Green Parking Council

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The Green Parking Council (GPC) was a nonprofit organization and an affiliate of the International Parking Institute. It led the green conversion of parking facilities into sustainable assets and promoted sustainable urban mobility through its Certified Green Garage rating system.

The Certified Green Garage rating system was acquired by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and is administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the certification arm of USGBC. It was rebranded and launched as Parksmart and now aligns with the USGBC’s LEED programs.

Formed in 2009, the GPC included more than 30 partner organizations, such as Brookfield Properties, AECOM, Hines Properties, Standard Parking, Propark America, and Osram-Sylvania.

Green Garage Certification combines about 50 technologies, programs, and management practices to set a standard for parking sustainability, similar to LEED for buildings. It was developed with input from building owners, managers, and manufacturers and was in beta at 50+ North American sites by early 2014, with a full launch planned for June 1, 2014.

The council was the only national body offering sustainability certification for parking facilities, with about 20,000 lots and garages enrolled nationwide, covering more than 4.6 million parking spaces.

GPC Demonstrator Sites began in 2009 to showcase green parking approaches. By 2013, 50 facilities across North America were registered as Demonstrator Sites.

The Green Parking Council hosted regional Innovation Salons to discuss the role of parking structures in urbanism and to share new ideas and technologies that save money and reduce carbon footprints. In 2012, in collaboration with BOMA, IFMA, and the U.S. Department of Energy, GPC launched the LEEP (Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking) campaign to promote energy-efficient lighting in parking facilities. DOE data suggest high-performance lighting can reduce energy costs by about 70% and maintenance costs by about 90%.

In 2016, GBCI acquired the assets of the Green Parking Council. The GPC board became the Sustainable Transportation Advisory Council to GBCI, GPCI staff moved to GBCI and USGBC, and Green Garage Certification was rebranded as Parksmart.