Greenbuild is a conference for the construction industry, but its arrival in Chicago suggests some positive news for the city at large — and for neighborhoods where people care about the environment and the future of our economy, too. The focus this year is on residential housing.
The Residential Summit Master Series is designed for those in the trades; homebuilders and the construction industry learn about retrofitting existing homes, marketing green homes and products and green appraisals. For regular people who just want a safe, affordable, green place to live, it is good news because it may increase our opportunities to live green.
Given a choice between a home constructed without attention to environmental concerns and green products and one that is built with regard to LEED standards, for example, most young Chicagoans would opt for the green. For older people, with less familiarity with green, being able to save on energy might be attractive. However, until construction professionals get educated about the hows and whats of green building and retro-fitting, consumers are stuck in a world where they dream of green but have to settle for the status quo.
Greenbuild takes place this year from Nov. 17 – 19 at McCormick Place West. The conference includes educational sessions, an expo, and speakers about the “Green Generation” and trends in the industry and the electorate that will influence construction in the future. Greenbuild comes to Chicago because, as “one of the first cities to adopt LEED for public buildings and the city that is home to more LEED-certified buildings than any other, Chicago is truly committed to leadership as a “next-generation” city – the perfect place for us to celebrate being part of Generation Green.” While we can’t necessarily attend the conference, we can await the further greening of building in Chicago with appreciation and anticipation.