The Cincinnati Greens

So much of who we are and what we aspire to be as a community is wrapped up in the performance of our sports teams. We sense they are us, writ large. When I speak about my beloved Cincinnati Reds all share in the communal angst about our continuing inability to compete on a national scale. The 1990 wire-to-wire Worlds Series Championship seems now almost as remote as the one from 1919. And thus, somehow by extension, with each passing year, our capability as a community comes across as incrementally diminished.
But I can’t accept it. I won’t accept it.

As an architect, I spend much of my time in Cincinnati, across Ohio and across much of the region working on issues of sustainability. All things green now appear to be all over everything. You cannot escape the headlines, proclamations, insights and highlights that stretch across all of the media. For many of my friends, they sense that we Cincinnatians are slipping away from any hope of leadership, any chance of making a difference. Their common lament is that “we are hopelessly behind”.
But I can’t accept it. I won’t accept it.

You know why? Because it is NOT TRUE.

What is true is that this city and this region is replete with devoted individuals who have selflessly committed themselves to remaking Cincinnati and our region into a green community. You may say “so what, what have they accomplished?” Check this out.

Progress in Schools
Ohio:     First and only State in the nation with LEED with requirements for ALL school buildings, new or renovated, to be LEED certified
CPS:    First Ohio school district with sustainability guidelines
            First Ohio school district with LEED requirements    
            First Ohio school district with LEED registered building
            First Ohio school district with LEED certified building
        Northern Kentucky: First green school in state – Twenhofel
    First US Green Building Council Chapter in the State
First sewer district in nation with comprehensive sustainably designed water management plan: Metropolitan Sewer District
    First sewer district with partner plan with a school district ( MSD with CPS)
First in region with green facility: Northern Kentucky Sanitation District #1
    First green general store in state: Park + Vine
    First green designed city building in state: Fire Station #51
    First green designed county building in state: Alms & Doepke Building
    First state university in state with LEED certified buildings:
University of Cincinnati
    First LEED Silver in the state: PNC Beckett Ridge
First LEED Gold commercial building in state: Melink Corporation
    First City in Ohio with comprehensive Climate Protection Action Plan
    First City in Ohio with LEED Ordinance – an American Institute of Architects
        National Top 12 for exemplary achievement

Of course, this is not to mention that the Cincinnati region has the best solar profile in the state for photovoltaic panels, the best city and county park systems and an extraordinary network of groups committed to extending our environmental accomplishments.

So how about those Cincinnati Greens? Think we got a shot at the top? I do, and this is something I can accept.

Oh yeah, and one other thing, call me crazy, but I’m starting to feel really good about the Cincinnati Reds chances next year too.