Site Planning and Design Handbook
Preparing the second edition of Site Planning and Design Handbook has been enlight- ening in many ways. Perhaps the greatest surprise was how much the world of land development had changed in only 8 years. I ended the Preface of the first edition with the observation that much of the new design paradigm would be written in the next 25 years and that it was an exciting time to be working in the field. I could not have appreciated how much change there would be in such a short time. Many changes have slipped into the routine of day-to-day work in the rush of the market- place, but these incremental changes may be the foundation for profound shifts in the way our work is performed and evaluated. As our commitment to a sustainable society takes shape, the design professions are undergoing remarkable change. Since publica- tion of the first edition, a number of states and major cities in the United States have adopted policies requiring green roofs on commercial structures and have committed to practices of increased energy efficiency and sustainable development. Purchasing poli- cies of major companies, cities, and states are beginning to require that LEED-certified design professionals are on design teams and that designers reach back into their supply chains for sustainable products and practices. At a meeting in 2000 the lead design professional of a building project responded to a question from the client’s project manager about LEED certification and protocols by saying that the “environmental stuff” was a “passing fad” and “just adds cost to the project.” The mechanical engineer for the project admitted he had never heard of the LEED protocol. That was disappointing, but in 2008 I attended another meeting at which the client’s accounting people were asking design professionals fairly detailed questions about LEED and the purchasing people were including LEED performance standards in new requests for proposals. Much had changed in only 8 years. This second edition of Site Planning and Design Handbook has expanded sections on issues of sustainable site design throughout.