los Angeles boasts seven LEED certified projects, including the Platinum-rated Lake View Terrace Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. The city also has 59 LEED registered projects, placing it fifth in the U.S. for the highest number of register projects, according to a news release from the USGBC.

The USGBC is currently accepting session proposals for Greenbuild 2007. The deadline for submission is Jan. 12, 2007.