(F08) How can we best measure meaningful outcomes in social equity, resilience, health, and biophilia?

"What gets measured, gets done.” We have all heard this assertion and it’s the basis of most of our green building certification systems – define criteria that will accomplish desired outcomes. We have made progress over the past 20+ years in re-defining a successful project. However, with sustainability best practices now well established in the industry, prescriptive-based verification can often become pursuit of a plaque, rather than pursuit of performance.
Design intentions are the first step. Ultimately, success will be evaluated based on real-world outcomes. Today, we are navigating a transition from a history of design/strategy-based metrics to a future where intentions and outcomes are integrated.
Success should be defined by real impact. There are some more straightforward areas like energy, water, and waste where empirical metrics are already used. In other areas, like social equity, resilience, ecosystem, biophilic design, and human wellbeing, new methods are needed to measure and make progress toward meaningful outcomes. What outcome metrics are currently available? How can we temporarily define “performance” until robust metrics are available? How do you capture results that are indirect or compounding over time?
A collective effort that engages new voices is necessary for this shift. Our session will begin with topic introductions, with our expert panelists sharing insights about outcome-based frameworks and experiences. A flash charrette will engage a diverse range of participants, from leading experts to those with fresh perspectives, embracing a sense of belonging. We’ll leverage this power to crowdsource tools, metrics, and opportunities for innovative solutions.
The result is to create a leadership-driven, consensus-based foundation for the adoption of innovative technologies and methods for measuring true sustainability results. By leveraging the collective knowledge and creativity of the Greenbuild community, we can inspire a multi-pronged effort for implementing these innovative approaches and realize just and regenerative communities.