January 2009 - Grand Rapids is 'America's Greenest City'

Fast Company magazine released an article in September of 2008 calling Grand Rapids, MI 'America's Greenest City'. Why is Grand Rapids so "green"? In a quick synopsis, our city exemplifies the principles of the "triple bottom line" - Environmental Integrity, Social Equity and Economic Prosperity.

On December 17, 2008, BETA Design attended the Greater Grand Rapids Sustainability Partnership Summit where the new city sustainability website was released www.sustainablegr.com along with the Triple Bottom Line Indicator Report. Several key achievements were noted that led to Grand Rapids' nickname:

• Recognized as the US city with the most LEED certified building per capita by the United States Green Building Council
• Designated as the first US city to be recognized by the United Nations University as a Regional Center of Expertise (RCE) in the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
• Within the top five cities in the US for philanthropy
• Currently purchase 20% of city's energy from renewable sources with a goal to purchase 100% by 2020

BETA Design is proud to be a member of the Grand Rapids Sustainability Partnership and the United States Green Building Council. Our offices are located within 70 Ionia Ave. SW, which was designed and constructed to meet the LEED Core & Shell as well as Commercial Interiors pilot programs. We approach all of our projects with sustainable practices in mind and encourage our clients to consider their incorporation into each project. Being "green" does not equate to higher costs, it equates to higher standards.

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