The economic crash of late 2008 is just the latest evidence of the truth that many have known for so long: that too much of our modern economy is based on a house of cards. We need businesses that not only factor their impact on people and places into their equations for success but also strive to restore the communities and environments in which they operate. How can this be done?

In Living Above the Store, Martin Melaver provides a roadmap for creating such a business. It’s not only a “how to” but a “why to” that challenges business as usual to change.

Living Above the Store brings us into the story of Melaver, Inc., a third-generation, 70-year-old family real estate business, as it evolves toward becoming a thought and product leader in sustainable business practices. It is part business management theory and part case study, where sustainable principles meet sustainable practices, always grounded in day-to-day practice.

Living Above the Store demonstrates how to:

• Adopt a business model that provides for economic success while contributing to society and the environment
• Shape a business culture that is restorative to a workforce by helping employees realize their highest potential
• Leverage an ethos within a business that “ripples outward” to foster restoration of both land and community
• Embrace a notion of limits to growth
• Reframe ideas about competition, proprietary knowledge, and business success,

Living Above the Store is for readers who care about issues of community and sustainability as well as for those who want to learn more about how a socially responsible business can first redefine, and then find, success....

What are the real costs and real benefits of building green?

As any builder knows, cost estimation and reality are often two very different things. The Green Building Bottom Line makes the case for green building by providing the insights and data that demonstrate the true costs and benefits of building green. It's a “why to” and a “how to” that explores everything from the ground up.

The Green Building Bottom Line puts an entire development team at the table to better understand both the issues encountered and what's behind the perceived price premium for building green.

This candid and transparent account explores every aspect of green development on groundbreaking projects, from the nation's first all-retail LEED core and shell project to an innovative multitenanted LEED-Existing Buildings office project, to a mixed-use hotel-retail-condo project in a transitional urban market. The authors focus on such issues as values, culture, life-cycle costs, insurance, financing, coordinating a team, marketing, and negotiating leases.

Includes:

• Detailed case studies of green-building projects, start to finish
• Information on financial, legal, and operational aspects of the job
• The real-world costs of green building-not unrealistic estimates
• A behind-the-scenes look at the LEED building process
• Unique insight from those who have actually done the work

The Green Building Bottom Line covers:

• Economical and ecological benefits • Auditing sustainability in existing buildings • Financial benefits of green tenancy • Loan analysis • Insurance underwriting • Expense reduction • Writing a green lease • Converting an existing building • Green retail • Brokering sustainability • Marketing • HR practices and processes...