The biggest housing innovations aren't coming from where you'd expect. This week, we explore the surprising ideas, policy debates, and breakthrough communities that could reshape the way we build—and live—for decades to come.
Churches across the country own millions of acres of land, and a growing movement known as "Yes In God's Backyard," or YIGBY, aims to make it easier to transform this land into much-needed housing. It sounds simple enough, but as you'll hear in this week's episode, the idea raises complex questions about zoning, neighborhood character, property values, and the future role of faith-based organizations in solving one of America's biggest challenges.
The second half of this week's show shifts indoors, exploring a question that feels increasingly relevant: Could healthy indoor air become the next luxury amenity?As wildfire smoke, extreme heat, and outdoor pollution become more common, we look at why clean indoor air is emerging as one of the most valuable features a home can offer—and share practical steps homeowners can take to protect themselves during smoke events.
Whether you're a builder, architect, developer, policymaker, or simply someone who cares about the future of housing, this week's episode is packed with ideas that challenge conventional thinking and showcase what's possible when innovation meets the built environment.
Don’t forget to enter our super-easy Fall In Love With Nature sweepstakes–upload a nature photo of any kind and be entered for a chance to win a $1,000 REI gift card! Click here to enter.
Cati O’Keefe is the editorial director of Green Builder Media. She has 25 years of experience reporting and writing on all aspects of residential housing, building and energy codes, green building, and sustainability.
800,000 Homes in God's Backyard? Building Code Battles, and the Future of Sustainable Cities Rises in Greece
The biggest housing innovations aren't coming from where you'd expect. This week, we explore the surprising ideas, policy debates, and breakthrough communities that could reshape the way we build—and live—for decades to come.
Churches across the country own millions of acres of land, and a growing movement known as "Yes In God's Backyard," or YIGBY, aims to make it easier to transform this land into much-needed housing. It sounds simple enough, but as you'll hear in this week's episode, the idea raises complex questions about zoning, neighborhood character, property values, and the future role of faith-based organizations in solving one of America's biggest challenges.
Housing policy remains front and center as we also examine Congress' newly passed 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and why some experts say it falls far short of addressing the structural issues driving affordability. Then we head to Maryland, where a heated battle over building energy codes highlights a larger debate playing out nationwide: Is affordable housing defined by lower construction costs today, or lower utility bills and better building performance over the life of a home? With states increasingly taking different approaches, where you live may have more influence than ever on the homes being built around you.
Then it's off to Greece, where one of the world's most ambitious sustainable developments continues to take shape. Built on the site of a former international airport, The Ellinikon is redefining what resilient, walkable communities can become. We also visit Florida's Babcock Ranch, where a new resilience accelerator aims to turn bold ideas into real-world solutions for stronger, safer communities.
The second half of this week's show shifts indoors, exploring a question that feels increasingly relevant: Could healthy indoor air become the next luxury amenity? As wildfire smoke, extreme heat, and outdoor pollution become more common, we look at why clean indoor air is emerging as one of the most valuable features a home can offer—and share practical steps homeowners can take to protect themselves during smoke events.
Whether you're a builder, architect, developer, policymaker, or simply someone who cares about the future of housing, this week's episode is packed with ideas that challenge conventional thinking and showcase what's possible when innovation meets the built environment.
Don’t forget to enter our super-easy Fall In Love With Nature sweepstakes–upload a nature photo of any kind and be entered for a chance to win a $1,000 REI gift card! Click here to enter.
Watch the full This Week’s Sustainable Building News episode here or wherever you get your podcasts. Rather read the script? Here it is. Have a great sustainability news or trend story? Send it to Cati O’Keefe at cati.okeefe@greenbuildermedia.com
Upcoming Sustainability Events
July 29-30: Southeast Building Conference (SEBC), Orlando
July 29–August 1: AIBD Annual Conference, Cleveland
August 2-7: 2026 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Pacific Grove, Calif.
August 31: Fall In Love With Nature Sweepstakes Entries Due
September 9–10: Building Fire Safety Symposium, Chicago
September 15-16: U.S. Heat Pump Summit, Worcester, Mass.
September 16–18: EEBA Summit 2026, St. Paul, Minn.
October 18–21: International Code Council’s 2026 Annual Conference and Expo, Nashville, Tenn.
October 20–23: Greenbuild 2026, New York
October 23: NAHB’s 2027 Sustainability and Green Building Scholarship Application Due
November 4–5: The Building Products Customer Workshop, Nashville
November 18: 2026 Southwest Utility Energy Efficiency Workshop, Santa Fe
By Cati O'Keefe
Cati O’Keefe is the editorial director of Green Builder Media. She has 25 years of experience reporting and writing on all aspects of residential housing, building and energy codes, green building, and sustainability.