Investing in the future: Tempe pursues adding Green Codes

Arizona's extreme summer heat can be deadly. Not only does it affect public health, it also has negative impacts on air and water quality, vegetation and more. To combat this, Tempe is pursuing Green Codes, like the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), Electric Vehicle ready code, Solar ready code and Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI). 

Green codes help cool Tempe by guiding developers to make their buildings sustainable, resilient and high performing. The goal for the green codes is to have regional codes that support sustainability and urban cooling, specifically for the desert southwest.

GSI is an approach to water management that aims to save money and water, and keep Tempe cool by working with nature to reduce stormwater runoff. Tempe’s GSI objective is create a citywide plan with permanent funding for its operation and management.