OCEAN is an online resources of the Building Codes Assistance Project. Here they provide a case study of the work happening in San Antonio. On March 12, 2009, the San Antonio City Council voted to approve and adopt a new Sustainable Buildings Ordinance that increases the energy efficiency of buildings by 15% more than the existing San Antonio and Texas state energy codes. This measure incorporated water conservation and other green building elements for all new construction, additions and substantial renovations in the city. The ordinance will make San Antonio the third major city to adopt advanced energy codes in Texas, joining Austin and Houston. The new ordinance will go into effect January 1, 2010, and mark a significant collaborative effort by many stakeholders.

This study examines equity and smart mobility in ten U.S. counties and their central cities to understand the extent that smart mobility services and assets are equitably available, and impact accessibility, employability, livability, and mobility. For this study, “equitable smart mobility” is defined as transportation systems that incorporate technology while increasing access to mobility options, enhancing opportunity in low-income communities of color, and supporting a clean environment.

Dallas’ regional economy is robust and growing yet is facing a crisis of economic inequality which corresponds with racial inequality. South Dallas, where the population is overwhelmingly people of color, suffers from high rates of poverty and unemployment and poor access to quality food. The current system of redevelopment in Dallas focuses on subsidizing growth downtown, where investment is already heavily concentrated. Low-income communities—like South Dallas—are getting left further and further behind. This report calls for the city to use its redevelopment authority to bring a high quality, full-service grocery store to South Dallas. Best practices would include a project labor agreement to ensure good wages and benefits for construction workers and a targeted hiring program to prioritize community workforce development.

As construction activity in the southern United States continues to flourish, concern over workers’ health and safety grows. Economic hardships, few or no opportunities for career advancement, unstable work, injuries, and even death on the job are commonplace for construction workers in the South. This report examines the working conditions of 1,435 construction workers in six major cities in the southern U.S, in order to document the most critical issues facing construction workers in major construction markets and provide information to guide possible solutions.

This report examines Houston attitudes about flooding, education, the local economy, equal opportunity, immigration, sex and gender, climate change, and trust.

As cities look for solutions to help meet their increasingly aggressive clean energy targets and support their local economies, community solar is a growing opportunity. Community Solar is the distributed solar projects shared virtually by a number of subscribers in a community, typically through on-bill credits. For cities, community solar is a way to vastly increase the amount of locally generated renewable energy, along with associated benefits of local jobs, property tax revenue, and local community investment.

As San Antonio continues to grow, it has the opportunity to develop in such a way that residents can reduce the environmental impacts of travel, while also reducing household transportation costs. This report provides information on the combined housing and transportation (H+T) costs in the San Antonio metro area, demonstrating that these two household expenses are closely linked. In San Antonio, combined housing and transportation costs are higher away from the city center. While housing developments on the urban fringe take advantage of low land costs, transportation infrastructure makes car ownership a necessity. In contrast, both housing and transportation costs are lower in the compact neighborhoods closer to downtown, where residents can more easily get to jobs, shopping and amenities by transit and walking.

The Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) ordinance requires commercial building owners to benchmark and report their energy use rating by June 1st each year. The ordinance applies to commercial buildings 10,000 sf or larger that are located within the Austin city limits and receive electricity from Austin Energy. Benchmarking your commercial building for its energy use not only helps you comply with the City's ECAD ordinance, but it also helps you take key measures to reduce your energy consumption. Your building's energy rating may uncover opportunities to reduce your carbon footprint and save money.

Mayor Julian Castro convened a blue ribbon taskforce of Chief Executive Officers, Superintendents, and education professionals to identify the most effective method for improving the quality of education in San Antonio. The Brainpower Taskforce recommended the development of a program focused on high-quality prekindergarten services for four-year-old children. Research shows high-quality prekindergarten has the most impact in improving overall education outcomes for a community and helps children to learn and read on grade-level, making them less likely to fall behind their classmates and more likely to graduate and attend college.

This ordinance adopts the 2012 Edition of the International Green Construction Code of the International Council. The ordinance regulates the construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, demolition, use, and maintenance of construction within the city. Proposed projects must comply with the minimum requirements of the Dallas Green Construction Code.