Environment

Investors in America Award

Governor of Maryland, for his work with smart growth and sustainable development in the State of Maryland and in the United States

Quarter Century of Service Award

For their dedication to promoting and protecting the "rural economy, natural resources, history and beauty" in the Piedmont Region of Virginia.

William H. Whyte Award

Principal at the Townscape Institute, Urban Planner and Designer, Preservation Advocate, Environmental Educator and Critic, for his visionary discussions of visual literacy and place making in the American community.

Rarely does the subject of water inspire poetic phrases or passionate dedications. While we may occasionally recognize its importance, this appreciation is usually offset by the size of the water bill at the end of the month. Regardless, I’m going to ask an odd question: have you ever celebrated water? If I got a single “yes” I would be very surprised, for the simple reason that there are few formalized occasions for the public to appreciate water. This year, a multitude of civic and non-profit organizations have teamed up to give individuals the opportunity to celebrate their “love for water” in the annual Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest.

2012 marks the 40^th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Although it was originally enacted in 1948, the Act was significantly reorganized and expanded in 1972 to regulate discharges of water pollutants and monitoring water quality standards in the United States. The Annual Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest is honoring this anniversary and renaming itself the “Sense of Water Contest” for 2012.

To remain economically competitive, our cities need to go “green.” Partners’ report “The Dollars and Sense of Green Businesss,” features 22 organizations across the country that are boosting the economic health of their cities by fostering green business initiatives. Six months after the release of Partners’ report, these organizations are still hard at work. Read on for key updates, and get inspired to make your community more prosperous through sustainability. Read the individual city profiles here.

Two Los Angeles designers want you to bomb the forgotten spaces of your city. The duo repurposes gumball machines into street-side “seed bomb” dispensers, now popping up in cities across the country. The “bombs” are a mixture of clay, compost and seeds that users throw anonymously into parking medians or sidewalk cracks, temporarily infusing a bit of green into an otherwise gray urban site. Read more about the “GreenAid” seed bomb project here.