2030 District initiative coming to San Antonio

Heather Gayle Holdridge is an architect with Lake|Flato Architects. Heather Gayle Holdridge is an architect with Lake|Flato Architects. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close 2030 District initiative coming to San Antonio 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Architecture 2030 challenges the global architecture and building community to implement strategies to reduce energy and water consumption and vehicle emissions by 50 percent by 2030.

Becoming a 2030 District offers San Antonio an ideal model for monitoring emissions and inspiring our community to meet sustainability targets identified by Architecture 2030.

The first 2030 District was created in Seattle. Architects were inspired to tap into the potential to decrease energy consumption of existing buildings. Since 2011, the buildings within Seattle's 2030 District have reduced energy use by 21 percent, water use by 7 percent and transportation carbon emissions by 22 percent.

Over the past few months, a group of local architects, activists and properties owners have formed an exploratory committee for a proposed 2030 District for San Antonio. Ours will be the first with a linear boundary, which will follow the San Antonio River through downtown, stretching from Brackenridge Park in the north to Roosevelt Avenue in the south, and will cover most of downtown between I-10 and I-35.

Within this boundary, owners of large downtown office and hotel buildings, Pearl, UTSA's downtown campus and more than 5 million square feet of city-owned properties will demonstrate their commitment to the district by cutting energy use.

District members are encouraged to share their utility bills and strategies for improved building performance. As building owners begin to see improvement in their energy performance and a decrease in their utility bills, more buildings in the district will be inspired to join.

Five building owners and property managers have signed on to participate in San Antonio's 2030 District. They include Zurich International Properties, Lake|Flato Architects, the Brooklynite, San Antonio River Authority and AREA Real Estate, and San Antonio is set to become the sixth official 2030 District in the nation.

The formation of a 2030 District is a landmark opportunity for our city to take the national stage for its leadership in sustainability. Our approach will demonstrate the city's culture of collaboration. Join us as we embark on a new environmental journey that promises a more sustainable future for the city.

Heather Gayle Holdridge, an architect with Lake|Flato Architects, is a member of AIA San Antonio's Committee on the Environment. Information about 2030 District events will be on the AIA San Antonio Facebook page.