Policies, programs and people that shape innovation in housing

Businesses, consumers, industry groups, and governments understand the importance of innovation and the innovation process for continued economic success and improvements in quality of life. However, innovation remains an opaque topic. A paradox exists in housing at-large; using innovation is vital yet accounting for the value to individual organizations remains a challenge. This paradox is supported by a landscape that includes a sizeable graveyard of failed attempts at innovation on grand and small scales. This book seeks to decrease the opacity of innovation processes in residential construction and housing. Along with the next book in the collection, this book addresses key questions pertinent to the potential for widespread diffusion of green buildings and for improvements in community sustainability. The first several chapters will orient the reader to the concept of innovation in housing and residential construction. The later chapters will examine both the role of the Federal government in supporting innovation in housing and the commercialization pathway for residential building technology innovations. The overarching purpose of this book is to provide context and foundation for later books in the collection and to assist readers in peeling back the complex layers of innovation in housing and residential construction.