Taiwan's new solar-powered stadium
One of the things about green buildings, whether they are refurbishments or newly built from the ground up, is that it doesn't make sense to expect all of them to contribute in the same way to the improved sustainability performance of towns and cities. Context is key. Typical low-density suburbs have negative impacts for a number of reasons, but so do high-rise jungles.
For example, if an objective is to reduce dependence on private cars and to increase walking and the use of public transport, then we should work towards higher urban densities and mixed-use areas. But high-density urban cores will generally have to import their energy from other parts of the city or from surrounding areas, so they may not "pay their way" as far as fossil-fueled energy independence is concerned. (Although there is a Seattle proposal for downtown energy sources based on waste incineration.)
A few recently publicised buildings illustrate the point.
