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Planning and Building Green
 Green buildings use environmentally superior building materials, employ mechanical systems and technology that are energy efficient and conserve water, are designed to reuse stormwater on site, and avoid impacts on local natural habitat. Green buildings also take into account their surroundings by locating near transit. Green buildings are also healthier for the occupants than traditional buildings by relying more on natural daylight for illumination and using less toxic building materials.
County Buildings Go Green
On October 18, 2005 the Board of County Commissioners approved Resolution #R-1200-05, which established Sustainable Building as a policy of Miami-Dade County. The Board declared that "the incorporation of sustainable development building measures into the design, construction, renovation and maintenance of County-owned, County-financed, and County-operated buildings shall be the policy of Miami-Dade County."
Ordinance 07-65, which was approved by the Board of County Commissioners on May 8, 2007, amended the Code of Miami-Dade County to establish a Sustainable Buildings Program for Miami-Dade County facilities.
In this legislation, the County established a program to promote green design, construction and operation of buildings that are developed, constructed, and managed by the County. The primary mechanism for determining compliance with the Program is the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. The Sustainable Buildings Program requires new construction projects to obtain LEED silver certification and remodeling/renovation projects to obtain basic LEED certification.
 The County’s Sustainability Manager provides oversight for the Sustainable Buildings Program. The new downtown Children’s Courthouse will be the first County facility to follow the LEED certification process.
On a community-wide level, the Building Department developed an expedited review process for commercial, industrial, and residential “green” building certified projects.
Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation
Under the coordination of the County’s General Services Administration, the County has been replacing inefficient lighting and water fixtures and large air conditioning and power equipment in its own facilities. Water usage has declined by an average of 26 percent at facilities where retrofits have been performed. Energy efficient retrofitting of County-owned buildings saved the County $5.0 million in 2007 and 46 million kWh of electricity during the same period.
Dump the Pump!
 Metrorail expansion
And it’s not just about expanding service but making it as easy as possible for the consumer. Here are ways in which we do that:
Clean, Lean and Green!
Bicycling is a popular way to commute that can keep our air cleaner and your body leaner! Now, cyclists can take a single-seat two-wheel bike just about anywhere in Miami-Dade County on the Metrorail, Metromover, and many Metrobus routes, thanks to the Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) Bike & Ride Program!
Innovation in progress
 Thanks to Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust obtained permission to utilize 52 acres of undeveloped property to serve as a unique project serving homeless families. The project shall consist of 145 units of permanent supportive housing (housing with services) for homeless/formerly homeless families. It will feature a landscape/produce nursery and a fresh market retail complex, which will serve as a micro-enterprise for the formerly homeless residents.
Vanpooling
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