The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) is a leader in working with communities to sustain and enhance Iowa’s high quality of life. IEDA does this through program-integrated technical and financial assistance encouraging sustainable community practices.
Criteria & Background
The Iowa Green Streets Criteria promote public health, energy efficiency, water conservation, smart locations, operational savings and sustainable building practices. The strategies in the 2020 Green Streets Criteria document enhance affordable housing, community facilities, town centers and communities as a whole.
2018 marked the tenth anniversary of the Iowa Green Streets Criteria. In the last ten years, the criteria have influenced the performance of thousands of residences and numerous community facility and Main Street projects across Iowa. This edition of the Iowa Green Streets Criteria builds on lessons learned the last 10 years and from the growing body of building science research and demonstration projects.
Green Streets Award Criteria
Since 2008, the Iowa Green Streets Criteria has influenced the performance of thousands of residences and numerous community facility and Main Street projects across Iowa. This edition of the Iowa Green Streets Criteria builds on lessons learned by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Enterprise Green Communities and from the growing body of building science research and demonstration projects.
Much of the Iowa Green Streets Criteria in previous versions remains unchanged or has undergone minor changes. A complete reading of the full Iowa Green Streets Criteria should be completed as a reminder of previously existing criteria and to identify new criteria.
Some of the more significant changes to the criteria worth extra noting include the following:
Project Priority Survey, Documentation and Construction Management (Section 1): Additional criteria and greater emphasis has been added on the use of project priority surveys, integrated design, and construction management. Supporting those areas of emphasis are new requirements for incorporating Iowa Green Streets Criteria into formal project specifications.
Safe Room (Section 1): Depending on the project type, installation of a safe room has been added as a requirement or option.
Broadband (Section 2): Preparing for and providing access to Broadband service has been added as mandatory and optional criteria respectively.
Irrigation (Section 4): The prohibition on irrigation has been modified to allow for irrigation utilizing harvested, non-potable water sources.
Water Quality and Supply (Section 4): A criterion has been added to address water quality issues created by lead service lines as well as other potential pollutants in project water supplies. Also new is a criterion addressing the need for potable water during emergencies.
Zero Energy and Zero Carbon (Section 5): Several criteria in section 5 have been updated to reflect changing energy codes and the national growth in zero energy projects and decarbonization of the economy.
Healthier Materials (Section 6): The Iowa Green Streets Criteria mirrors the Green Communities Criteria by adding criterion focused on product ingredient transparency, recycled content, regional manufacturing, and chemical hazard optimization.
Universal and Healing-Centered Design (Section 7): A mandatory and optional level of universal design is offered with a new universal design required best practices checklist. Also added is an optional criterion focused on healing-centered design.
In 2016, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) received a National Disaster Resilience Competition grant from HUD and the Rockefeller Foundation. Also in 2016, the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Iowa Department of Public Health, and Iowa Department of Transportation joined with partners and America Walks to host a walkable communities collaborative workshop to identify opportunities for state agencies to more strongly support community walkability.
In support of Iowa’s resiliency and walkable communities efforts, the IEDA is following the lead of Enterprise’s Green Communities Criteria and incorporating specific community resiliency and active living focused criterion into the Iowa Green Streets Criteria for the first time.
IEDA has partnered with West Union and Woodbine, Iowa, as green demonstration communities to implement, evaluate and promote sustainable community practices.
