Early in January of this year, the City of Boston made building green the law of the land for all construction in excess of 50,000 sf. As a result of that legislation, a developer who wants to build in Boston must ensure the project meets the Certified level of the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design rating system.

According to the USGBC, other cities beat Boston to the punch, but none of them approach the size of Boston. These include Pasadena, CA and Babylon, NY. Among cities of size, New York City's Local Law 86 went into effect simultaneously with Boston, but it addresses only projects with a public-fund component. Washington, DC, according to the DC-based Building Owners & Managers Association, has enacted similar legislation, but that won't go into effect until 2009. (Click to USGBC for a complete list).

So Boston's stance is a watershed one among major metropolitan areas and it carries major implications for the real estate industry. Recently, Menino and Boston Environmental & Energy Services chief James W. Hunt III sat down for a discussion about the origin and goals of the program and how the private sector helped form it.

GlobeSt.com: How did the initiative start?