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Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.

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Expedited Green Permitting | Seattle, WA

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Expedited Green Permitting | Seattle, WA

There are many reasons to build green—energy efficiency, marketability, long-term savings. Seattle developers have one more reason: faster project approval. Expedited permitting is valuable to a developer. It adds greater predictability to the overall development process, which can reduce risk and costs for investors. It is also an effective way for communities to prioritize and promote the types of development that will be most beneficial to the public.

In 2009, Seattle’s “Priority Green Expedited” program established faster review and construction permitting processes for residential and commercial projects that go beyond the city’s basic building standards, which are already among the greenest in the nation. The higher green building criteria address energy and water conservation, waste reduction, stormwater management, indoor air quality, and gross conditioned floor area.