The Urban Redevelopment Authority, in a year of shake-ups and reorganization, has made its first hire to advance a policy of green building development.

Matt Smuts, 36, started his job as sustainable design coordinator last week. He had most recently been an independent energy-efficiency consultant to small businesses and homeowners.

His appointment resulted from a recommendation the URA's in-house green design working group made earlier this year, under former Executive Director Jerome Dettore, who resigned this summer.

Mr. Smuts will define the standard the URA wants builders and developers to meet, and devise incentives for them to build according to energy and environmental design standards known as LEED.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and it certifies buildings on four levels -- certification, silver, gold and platinum.

LEED standards may seem to be too expensive to many developers, but Mr. Smuts argues that thorough planning allows trade-offs that can cut costs. For instance, energy-efficient windows and their placement can reduce the cost of heating and cooling mechanisms.

"The tricky and important part is to figure out how to get green buildings built without discouraging investment," said Mr. Smuts. "It remains to be seen whether this [green practices] will be mandated" or attained through incentives.

"We need to make investment as easy as possible," he said.

One incentive being piloted now is interest-rate reductions on loans for construction committed to LEED standards. The pilot project is Rothschild Doyno Architects' renovation of an old bus garage into new offices at Penn Avenue and 29th Street in the Strip.

Dan Rothschild, the firm's president, said the URA's incentive "will challenge us to get the highest rating possible to lower our interest rates."

He said the firm expects to relocate from Regent Square by the first quarter of next year.

Eamon Geary, a project specialist for the Green Building Alliance, said the URA's new green building policy "is probably the first thing that's come out of the city government that encourages green building development."

Patrick Ford, the URA's executive director, said green design "is a necessary tool for achieving sustainability. As a governmental entity, we must scrutinize development practices that use nonrenewable and/or harmful resources."

Besides working with developers and other investors, Mr. Smuts will be the green agent in URA dealings with city departments' efforts to make city buildings and procurement of services more efficient.

A native of Oakland, Mr. Smuts received a degree in architecture from the University of California at Berkeley. After working 10 years in California, he returned to Pittsburgh in 2003. He lives in Hazelwood.