Going Biophilic

Green building design has emerged as a global force, with one green building standard reporting more than 3.5 billion square feet certified worldwide. Green buildings focus on reducing environmental impact through improved water storage, reducing environmental perturbation, and reducing energy usage. Although the environmental benefits of green building design are now well established, it is only more recently that the field has come to appreciate the health benefits of green building design. This chapter discusses the green building movement and the challenges and opportunities it represents, with lessons that can be learned and are generalizable to urban health scholarship and action worldwide.