WASHINGTON, DC.- Green Community is the first major exhibition in the United States to explore the complex process of creating and sustaining healthy communities. Beyond bamboo floors and fluorescent light bulbs, Green Community looks at how communities large and small are changing their global impact.

On display for an entire year from October 23, 2008 through October 25, 2009, Green Community is the third in the National Building Museum's series of exhibitions that focus on sustainability in architecture, planning, and design. The first was Big & Green: Toward Sustainable Architecture in the 21st Century in 2003, followed by The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture and Design in 2006 and 2007. During the 13 months that The Green House was on view in Washington, D.C., a record number of visitors attended the exhibition.

Green Community is divided into two sections. The first answers the question, "What kind of community is green?" The second answers, "How can we make communities green?" The first section of Green Community explores sustainable planning strategies such as cleaning up and redeveloping brownfields and grayfields, transit-oriented planning, smart use of natural resources, land conservation, and minimizing waste. Each area will be illustrated by example communities in the United States and around the world, including Greensburg, Kansas; Highlands' Garden Village, Denver, Colorado; Mendoza, Argentina; Hali'imaile Maui, Hawaii; and Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The diverse array of communities highlighted throughout the exhibition demonstrates successful and innovative examples of sustainable planning, policies, design, and technology at scales large and small.

An area in the first part of the exhibition called "Close to Home" features local examples of green projects and initiatives in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. After Green Community closes at the Museum in 2009, the exhibition will travel to other venues. The "Close to Home" section is designed to change content as the exhibition travels, providing a place for the host venue to highlight green projects in its own area.

The second part of the exhibition uses the natural elements of air, water, earth, and fire to illustrate the types of sustainable technologies used to improve the environment and the health of our communities. Today, an array of technologies and systems—both simple and sophisticated—harness wind for renewable energy, reclaim poisoned land, control urban heat islands, and responsibly manage the world's water resources. These and other innovations are explored through multimedia interactive activities and unique objects designed to teach visitors of all ages.