SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), The University of Texas at Austin's Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the United States Botanic Garden announced the development of a new rating system for sustainable landscape design, called the Sustainable Sites Initiative. The announcement took place at the 2007 ASLA EXPO in San Francisco, California. Just as the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED(R) rating system measures a building's environmental impact, the Sites Initiative will measure the sustainability of designed landscapes of all types, including public, commercial, and residential projects. The U.S. Green Building Council is lending its support to this project and plans to adopt the Sustainable Sites metrics into its LEED(R) system once they are finished. "This will provide the missing link for green building standards," said Nancy Somerville, Executive Vice President and CEO of ASLA. "Developers, designers, owners, and public officials will now have the tools at hand to significantly increase sustainability in the built environment, from interiors to landscapes." "We are acutely aware that the best guidelines and standards in the world will not be adopted if they are not cost-effective for builders and landowners," said Frederick R. Steiner, FASLA, Dean of The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture and a member of the Wildflower Center Advisory Council. "Sustainable landscapes have enormous environmental benefits, and any additional costs should be easily recovered over the life of the project in energy, water, and other savings." "The U.S. Botanic Garden is extremely excited to be a part of the Sustainable Sites Initiative," said Holly Shimizu, Executive Director of the Garden. "We recognize that through partnerships and collaborations we can make a much greater impact on promoting and guiding sustainable design, implementation, and management of gardens, landscapes, and all outdoor spaces. This initiative will help balance the built and natural environments for the long-term health of communities nationwide."
