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Land Management
The City of Dallas aims to lead by example. The examples set by a city with as much clout as Dallas are not only relevant to other governments. Sooner than later, the City fully intends to inspire (or, if you prefer, strongly encourage) the private sector to match municipal efforts on behalf of our environment.
Take the City’s Green Building Program, which began in 2003 with construction of the Jack Evans Police Headquarters and requires all municipal buildings over 10,000 square feet to meet the Leadership in Energy and Efficient Design (LEED) Silver Criteria. Because the headquarters building meets this standard, the City saves energy, water and other resources. By 2010, Dallas expects to complete more than 30 “green” facilities, including eight libraries, six police and fire stations, four cultural centers, three recreation centers and three service centers.
With these accomplishments under its belt, the City will leverage its commitment to green construction in campaigns to encourage private sector developers to follow suit, in commercial as well as residential construction.
Cousin to the Green Buildings Program is the City’s Green Renovation Program. Just now beginning, the intent is to incorporate technologies such as “cool” roofs that promote energy savings, and also retrofit buildings with high-efficiency heating, ventilating, air conditioning and lighting systems.
Another innovative way to make buildings more energy efficient is known as Energy Performance Contracting. This clever gambit uses future savings from increased energy efficiency and energy conservation measures to finance structural upgrades that, over time, will save energy and thus save money. It is those projected savings that pay for new technologies and construction costs in the present day—which allows the program to cover its own costs over a term of ten or so years. Enhancements to Dallas City Hall, financed with Energy Performance Contracting, are 99.5 percent complete. The more efficient building used 5.790,165 fewer kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2005, which translated into a cash savings of $1,494,313—which goes to pay for the building’s energy upgrades. From Energy Performance Contracting at Love Field the City expects to save 8,479,432 kilowatt hours annually and $564,713, and, at the Convention Center, it expects to save 23,463,607 kilowatt hours annually and $2,148,213.
Dallas now saves another 14.5 million kilowatt hours each year at approximately 11,000 City intersections where the City has replaced old stoplights with new light emitting diode (or LED) traffic signals. Not only do the new lights save taxpayers’ money, but the LED signals are also easier to see, and thus make driving safer. The money saved by using these energy efficient signals will completely pay for the units and their installation in six years.
In late 2005 the mayor created the Citizens Urban Forest Advisory Committee, and has since received a grant to establish a City forester position. At golf courses and other parks, the City has planted more than 500 trees, which will create shade, which can lower ambient temperatures, which helps lower ozone levels. In fact, budget permitting, Dallas hopes to conduct an urban heat island study. (So-called heat islands, often parking lots without shade, increase ambient temperatures and can contribute to conditions that generate ozone. Planting trees, which create shade, helps to dissipate heat and reduce ozone.)
