I read this list of examples of Best Practices for Developers in a SSI publication and wanted to share:
From a 2008 forum on sustainable development co-sponsored by the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Urban Land Institute
1. Preserving forested or natural areas can save up to $110 per square foot or $435,000 per acre over conventional landscape solutions.
2. Balancing cut and fill on site can save up to $100 per cubic yard in haul costs.
3. Using raingardens and bioretention areas can save up to$4,800 per residential lot over conventional engineered solutions (Sherwood Gap Creek, 2000)
4. Creating narrow streets (24 feet wide) versus wide streets (32 feet wide) can save up to $30 per linear foot in street costs.
5. The use of on-lot bioretention areas can save up to $4,000 per residential lot over standard stormwater management pond costs (Somerset, MD, 2005)
6. On-lot bioretention can save up to 75 percent of stormwater fees per residential lot (Kensington Estates, WA, 2001)
7. Shade trees on the south side of buildings can save up to $47 per tree per year in energy costs (Peper, 2007)
8. Green roofs can retain more than 75 percent of rainfall annually, reducing downstream stormwater management costs (ASLA Green Roof, 2007)
9. Recycling construction waste can save tens of thousands of dollars in haul costs, dump fee, and material costs (Stapleton, 2006)
*From The Case for Sustainable Landscapes – The Sustainable Sites Initiative.
