The Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Ill., is considering a proposal that would require all new commercial and multifamily residential buildings to be built according to standards meant to reduce bird collisions.
The standard would follow a LEED pilot credit program. The program requires buildings to score a bird “threat factor” of 15 or less through bird-friendly design, lighting, and location selection.
Highland Park’s City Council has already passed a bird-friendly design and materials standard for new city buildings. In a related development, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley of Chicago introduced the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act this year. This legislation would require public buildings funded by the General Services Administration to incorporate bird-friendly design.
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