San Francisco leads the 25 largest office markets for green opportunities, according to a study by Cushman & Wakefield, in collaboration with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s (NEEA) BetterBricks initiative.
The Green Building Opportunity Index is the first office market assessment tool to provide weighted comparisons of top U.S. office markets on the basis of real estate fundamentals and green development considerations. The Index focuses on the primary factors that influence successful development, retrofitting, leasing, and sales of investment-grade green office buildings in the 25 largest U.S. Central Business Districts (CBDs). It compares a market’s relative position to its peers in six categories:
- Office market conditions
- Investment outlook
- Green adoption & implementation
- Local mandates & incentives
- State energy initiatives
- Green culture
Cushman & Wakefield and NEEA’s Green Building Opportunity Index ranks each market on dozens of different factors, in addition to the number of ENERGY STAR-labeled and LEED-certified buildings.
The Green Building Opportunity Index’s top 12 markets overall:
- San Francisco
- Oakland, CA
- Midtown New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Orange County
- Downtown New York
- Washington, D.C.
- San Diego
- Boston
- Seattle
- Portland, OR
As a tool to examine the overall “climate” for green building, the Index will help building owners, architects, and green building consultants can determine where green development brings competitive advantages, or where it’s simply an emerging standard.
