
It’s safe to say that our lifestyles in a city environment are built around consuming carbon. It’s an addiction that seems impossible to shake. We need innovation in all energy-consuming sectors in the next couple of decades to reverse the trajectory of the climate crisis. Although some of the innovations in transportation and building practices aren’t financially viable at the moment, there are several things you can do and be aware of when looking for a new place to live that will genuinely impact and influence companies and developers to move more efficiently towards greener solutions.
Grow Awareness

1. Smarter Design
Many architecture firms and developers are finding innovative ways to make their apartment buildings more energy efficient. There are several things you can look for when touring apartments.
- Do the walls have good insulation? The more you can keep your ideal temperature in your unit, the less you’ll have to use more heating or air conditioning.
- Does the apartment have large windows or skylights? And are they newer windows? Windows are a fantastic solution when using less electricity. They can be the primary light source during the day, cutting down the need to light your space with electricity. However, if these windows are old and outdated, it can cause leaking of your heat or air conditioning and cause you to need these systems more often. If you need to use lights, look to see if they are using more energy-efficient light installations.

2. Refurbished and Renovated Buildings
Building new foundations and structures require vast amounts of energy, especially in larger apartment buildings. Generally, smaller apartment buildings don’t need as much energy to construct or maintain. However, the best route is to find apartment buildings that are renovated, refurbished, and repurposed. This cuts down the required emissions nearly in half, primarily if the building is constructed of heavy steel or concrete. When we show interest in building green practices, development companies begin to take note of this and adapt their interest towards the market’s interest. Rather than look for those cool, newly built modern buildings, look for those smaller refurbished buildings with updated interiors.
Recently, we refurbished our newest co-living apartment building on Capitol Hill rather than knocking down the old building and replacing it. This cut down our environmental footprint immensely during construction and gave us the opportunity to give life to a historic building near our nation’s capital.

3. Appliances

4. Renewable Energy Sources

5. Explore Better Waste Options
Waste is often overlooked when finding places that are more environmentally friendly. It’s not as sexy as talking about modern design and solar energy, but it is imperative. There is an immense amount of waste produced from constructing a new apartment building to maintaining that building. Frequently apartment buildings will offer to recycle if it’s available in that city. However, currently, the US recycling infrastructure is insufficient, to say the least. According to National Geographic, only 9% of our recycling actually gets recycled. The other 91% gets disposed of like regular waste, or even worse, incinerated. That’s why if you want to get more thoughtful about recycling and waste, you should look into your own options.
Composting: Rather than just throwing your banana peel in the garbage can, you can send your compost out to be used as fertilizer for crops, forests, etc. For Washington, DC. You can use Compost Cab to find great composting solutions for your food waste. They make it simple, offering both drop-off locations and pickup options for a small monthly fee. In most cities, there has been a rise in independent composting options. Don’t forget, you can also do your own composting at home if you have the space.

Sustainability is not enough; we need to be regenerative