JBG SMITH (NYSE: JBGS) is fostering economic growth and promoting social equity through a series of intentional projects and partnerships that are "Transforming Tomorrow at National Landing," a strategy that was recently recognized as recipient of Nareit’s Impact at Scale award. The REIT is adding value at-scale through community-focused initiative as well as, through its effort s to reduce the carbon footprint of its real estate portfolio and development pipeline.
JBG SMITH has designed an energy and water master plan that encompasses all future development which are anticipated to reduce predicted energy consumption by 25%; reducing carbon emissions more than 25%; reducing water consumption by 35%; and reducing embodied carbon by 23%. JBG SMITH noted that its commitment to carbon neutrality since 2021 has resulted in the equivalent of removing 28,000 cars from the road and carbon emission removal of 137,576 acres of U.S. forests annually.
JBG SMITH has also created a green, open space framework, a prime opportunity to differentiate its assets, responding to tenant demand for these types of spaces, while also recognizing that equitable access to green open space is critical for physical, emotional, and mental health. The open space framework plan ensures that planning for communal, green spaces is incorporated into the design process from the very beginning.
Among other initiatives at National Landing, the REIT is looking to improve human-scaled mobility, including walking, biking, scooting, and other forms of next-generation mobility options. JBG SMITH is also focused on intentional physical and digital placemaking including the delivery of a first of its kind converged digital infrastructure platform. The digital infrastructure platform consists of neighborhood-wide fiber, edge data centers, and ubiquitous public and private 5G.
JBG SMITH National Landing demonstrates how REITs can have an outsized impact though intentional planning for positive environmental and social impact at scale.