New partnership aims to put a pretty face on public buildings

As far as the General Services Administration is concerned, a pretty face is exactly what more federal buildings need. Last week, GSA teamed up with the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) to promote the design and construction of more attractive, cost-effective and environmentally friendly public buildings. "By making better use of the skills of landscape architects, we can make federal entryways and plazas more lively and attractive, help us achieve our goals in energy and environmental sustainability and enhance our efforts to be good neighbors in cities and towns across America," said Robert A. Peck, commissioner of GSA's Public Buildings Service. GSA and ASLA will share best practices and new approaches to building design and will promote sustainable development and environmental protection in construction. The partnership also gives GSA membership in the ASLA. "Creating good communities is no longer seen as just the business of local government, planning or real estate professionals," Peck said. "Instead, many organizations are contributing to downtown revitalization all over the country." GSA's Center for Urban Development and Livability, created in 1999, develops and coordinates policies on livability issues affecting access to federal buildings, such as parking, transit access and security. The Center's Good Neighbor Program promotes downtown safety and cleanliness and sponsors community events in and around GSA's buildings. GSA's historic preservation program, also created in 1999, does minor renovations on federal buildings as needed, avoiding expensive overhauls in an effort to save money and preserve the historic integrity of national buildings. GSA-the nation's largest public real estate organization-maintains 1,800 federal buildings, of which more than 400 are historically significant.