"This does seem like the time where people are looking at these issues. There are a lot of discussions going on," Frank Giblin, director of the feds' GSA urban development/good neighbor program, told the 100 members attending the conference in the Dallas Museum of Art at 1717 N. Harwood St. In Washington, DC, dialogue is ongoing to add new dimensions to LEED criteria for sustainable sites and addressing social equity issues.

But, guidelines and regulations can't do the job single-handedly. [IMGCAP(2)]"It's not until you get a change in peoples' minds is it going to make a difference," said Gail Vittori, co-director of the Austin-based nonprofit, the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, and this year's chair-elect of the USGBC board of directors.

For four years, Vittori has been campaigning and creating green guides for healthcare structures. The public comment period drew 2,200 comments, perhaps a record-breaking number for a USGBC initiative. To date, there are 15 LEED-certified healthcare facilities--and more on the way as data from initial buildings validate the need for change.

There is an increasing public awareness that sustainability is far more than lip service to being green or monitoring carbon footprints. It's the big picture: construction materials, impact on surroundings, conservation and waste reduction, affordability for all. And, it's the marriage of design principles and government regulations.

"It's all about buildings," Vittori emphasized. "It's where we live, work, learn and heal. It's the major engine for the economy."