News
GREEN SCENE: Greening Human Behavior
April 14, 2010
One of the top emerging trends in the sustainability movement is the greening of human behavior, says Jonathan Rose Cos. president Jonathan Rose, who leads of one of the top green urbanism firms in NYC. Pro-social actions, like turning off lights and recycling, are infectious, leading to happier tenants who want to stay in buildings. He says he's beginning to learn about the psychology of his buildings' occupants, which he plans to incorporate into green manuals for managers and tenants. This is only one of initiatives of the firm, which is also focusing on building sustainable and affordable/mixed-income housing, like the Fortune Castle Gardens, a 114-unit LEED Gold affordable and supportive housing property it's currently finishing at 625 W. 140th St. |
ArcXchange |
JRCo's 185-unit mixed-use Tapestry on 245 E.124th St. (above) just started leasing and is aiming for LEED Gold certification. It also plans to break ground on E. 156th St.'s 222-unit Via Verde affordable housing development in early May. Meanwhile, the firm continues to acquire and green diverse assets through the Rose Smart Growth Investment Fund (the first national fund to exclusively do so); it's already spent $30M of the $50M raised, and the balance should be invested by the end of the year. Jonathan says the company plans on raising two more national funds—the first will focus on buying, preserving, and greening affordable housing, while the second will focus on buying, greening, and upgrading Class B office buildings. |