Examples

著名的轉型案例有2000年芝加哥市長德雷(Richard M. Daley) 所推行的綠屋頂計畫及其後一系列的綠色經濟計劃，起因便是過多的摩天樓所導致的都市熱島效應，更因為全球碳排放增高而逐年嚴重，芝加哥市民為此付出極大代價。綠屋頂計畫起先遭受質疑，但不到一年的時間，因為試驗大樓屋頂環境的改變，吸引了生物的佇足與棲息，引發熱烈的回響，四年內改造了超過250棟大樓的屋頂，累積總面積相當於1.5座大安森林公園。市長德雷甚至在一塊長期遭受違法傾倒廢棄物污染的土地，施行改善計畫並直接在該點成立綠色技術中心(Chicago Centre for Green Technology, CCGT)，象徵走向綠色經濟的決心。 該建築外觀雖然不起眼，但卻榮獲美國綠建築協會頒發最高榮譽的白金級綠建築標章。於此同期，以化石燃料工業起家的休士頓也改頭換面，大力推廣綠色經濟並戮力於獎勵城市建築進行相關改造，諸如：大樓耗電空調設施的改善、建築屋頂反射熱能、公共照明設備改採LED燈等。數年的努力後，不僅節能減碳效果顯著(2007年到2014年溫室氣體減少百分之30)，每年也為城市開支省下了幾百萬美元，而背後重要的推手是當時的市長帕克(Annise Parker)，以最實在的觀點─機會成本─來說服大眾投入改變的行列。

It is generally recognised as a exemplary transition conducted by Chicago's city government in 2000 which was lauched from a green-roof project promoted by the former mayor Richard M. Daley. Since the isolated heating in concreted city (a.k.a urban heat island effect) and the increase in emission of carbon dioxide, citizens have been tolerating the devastating consequences for years. The project rejected all the doubt in less than one year and convinced more communities to join the project with their open and blank roofs because of significant improvement in environment and bio-diversity in Chicago city. In four years, more than 250 buildings have offered their roofs to this project, which has made approximately 96 acre of green spaces, as large as 1.5 times of Daan Forest Park in Taipei. Apart from the project and under the Chicago Brownfield Initiative Daley has yet again efficiently instituted Chicago Centre for Green Technology, CCGT, at a severe brownfield where was once a site for illegally miserable landfill before the remediation was applied. The centre is the very token for the determination of veritable green economy and its austere and simple appearance is awarded by the US Green Building Council with the highest honour of Platinum medal. Meanwhile, Houston which has been a core city of fossil fuel industry for decades also initiated its innovation in green impact by retrofitting some six million square feet of municipal buildings with greener designs or facilities, for example, more efficient air-conditioners, "cool" roofs that reflect heat and LED bulbs as public lighting. Houston, thus, slashed the emission of greenhouse gases by 30 percents in 7 years and saved the city millions of dollars annually. The ground of the valid improvement is another former mayor called Annise Parker who conveyed the green concepts to fellows over old-school but pragmatic point of view, the cost, which is the true heart of world's economy.