The origin of ecological performance standards as applied to the built environment

Ecological performance standards (EPS) provide a framework for performance-based metrics to compare the human-built environment to the ecological performance of a referenced ecosystem. The selection of EPS is based on an understanding of the diversity of organisms and systems that adapted to the environmental conditions at the site before intensive anthropogenic development occurred. Once the referenced ecosystem is identified through traditional and historical observation, performance metrics are given specific measures based on the available scientific ecological knowledge (SEK).;Development of the framework of EPS for the built environment was first demonstrated in Syracuse, New York, as part of a sustainable community revitalization initiative of a distressed Syracuse neighborhood. This paper describes the evolution of EPS for the human-built environment. Review of the current literature provides a basis for advancement of EPS and integration into the decision-making process of meaningful projects.