The $2.5 billion in new development (starting in 2000) here in GR is getting some national attention.  Land Development Today (PDF) explains that one of our driving forces is environmental stewardship.  In fact, the Grand Rapids metro area has more LEED certified buildings per capita than any other location in the United States. 

Grand Rapids is a leader in green buildings. The United States Green Building Council estimates that metro Grand Rapids now has more square footage per capita under LEED certification than any other city in the United States. The area boasts many LEED firsts, including the first transit center,the first YMCA, the first church, and thefirst municipal building in Michigan.This trend has been promoted by local businesses, government, and schools. Local philanthropist Peter Wege(Steelcase heir), a longtime environmentalist and conservationist, recognized the value of green buildings and has made LEED certification a requirement for many of the building projects he has supported. As a result, buildings such as the new Art Museum are being built to qualify for LEED certification. The region has also begun to realize that sustainability can lead to economic development. Mayor George Heartwell has been a strong supporter of sustainability. Last year, he joined more than 150 other mayors in signing the US Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement.

From "The Revitalization of Grand Rapids", Land Development Today (November/December 2006)

I was lucky enough to hear David Gottfied speak at the Herman Miller Environment conference this summer.  David was one of the founders of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and he helped start the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standard.

Why is the Grand Rapids metro area so green?  Conservative and green don't usually go together, and yet we lead the nation in green building.  That is remarkable, and it should serve as a warning to the forces who would like to see the sustainability movement identified with a bunch of tree humping hippies.

In fact, much of the angel startup money flowing to cutting edge technology companies today is focused on sustainability.  Green is the new thing, with many of the internet visionaries of yesterday betting the farm on green technology startups.  Grand Rapids is obviously in a great position to take advantage of this national global trend.

Was Gerald Ford one of our first leaders to advocate for sustainability?  From the Ford presidential library Website, here are some of the proposals he submitted to congress:

• Stimulate effective conservation, including revitalization of our railroads and the expansion of our urban transportation systems;
• Develop more and cleaner energy from our vast coal resources;
• Create a new national Energy Independence Authority to stimulate vital energy investment;
• And accelerate development of technology to capture energy from the sun and the earth for this and future generations.

Of course he was responding to the threat posed by middle east oil cartels forcing gas prices through the roof.  At the time his solutions seemed like the right approach, especially for the long term health of the country.  Sadly we didn't choose to make these goals a priority, but it's not too late.