Chapter 2.1
Floodplain and River Corridor Land Use

• ALL
• Remove Code Barriers
• Create Incentives
• Fill Regulatory Gaps

Green Zones

INTRODUCTION

Green zones (also known as “ecodistricts”) are stationary or floating districts created by a local government to promote sustainable practices, to help reduce environmental impacts, and to help revitalize an area. Green zones are areas that provide local governments with the flexibility to focus on a variety of issues related to sustainability. For example, a local government may use green zones to help promote healthy lifestyles, reduce pollution, and/or provide affordable housing and sustainable jobs. Green zones can be created in a variety of ways, including zoning a specific area as a stationary “Green Zone” or green zones can be drafted to create floating zones, whereby a neighborhood can petition to adopt the floating zone.

Local governments can use multiple strategies within green zones to help reduce pollution. For example, local governments may give higher scrutiny for proposed sources of pollution in the green zone and may give priority permits for programs with designations from sustainable regulatory agencies or third party certifications, such as LEED or  Living Building Challenge (see Third-Party Certification Requirements).[1] When a local government is creating a green zone some common provisions include signage to deter diesel truck idling, buffer zones for auto related operations from houses, land use restrictions and others.[2] Many of the briefs in this chapter and other chapters may be incorporated directly into green zones. Local governments should draft these ordinances in a way that helps create a healthy neighborhood, remove/reduce existing environmental concerns, develop green economic opportunities, and encourage community involvement.[3]

Green zones can also be a platform to determine if a regulation will be beneficial for the city though a pilot project. Green zones can serve as a pilot to test new sustainable strategies.[4] When a local government creates a green zone, different stages of implementation can allow resources to be added where needed, permitting the government to assess the needs of the zone to benefit the new green zone.[5] Green zones should be implemented in a way that allows for the local government to monitor their effect. A government can utilize phases to fully understand the impact. Phases may include a formation phase, assessment phase, development phase, and management phase.[6] Green zones may be utilized for a variety of zoning types, including residential and commercial.

EFFECTS

Because green zones are a flexible zoning tool that can help local governments meet a variety of challenges, the possible effects from green zones can be vast and varied based on the local community’s desires and needs. Green zones, for example, can help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mitigate damage to water sheds, create jobs, provide for healthier lifestyles, reduce waste, and revitalize districts or areas that need the most help.[7] Green zones can also increase office and residential floor space while cutting GHG emissions.[8] Green zones can also help promote equality by providing job creation and investment opportunities in socially and economically diverse areas which can help mitigate displaced workers.[9] Moreover, green zones can provide access to recreational activities and local healthy foods or improve air quality, depending on what the local government chooses to address. Finally, green zones can be designed to focus solely on energy and/or water needs to help reduce GHG emissions, for example by incorporating zero net energy requirements (see Zero Net Energy Buildings for ordinances promoting net zero buildings)[10] or incorporating permeable surfaces (see Pervious Cover Minimums and Incentives) and other water conservation practices.

EXAMPLES

Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles creates Clean Up Green Up (CUGU) districts to reduce health impacts from land use issues.[11] CUGU districts require approval for certain types of properties before adding altering existing structures or building new ones. Also, appropriate signage for vehicles, such as “no idling” is required in areas that commonly experience idling. The City also has different building height requirements, distancing requirements (buffer zones), and surface material requirements (permeable surfaces and parking lot requirements) in the CUGU.[12]

Los Angeles also has three ecodistricts: Boyle Heights, Pacoima/Sun Valley, and Wilmington.[13] Because these areas have been designated as some of the most vulnerable for environmental problems by the State, the City chose them for the ecodistricts. In the ecodistrict, some of the requirements include one tree for every four parking spaces in a parking lot, and landscape requirements for yards, which include designating specific types of trees and bushes. Along with green zones, the City is implementing Citywide ordinances to compliment the newly formed zones, such as oil refinery Safeguards, and mandatory air filters on building within 1000 feet of a freeway.[14]

To view this provision see Los Angeles, CA, Municipal Code §13.18 (2016).

Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis by resolution created its green zone initiative after adopting the Minneapolis Climate Action Plan.[15] The City created a Green Zone working group to develop criteria to determine which areas should be designated as Green Zones. The group used a variety of factor to determine which communities would qualify to be designated as a green zone.[16] The factors used for this determination include economic and health disparities, pollution impact, and adverse effects of climate change.[17] The resolution lists goals, including soil clean up, improved air quality, increase “green” jobs, and others. The group that decides what will be done to reach these goals is comprised of 11 community member and four city staff, who recommend to the City Council a plan with multiple actions to be done, which must then be approved by the Council.[18] The City is requiring local agencies to supply support to ensure the green zones achieve their goals, as well as advance those goals.[19]

Some of the plans to help achieve the goals in the resolution are incentives, such as lower tax rates, for businesses to reduce emissions.[20]  Actions to overcome barriers preventing green jobs in the area are also being implemented, providing transportation and connections to jobs and employers with in the green zone.[21] The City also allows for community gardening in parks, helping to make healthier food options more accessible.[22] The working group also created plans to engage schools in the green zone to educate children on the environment even when not in the green zone.[23]

To view this resolution, see Gordon, Cano & Reich, Establishing Green Zones in the City of Minneapolis, Res. (2017).

ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES

Washington D.C., SW Ecodistrict Plan (Commission Action) (2013) (Washington D.C. has a comprehensive plan to invigorate an area just south of the national mall that has been underutilized and in need of a revitalization. The plan includes permeable surface materials, tree canopy regulations, and other environmental and socioeconomic improvements).

Alexandria, VA, Old Town North Small Area Plan: Eco-District (2015) (Alexandria developed a comprehensive plan for an area with multiple aspects of sustainability and is planning on tracking the area over time to assess the impact of the plan).

Portland, OR, Lloyd Ecodistrict Roadmap (Nov. 2012) (Portland developed this district that has building efficiency requirements for existing and new buildings in the area, along with aggregated renewable energy programs and other green infrastructure standards).