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A Citiens Guide to LEED o
Neighbohood Deelopment:How to Tell if Development isSmart and Green
LEED or Neighborhood Development was jointly developed by the U.S. Green Building
Council, Natural Resources Deense Council, and the Congress or the New Urbanism.
It is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council.
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Acknowledgements
The Citizens Guide to LEED-ND was developed by Raimi + Associates and the Natural Resources DeenseCouncil (NRDC), with guidance by a national advisory committee o experts in smart growth andLEED-ND, and input rom diverse local and regional advocates. A special thank you to all those contributorsand committee members who have reely given their time and expertise.
Authos
Aaron Welch Raimi + AssociatesKaid Beneld Natural Resources Deense CouncilMatt Raimi Raimi + Associates
Adisoy Committee
Eliot Allen Criterion PlannersJessica Millman Agora Development Company, ormer LEED-ND Core Committee ChairDr. Bridget Jones Cumberland TomorrowJustin Horner Natural Resources Deense CouncilElizabeth Schilling Smart Growth America
John Bailey 1,000 Friends o MinnesotaTrisha White Deenders o Wildlie
Othe Contibutos
Anthony Clark Natural Resources Deense CouncilRachel Sohmer Natural Resources Deense CouncilMarissa Ramirez Natural Resources Deense CouncilCarlita Salazar Natural Resources Deense CouncilMeredith Glaser Raimi + AssociatesMatthew Burris Raimi + AssociatesBeth Altshuler Raimi + AssociatesMeghan Bogaerts U.S. Green Building Council
Jerey Lovshin U.S. Green Building CouncilSophie Lambert U.S. Green Building CouncilAnn Cheng TransFormJoe DiSteano Calthorpe AssociatesConnor Merrigan Governors Energy Oce, State o ColoradoAdam Garcia Greenbelt AllianceMarla Wilson Greenbelt AllianceMatt Taecker City o Berkeley, CaliorniaSteve Lawton The Congress or New Urbanism (Northern Caliornia Chapter) and NU VenturesPaul Zykosky Local Government CommissionVu-Bang Nguyen Urban HabitatDover, Kohl & Partners
COVER PHOTOS: Denver, Colorado Credit: Charles Perry/Perry Rose LLC; Bike-only street, Amsterdam Credit: Aaron Welch/Raimi + Associates;Portland, Oregon Credit: Alex Abboud; San Diego trolly RACTOD/www.ReconnectingAmerica.org; Idaho Falls, Idaho Credit: Lisa Town; Chicago, Illinois Credit: Tim Schapke
NRDC Director o Communications: Phil Gutis
NRDC Deputy Director o Communications: Lisa Goredi
NRDC Publications Director: Anthony Clark
NRDC Publications Editor: Carlita Salazar
Production: Tanja Bos
A Citizens Guide to LEED or Neighborhood Development: How to Tell i Development is Smart and Green
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A Citizens Guide to LEED or Neighborhood Development
Table o Contents
1. How to Use This Guide .................................................................................................................. 2
How the Guide Is Organized ............................................................................................................ 3
2. What is a Sustainable Neighbohood? ......................................................................................... 4
3. Smat Location and Linkage: Whee to Build .............................................................................. 5
Smart Locations ............................................................................................................................. 5
Design with Nature ........................................................................................................................ 5
Connected Neighborhoods ............................................................................................................ 6
Public Transit .................................................................................................................................. 7
4. Neighbohood Patten and Design: What to Build ..................................................................... 8
Neighborhoods that Use Land Efciently....................................................................................... 8
Diverse and Convenient Neighborhoods........................................................................................ 9
Walkable Streets ............................................................................................................................ 9
Reduced Parking and Transportation Demand ............................................................................. 10
Bicycle-Friendly Design ................................................................................................................ 10
Mixed Uses and Community Spaces ........................................................................................... 11
5. Geen Inastuctue and Buildings: How to Manage Enionmental Impacts ...................... 13
Green Buildings ............................................................................................................................ 13
Reusing Older Buildings ............................................................................................................... 14
Reducing Pollution ....................................................................................................................... 14
Keeping Things Cool .................................................................................................................... 15
Neighborhood-Wide Energy ......................................................................................................... 15
Recycling and Reuse .................................................................................................................... 16
6. How Can LEED-ND Help Impoe You Community?................................................................ 17
1. Evaluate Development Proposals ............................................................................................ 17
2. Improve Development Proposals ............................................................................................. 18
3. Guide Improvements to Existing Neighborhoods .................................................................... 18
4. Inorm Community Planning and Zoning .................................................................................. 195. Inorm State, Local, and Regional Policy .................................................................................. 21
7. Supplementay Mateials ............................................................................................................ 22
Sustainable Neighborhood Development Checklist ..................................................................... 23
LEED-ND Rating System Summary ............................................................................................. 33
LEED and LEED-ND Basics .......................................................................................................... 36
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A Citizens Guide to LEED or Neighborhood Development
How To Use This Guide
This guide is a plain-English reerence aid designed to help you improve your community and neighborhood.
It explains a sophisticated and innovative set o environmental standards called LEED or NeighborhoodDevelopment (LEED-ND). The name LEED stands or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, aprogram administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, a private, non-prot organization. You may knowLEED as a program that evaluates and certies green buildings across the country.
LEED-ND takes the green certicationconcept beyond individual buildings andapplies it to the neighborhood context.In particular, LEED-ND contains a set omeasurable standards that collectivelyidentiy whether a development or proposeddevelopment o two buildings or more
can be deemed environmentally superior,considering the developments location andaccess, its internal pattern and design, andits use o green technology and buildingtechniques. These standards includeprerequisites (required as a baseline orsustainable neighborhood development) andcredits (additional best practice standardsor sustainable neighborhood development).
The LEED-NDs standards may be downloaded in their entirety rom the U.S. Green Building Councilsneighborhoods page at: www.usgbc.org/neighborhoods.
LEED-ND was developed primarily or application in situations where private developers pursuingenvironmentally sound principles would nd it in their interest to obtain a green stamp o approval ortheir projects. But the system is not only a certication system or green projects. It is also a ready-made seto environmental standards or land development. The standards can be useul to anyone interested in bettercommunity planning and design, including neighbors, citizens, community organizations and leaders,government ocials, and others.
Co-developed by the Natural Resources Deense Council, the Congress or the New Urbanism, and theU.S. Green Building Council, LEED-ND takes a broad approach to neighborhood sustainability, refecting themost current research and ideas about smart, green, sustainable, and well-designed neighborhoods. When usedor ormal certication, LEED-ND is rigorous and complex, but the principles behind the system are much
simpler. The purpose o this Citizens Guide is to make those principles easier to understand and use in a variety ocircumstances. We believe the guide can be useul or citizens with a wide variety o interests, including:
n Smart growth and land use planning
n Transportation
n Sustainable design and livable cities
n Environmental advocacy and natural resource protection
Jerey Lovshin/ U.S. Green Building CouncilLEED Rating Systems
n Housing and aordability
n Climate change and action
n Equity and social justice
n Public health
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HOW THE GUIDE IS OrGANIzED
You may wish to read the Citizens Guide section by section in its entirety, or simply use the Table o Contentsto nd topics o particular interest.
This introductory section is ollowed by one called What is a Sustainable Neighborhood? that establishes a
rame or the three that ollow, each illuminating a key concept or neighborhood sustainability, reerencingthe LEED-ND credits and prerequisites that inorm each concept.
These are ollowed by How Can LEED-ND Help Improve Your Community? which provides somecreative suggestions to get you started using LEED-NDs diverse standards in your own community.These suggestions include using LEED-ND to evaluate and improve development proposals, to guideimprovements to existing neighborhoods, to inorm community planning and zoning, and otherpolicy-making.
Following this are supplementary materials, including a Sustainable Neighborhood DevelopmentChecklist. The checklist is a sort o crib sheet or every LEED-ND credit and prerequisite, presentingthem in an easy-to-use ormat or evaluating development proposals, assessing existing neighborhoods,and inorming community planning and policy. It is organized by topic, so you can use it in its entirety orjust to evaluate certain topics. The checklist includes an optional scoring exercise so you can calculate whatthe LEED-ND score would or the project you are assessing. It is also a great source or nationally-testedstandards or numerical thresholds to incorporate into design guidelines, planning policy, or other work youare doing.
Finally, the supplementary materials include a summary o the LEED-ND Rating System, and a summary othe basics o ormal LEED and LEED-ND certication procedures.
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A Citizens Guide to LEED or Neighborhood Development
What is a SustainableNeighborhood?
LEED-ND was designed to refect the key aspects oneighborhood sustainability. Understanding these conceptsand their relationship to each other can provide citizenswith guidance and technical prowess as they work in theirown neighborhoods and communities.
This section o the guide provides a snapshot oneighborhood sustainability by summarizing the keystrategies o the LEED-ND Rating System, which is organizedinto three basic sections:
n Smr Lin nd Linge (SLL)where to build
n Neighbrhd Pern nd Design (NPD)what to build
n Green Infrsrre nd Bildings (GIB)how to
manage environmental impacts
WHAT IS A NEIGHBOrHOOD?
LEED-ND applies to neighborhoods and parts o neighborhoods. But a neighborhood is more than
territory within a boundary drawn on a map. At best, it is a place with its own unique character andunction, where people can live, work, shop, and interact with their neighbors. The most sustainableneighborhoods tend to exhibit high levels o walkability, a sense o place, social cohesion and stability,and neighborhood resiliency amidst changing economic and sociopolitical conditions. As summarizedby architects Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, good traditional neighborhoods include:
n A discernible center
n Housing within a ve minute walk othe center
n A variety o dwelling types
n A variety o stores and commercial activity
n Flexible backyard ancillary buildings orworking or living
n A school within walking distance
n Playgrounds near all dwellings
n Connected streets
n Narrow, shaded streets conducive topedestrians and cyclists
n Buildings close to the street at apedestrian scale
n Parking or garages placed behind buildings
and away rom street rontagesn Prominent civic and public buildings
n A community decision process ormaintenance, security, and neighborhooddevelopment
Credit: Jerey Lovshin/U.S. Green Building
Council
LEED-ND Credit
Breakdown
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Smart Location and Linkage:Where to Build
LEED-ND can be used to help you discern whether a proposed developmentor even an existingneighborhood, plan, or policyrates as a good one when compared to environmental and communitycriteria. When making this determination, the rst question to ask may be the most basic o all: Is this agood place to build something? LEED-ND encourages strategies that conserve resources such as reinvestingwithin existing neighborhoods, cleaning up contaminated sites, protecting natural areas, and acilitatingconnections to the surrounding community.
SMArT LOCATIONS
Selecting and planning or the location o development isundamental to environmental sustainability and, according
to research, the most important determinant o how muchresidents will drive.1 Even i a building or larger developmentuses green construction techniques, a poor location thatdestroys natural areas, requires people to drive long distances,or exposes people to toxic substances will likely overshadow
the benets o green construction. Building on, or redeveloping, preisly deelped sies (wherethere has been previous construction or paving) and inll sites (which are surrounded or mostlysurrounded by previously developed land) is a key smart growth strategy. As a result, it is strongly rewardedin the LEED-ND rating system. Building in these locations uses land eciently and preserves open space,ecological areas, and agricultural land around cities. It also tends to cluster housing, jobs, stores, and publicspaces together. When these conveniences are within easy reach, it makes public transit, cycling, andwalking more easible and reduces the length o car trips.
LEED-ND also rewards cleaning up and redeveloping nmined siesor browneldssuch as oldgas stations, industrial acilities, storage acilities or toxic substances, or contaminated military sites. Thoughmany browneld sites qualiy as smart locationsbeing inll, transit-served and walkablethey oten lievacant unless there are incentives or cleanup, which can be complicated, unpredictable, and expensive.
DESIGN WITH NATUrE
Locating development in a way that is sensiie is nrl seing is an important aspecto protecting local environmental quality. Thisis particularly important or habitat areas,wetlands and water bodies, prime agriculturalland, and foodplains. As a result, several LEED-ND prerequisites prohibit or strictly limitdevelopment in these types o natural areas.
Other important strategies include restoring and conserving habitat areas and wetlands, minimizing on-site construction impacts, and protecting steep slopes rom erosion that can pose saety risks and pollutedownstream lakes and rivers. Inll and previously developed sites are much less likely to contain valuablebiological resources like armland, wetlands, and plant and wildlie habitat.
Key Prerequisites and CreditsSLL Prerequisite 2: Imperiled Species and Ecological Communities
SLL Prerequisite 3: Wetland and Water Body Conservation
SLL Prerequisite 4: Agricultural Land Conservation
SLL Prerequisite 5: Floodplain Avoidance
SLL Credit 6: Steep Slope Protection
SLL Credits 7, 8, 9: Site Design or, Restoration o, or Long-TermConservation Management o Habitat or
Wetlands and Water Bodies
Also see: GIB Credit 7: Minimized Site Disturbance
Key Prerequisites and Credits
SLL Prerequisite 1: Smart Location
SLL Credit 1: Preerred Locations
SLL Credit 2: Brownfelds RedevelopmentSLL Credit 3: Locations with Reduced
Automobile Dependence
SLL Credit 5: Housing and Jobs Proximity
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CONNECTED NEIGHBOrHOODS
Good connections or pedestrians, cyclists, and vehiclesboth within a neighborhood and to surrounding areasareessential or a neighborhood to capitalize on a smart location.This means requent sree nneins nd phys tosurrounding areas, a high degree o internal connectivity, and
ew barrierssuch as cul-de-sacs or dicult-to-cross streetsto adjacent areas and uses. Research showsthat walking and physical tness increase with greater street connectivity, measured by the number ointersections per square mile.2
Curving, suburban-style streets with long blocks and multiple dead-ends, on the other hand, require long,circuitous walking or driving routes to nearby destinations, reducing walking. Street connectivity is animportant cross-cutting strategy or neighborhood sustainability since it also improves access to parks,schools, transit, businesses, jobs, and shoppingall rewarded in LEED-ND.
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Key CreditsSLL Credit 1: Preerred Locations
Also see: NPD Prerequisite 3: Connected
and Open Community
NPD Credit 6: Street Network
Credit: Lisa Town
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Seattle, Washington
Eastgate Town Center
Chattanooga, Tennessee - Axo Sequence
Credit: RACTOD/www.ReconnectingAmerica.org
Key CreditsSLL Credit 3: Locations with Reduced Automobile
Dependence
Also see: NPD Credit 7: Transit Facilities
NPD Credit 8: Transportation Demand Management
PUBLIC TrANSIT
Locating housing and jobs in compact clusters
near public transit, widely reerred to as transit-oriented development, increases the likelihoodthat people will take transit or walk rather thandrive. In the United States, most vehicle milestraveled VMT are by single-occupancy vehicles,which generate more greenhouse gas emissionsand pollution per mile than car sharing,carpooling, walking, cycling, and most ormso public transit. Transit-oriented developmentreduces greenhouse gas emissions, provides ridersnecessary to support transit systems, oers analternative to automobile use, reduces demand orparking, and captures many o the other benetso inll development. In addition to locating neartransit service, providing comortable shelters,benches, lighting, and schedule inormation attransit stops can encourage transit use. And evenwhen residents o transit-oriented housing dodrive, their central location means their trips areoten shorter.
Credit: Victor Dover/Dover, Kohl & Partners
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A Citizens Guide to LEED or Neighborhood Development
Neighborhood Pattern and Design:What to Build
Once planners or developers have decided where to build, it has to decide what to build. Should there behomes? Shops? Parks? Which activities will the neighborhood be designed or? What will it look like, andhow will it eel to walk through? The Neighborhood Pattern and Design section o LEED-ND addresses someo these topics. It encourages strategies like walkable streets, diverse and compact neighborhoods, high-quality public spaces, reduced dependence on automobiles, and community participation in design.
NEIGHBOrHOODS THAT USE LAND EICIENTLY
Neighborhoods that make ecient use o land help limit thespread o suburban sprawl, which consumes and ragments therural landscape along with watersheds, wildlie habitat, and
prime armland.
In addition, more ecient neighborhood design means that destinations like schools, shops, and parks canbe closer together, making walking and cycling more ecient. Public transit systems are also more likely tobe successul in compact neighborhoods because there are more potential riders near each station and, even
Key Cedits and Peeuisites
NPD Prerequisite 2: Compact Development
NPD Credit 2: Compact Development
The rendering shows the central square o a prototypical neighborhood oreast El Paso, Texas. Through changes in El Pasos zoning regulations, theinclusion o public spaces such as the one shown can again become a eatureo new neighborhoods.
Credit:Dover,Kohl & Partners.
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when people do drive, they tend to drive less. Finally, compact development requires less inrastructuresuch as water, sewer, and electricity acilitiesto serve the same number o people, saving economicresources. Because o its underlying benets, compact neighborhood design is assigned a high number opoints in the LEED-ND rating system. A neighborhoods level o compactness is also known as its density.
DIvErSE AND CONvENIENTNEIGHBOrHOODS
Though it is still considered best practice to separatepolluting or heavy industrial land uses rom others,there are a number o benets to mixing residential,commercial, and live-work land uses. The diverse usesoblendedneighbrhds tend to support each otherand reinorce a sense o neighborhood character, whiledecreasing the need to travel long distances or goods,services, or work. Uses can be mixed within the sameneighborhoodsuch as when homes are located next toa corner storeor even within the same buildingsuch
as live-work spaces or ground-level shops with housingor oce space above them.
In addition, a neighborhood with a wide rnge f hsing ypes nd sizessuch as large and smalltownhouses, duplexes, single-amily homes, apartment buildings, or special needs housingcan supporta diverse population that includes students, amilies, seniors, group housing, young singles, or couples.This mix reinorces neighborhood stability by allowing people to stay in the same community throughoutdierent stages o their lives. It can also add a sense o texture and character to a place, encouraging socialand economic diversity, along with multiple levels o aordability. When housing is available at aordabilityrange o prices, people who earn less but are vital parts o any communitysuch as teachers, police ocersand public sector employees, or artistscan live and work in the same community as those with higherincomes. This encourages economic opportunity and social diversity, and can sometimes reduce commute
times by allowing people to live closer to work.
LEED-ND rewards neighborhoods that are designed fr riey f ges nd biliies. Key techniquesinclude designing some housing to have stepless entrances and other accessible eatures, making publicportions o buildings universally accessible, and including wheelchair access at trac intersections andbetween buildings.
Orenco StationHillsboro, Oregon
St. Louis, Missouri
Credit: Lisa Town
Denver, Colorado Credit: Charles Perry/Perry Rose LLC Credit: Sean Thomas/Old North St. LouisRestoration Group
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WALKABLE STrEETS
Walking has cross-cutting benets or public health,environmental sustainability, and neighborhood vitality,and urther unlocks the advantages o neighborhoodswith smart locations, a mix o uses, and compactdevelopment. A number o eatures working together canensure that a street is mfrble, sfe, nd iniingfr pedesrins. These include a connected pedestriannetwork and elements o high-quality urban design.
Too many poorly designed neighborhoods are uninviting to pedestrians. For example, buildings that are set
ar back rom the street, are separated rom the sidewalk by large parking lots, or are too low in comparisonto the width o streets oten lack a sense o place or undermine pedestrian comort. Excessive blank walls,a lack o requent building entrances onto public space, shuttered or inrequent windows, and unattractivebuilding acades can also deteriorate the pedestrian environment. Frequent garage doors and drivewayintrusions across the sidewalk can urther diminish the pedestrian experience.
By contrast, streets designed or walkability include buildingentrances that are easy to reach rom the sidewalk and includedoorways and window displays that create a sense o interestand architectural diversity along the path. Frequent, well-established street trees can make pedestrians more comortableby providing shade and contact with nature. Continuous
sidewalks, low-speed trac, and on-street parking that providesa buer between the sidewalk and the street can also increasepedestrian comort and saety.
rEDUCED PArKING AND
TrANSPOrTATION DEMAND
Large surace pring ls discourage pedestrian accessrom sidewalks and other nearby buildings, especiallywhen they are located between sidewalks and buildings.
Parking lots also diminish the quality o nearby public spaces like parks, plazas, or sidewalks. The pavementused to construct parking lots also leads to more polluted stormwater runo ater rainstorms. LEED-ND
calls or all o-street parking not to exceed a maximum size and to be located to the side or rear o orunderneath buildings.
In addition, parking and building design, and operation all aect how much people drive. Strategies likean on-site vehicle sharing program, providing shuttle service to jobs or transit, providing transit passes toproject occupants, or selling parking spots separately rom dwelling units can all rede he need frr nership. Other strategies that can reduce how many trips people take include ride sharing, fexibleworking hours, pedestrian and bicycle promotion, and reduced amounts o parking.
Key Credits
NPD Credit 5: Reduced Parking Footprint
NPD Credit 8: Transportation Demand Management
San Francisco, Caliornia Credit: Dan Burden/www.pedbikeimages.org
Key Credits and PrerequisitesNPD Prerequisite 1: Walkable Streets
NPD Credit 1: Walkable Streets
NPD Credit 5: Reduced Parking Footprint
NPD Credit 14: Tree-Lined and Shaded Streets
Charlottesville, Virginia Credit:citydata.com
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Portland, Oregon Credit: Laura Sandt/www.pedbikeimages.org
Portland, Oregon
MIxED USES ANDCOMMUNITY SPACES
In the same way that a mixed-use environment createsa sustainable and diverse neighborhood by integratingboth residential and commercial uses into one buildingor neighborhood, they also place a variety o shops,services, and amenities within walking distance oneighborhood residents and each other. This reducescar trips and acilitates walking, which contributes tohealth and tness. A sustainable neighborhood also oerspublic acilities and services or residents and visitors invarious stages o lie. These can include schools, libraries,
civic buildings, community centers, places o worship,recreation acilities, and community gardens. Amenitieslike these are critical to meeting a communitys cultural,social, spiritual, and physical needs.
Key CreditsNPD Credit 3: Mixed-Use Neighborhood Centers
NPD Credit 9: Access to Civic and Public Spaces
NPD Credit 10: Access to Recreation Facilities
NPD Credit 12: Community Outreach and Involvement
NPD Credit 13: Local Food Production
NPD Credit 15: Neighborhood Schools
Credit: Heather Bowden
Seattle, Washington Credit:VeloBusDriver
BICYCLE-rIENDLY DESIGN
Cycling is an ecient mode o transportation without thenegative environmental eects or high installation costs o manyother modes. It can improve public health by providing regularphysical activity. Like pedestrian acilities, successul bicycle
acilities should be arranged in a connected network, providing sae, comortable, and well-maintainedaccess to a variety o destinations while decreasing conficts with cars and transit vehicles. To be creditedin LEED-ND, a biyle ner must consist o continuous o-street paths (Class I bikeways), on-streetlanes (Class II bikeways), or bicycle-riendly low-speed streets. Sucient, secure, and well-placed bicycleparking or visitors and or building occupants also encourages cycling. Compared to car parking, bikeparking requires very little space: just one o-street car parking spot usually takes up about same amounto space as 10 to 12 bicycle parking spots.
Key CreditsSLL Credit 4: Bicycle Network and Storage
See Also: NPD Credit 5: Reduced
Parking Footprint
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Credit: Dan Burden/www.pedbikeimages.org
Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaNew York, New York Credit: Christopher Titzer
Prs, pen spes, grdens, nd elgil res are particularly important or urban environments
where green space and places o reuge can be in short supply. Proximity to parks is oten associated withincreased physical activity, more social interaction, and reduced stress. Likewise, physical and economicaccess to sources ohelhy fd such as community gardens, armers markets, ull-service grocerystores, or other sources o ruit and vegetables is associated with higher intakes o health oods and reducedrisk o chronic diseases.
Orenco Station
Hillsboro, OregonHolland, Michigan Credit: Dan Burden/
www.pedbikeimages.orgCredit: Lisa Town
Community members involved in planning or a neighborhoods uture are oten more likely to invest in it,
care or it, and maintain it. This sort o personal investment supports a neighborhoods long-term stabilityand sustainability. I new development or other major changes are proposed in a neighborhood, basicacets o community involvement should include meetings with surrounding property owners, residents,and businesses; modiying project designs to meet stated community needs; and maintaining open lineso communication throughout the project. A more advanced technique is the multi-day charrette,which is an intense period (anywhere rom a ew hours to a ew days) o design activity involving designproessionals and local stakeholders working in close collaboration.
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Green Inrastructure and Buildings:How to Manage Environmental
ImpactsEven i your neighborhood has a great location and layout, it wont have excellent environmentalperormance without thoughtul and innovative green design. This includes strategies like incorporatingenergy and water eciency, reusing older buildings, recycling materials, reducing stormwater runo, andeliminating pollution sources.
GrEEN BUILDINGS
Green buildings emphasize environmental
excellence and sensitivity in their design,incorporating strategies like energy and watereciency, high indoor air quality, and sustainablysourced (or recycled) materials. LEED-ND contains
prerequisites and credits or energy eciency, water eciency, and certied green buildingsunderscoringtheir oundational role or a sustainable neighborhood.
In addition to water eciency inside buildings,ersed side bildings or landscaping and streettrees determines a neighborhoods overall water use.Planting native species is preerable as they are lessdisruptive to natural ecosystmes; in arid climates they
tend to be drought-tolerant and require less irrigation.For plants that require irrigation, using ecientirrigation equipment, capturing rainwater, or recyclingwastewater can reduce overall water consumption.
rEUSING OLDEr BUILDINGS
Reusing as much o a building as possiblewhetherit be the entire building, the building shell, or justsalvageable components o the buildingis aundamental green building strategy rewarded inmost LEED rating systems, including LEED-ND. In
Key Credits and PrerequisitesGIB Prerequisite 1 and Credit 1: Certifed Green Building(s)
GIB Prerequisite 2 and Credit 2: Building Energy EfciencyGIB Prerequisite 3 and Credit 3: Building Water Efciency
GIB Credit 4: Water-Efcient Landscaping
Hart Building
Dallas, Texas
Credit: Steve Minor
Solar Powered Aordable Housing
West Hollywood, Caliornia
Credit:limelightpower
Key CreditsGIB Credit 5: Existing Building Reuse
GIB Credit 6: Historic Resource Preservation and Adaptive Use
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addition to eliminating waste and reducingthe energy and resources needed to producebuilding material, reusing or adaptingbuildings reinorces a neighborhoodsexisting character. Neighborhood landmarks
and historic or architecturally signicantbuildings are particularly valuable becausethey can provide visible public gatheringplaces and generate interest and investment ina neighborhood.
rEDUCING POLLUTION
A neighborhoods design and manner oconstruction infuences the amount o airand water pollution it generates. Preening
pllin dring nsrin is considered soessential to good building practice that it is a prerequisite in LEED-ND (GIB Prerequisite 4: Construction ActivityPollution Prevention). It is also oten required to some extent by ederal, state, or local regulation. The maingoals are to prevent (1) on-site wind and water erosion, (2) air and dust pollution, and (3) pollution orsedimentationexcessive sand and gravelin downstream creeks, rivers, and lakes.
Contaminated srmer is one o the largest sources o water pollution in the United States, butneighborhoods can reduce stormwater pollution by keeping as much runo as possible rom fowing othe site. This reduces erosion, pollution, and fooding o downstream water bodies by naturally lteringand reabsorbing stormwater runo. It can also help recharge natural aquiers below the neighborhood.Green stormwater retention techniques include use o street-side swales (low-lying, and oten marshyareas), water-pervious paving materials, stormwater retention basins, green roos, open green space, and
landscaping, all o which can acilitate stormwater capture, absorption by trees and plants, or reuse.
Ligh pllin occurs when bright lighting or glare negatively aects neighboring homes, publicspaces, and natural areas. Light pollution can disturb nearby wildlie movement and lie cycles, decreasea neighborhoods livability, and limit views o the night sky. For human health, light pollution has been
Key Credits and PrerequisitesGIB Prerequisite 4: Construction Activity Pollution Prevention
GIB Credit 8: Stormwater Management
GIB Credit 17: Light Pollution Reduction
Rain Garden
Vastra Hamnen, Sweden
Bioswale Curb Extension
Portland, Oregon
Credit: La Citta Vita Credit: Greg Raisman
Old Town
Fort Collins, Colorado
Credit: Carol Jacobs Carre
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linked to disruptions in natural circadian rhythms and depressed immune unction. Important strategies orreducing light pollution include directing articial light downward instead o upward and outward, andusing more requently spaced, lower intensity lights instead o only a ew very bright lights. Another basicstrategy is or non-essential lighting to automatically turn o when not needed.
KEEPING THINGS COOL He islndsare localized areas,usually withincities, wherethe ambient
temperature is signicantly warmer than the naturalenvironment or surrounding areas. Unshaded pavement,dark-colored rootops, and other building and inrastructuresuraces that absorb and then radiate heat rom the sun canall contribute to creating heat islands. A study by the LocalGovernment Commission ound wide streets without a tree
canopy to be 10 degrees warmer on hot days than nearbynarrow, shaded streets.3 In addition to creating discomort orpedestrians and health risks or vulnerable populations andmanual laborers, heat islands can also create dicult growingconditions or plants and increase irrigation demand. Proventechniques to counteract heat island eects include treeplanting, smaller and narrower streets and parking lots, light-colored solar-refective roong (which also reduces demandor air conditioning), vegetated roos or other landscaping,open-grid and solar-refective paving, and covering parkingwith solar-refective roong.
NEIGHBOrHOOD-WIDE ENErGY EICIENCY
An energy-ecient building is good. An entireneighborhood that is energy-ecient is better. The initial
ly nd rienin o a neighborhood can aectits ability to use solar energy both actively (such as orphotovoltaic cells) and passively (such as or natural
lighting or direct solar heating through windows and walls). In the United States, sunlight rom the southis stronger and more consistent than sunlight rom other directions, while northern light can provide aconsistent, glare-ree source o interior daylighting. For this reason, it is ideal when neighborhood blocks(or lower density buildings) can maximize their northern and southern exposure.
Similarly, installing reneble energy sres nd disribin sysems at a neighborhood scale,which serves multiple buildings or homes, is oten more cost- and energy-ecient than installing thembuilding-by-building. Examples include geothermal wells, photovoltaic (solar) or wind-powered electricalsystems, combined heat and power plants using biouels, hydroelectric power, and wave or tidal power.Heating and cooling multiple buildings through a centralized system requires less inrastructure andcapacity per individual building. This is true whether it harnesses renewable sources, conventional boilersand air-conditioning systems, or heat that is a by-product o industrial processes. Installing either shared
Key CreditsGIB Credit 9: Heat Island Reduction
NPD Credit 5: Reduced Parking Footprint
NPD Credit 14: Tree-Lined and Shaded Streets
Key CreditsGIB Credit 10: Solar Orientation
GIB Credit 11: On-Site Renewable Energy Sources
GIB Credit 12: District Heating and Cooling
GIB Credit 13: Inrastructure Energy Efciency
Green Roo at Walter Reed
Community Center
Arlington, Virginia
Green Roo at Portland State
University, Portland, Oregon
Credit:Arlington
County
Credit:Alex Abboud
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A Citizens Guide to LEED or Neighborhood Development
renewable energy sources or shared heating and cooling usually requires close collaboration betweenmultiple buildings landowners.
Energy-ecient streetlights, trac lights, park lights,water pumps, and sewer systems can also signicantly
reduce a neighborhoods total level o energyconsumption. Common examples o energy-ecientinrastructure include light-emitting diode (LED) technologyor trac and other lights, ecient or adjustable-powerwater pumps, or solar-powered lights.
rEUSE AND rECYCLING
Reusing and recycling materials preserves natural resources while reducing waste and energy used inindustrial manuacturing. There are oten opportunities to use reyled meril or new inrastructureincluding streets, sidewalks, or water piping. Commonly available types o materials include reusedcement or asphalt, rubberized asphalt incorporating scrap tires, reabricated metal or piping, or industrialbyproducts such as coal fy ash mixed into concrete. LEED-ND also encourages recycling and reusing
construction debris and rewards neighborhood design that acilitates pick-up services or drop-o points orhousehold composting, recycling, and hazardous waste disposal.
Resing seer rom buildings reduces overall water use, demands on public inrastructure,energy use, and chemical inputs rom conventional wastewater treatment. Wastewater reuse can rangerom relatively simple graywater systems that harness non-sewer wastewater or irrigation, to complexconstructed wetlands or biological wastewater systems that completely treat all orms o wastewater onsite.
Key Credits
GIB Credit 14: Wastewater ManagementGIB Credit 15: Recycled Content in Inrastructure
GIB Credit 16: Solid Waste Management Inrastructure
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A Citizens Guide to LEED or Neighborhood Development
How Can LEED-ND Help ImproveYour Community?
The goal o this Citizens Guide is to empower you to improve your own community or neighborhood,utilizing LEED-ND as a fexible tool and source o inormation. This section provides some suggestionsor how to get started. These suggestions are intended to spark the creativity and expertise o citizensand advocates, who will undoubtedly improve on them and come up with applications o their own. Asa helpul companion, see the Citizens Guides Sustainable Neighborhood Development Checklist, whichallows you to quickly estimate the perormance o a project, plan, or policy. It can provide standards ora specic topic, or you can look directly at the LEED-ND Rating System or more detail. I you just need areresher on what is included in the Rating System, please reer to the LEED-ND Summary Appendix orthe Rating System itsel, available or ree at www.usgbc.org/neighborhoods.
1. Ealuate Deelopment PoposalsHave you ever wondered whether or not a proposal or new development was a good idea, whether it wasenvironmentally riendly, and whether or not you should support it? Have you wondered i there were keyareas where it could be improved? These are complicated questions that are not made any easier by thecompeting claims and messages o developers, neighborhood groups, government agencies, or other voices.LEED-ND oers one way to begin answering these questions impartially.
Perhaps the most basic use o the system is to promote and publicly support projects that obtain LEED-NDcertication, particularly i they do so at a high (gold or platinum) level. While LEED-ND is not a guaranteethat you will approve o every aspect o a project, it is a very good indication that a projects environmentalperormance will be superior to average development.
A Poject Ealuation Pogam: The Washington Smat Gowth Alliance
The Washington (DC) Smart Growth Alliance operates a Smart and Sustainable Growth Recognition
Program. Based on review by an independent jury, the Program provides recognition or development
projects that meet criteria or smart location, mixed land uses, environmental protection, walkability,
and community coordination. LEED-ND can be a good starting point or creating a similar recognition or
endorsement program in your own community, or updating one that already exists.
For projects that do not (or cannot) pursue LEED-ND certication, another approach is to perorm yourown internal LEED-ND audit using the checklist in this Citizens Guide to evaluate some or all o the categoriesand standards in the system. I a project meets the LEED-ND prerequisites and scores enough points to be
certiable at a high level, consider publicly supporting it. I the project is certiable at one o the lower(basic or silver) levels, it may well be an asset to the neighborhood but may require urther inquiry. I itdoes not appear to be certiable at any level, consider opposing it. (I you belong to an organization oragency that already maintains guidelines or which projects to support, it might be helpul to rene oraugment those guidelines with standards rom LEED-ND).
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Publicly supporting a project could include speaking at public hearings and community meetings, providingmarketing support, or writing letters o support. As talking points or this material, look at the projectsLEED-ND scorecard (the ocial U.S. Green Building Council scorecard i it is certied, or your own internalchecklist i it is not, but could have been) and see which credits it achieves. This is a good articulation o theprojects key strengths. I you are opposing a project, a list o which LEED-ND credits it doesnot achieve is a
helpul talking point.
2. Impoe Deelopment PoposalsYou may also nd opportunities to collaborate with private, public, or non-prot developers on a specicproposal. This is a great way to encourage sustainable neighborhoods and establish long-term workingrelationships with developers and other stakeholders in your community. LEED-ND can provide a helpulguide or this process.
LEED-ND as a Basis o inancial Assistance:
In 2010, the ederal Department o Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it would
consider LEED-NDs location criteria when awarding competitive housing grants, including its Sustainable
Communities Regional Planning Grants. This includes LEED-ND-based standards or such things astransit service, proximity to neighborhood shops and services, sensitivity to environmental eatures,
and the amount and character o nearby development. I you are part o a grant-giving organization
or agency, you can use LEED-ND in a similar way, incorporating standards or smart and sustainable
development into your project selection process.
As a rst step, you can encourage projects to become LEED-ND certied or insist that they pursuecertication to earn your support. In some cases, you may wish to ask that projects attain certication ata certain level such as silver, gold, or platinum. This will ensure that they meet basic location and designcriteria or sustainability, and enable you to ollow through on them when the project is built. But, whetheror not a project pursues certication, you can use LEED-ND to identiy a projects strengths and weaknesses
and generate some tangible design recommendationsabout walkable streets, cycling acilities, energyeciency, or any other topics that LEED-ND addresses.
While LEED-ND standards are not a substitute or good design, they can show developers, designers,community members, and advocacy groups where a project is doing well environmentally and where ithas room or improvement. The sooner you get involved in the design process, the better your chances ormaking a dierence.
3. Guide Impoements to Eisting NeighbohoodsLEED-NDs basic purpose is to assess or certiy new development. But you can also use it to guide planning andinvestment in existing neighborhoods. For most neighborhoods, this process will involve three main steps:
1. EvaLuatE tHE NEIGHBoRHooD. Work with local governments or other community
organizations to conduct an audit o a neighborhood using the LEED-ND categories, prerequisites andcredits. You can use the checklist at the end o the Citizens Guide to aid the evaluation.
2. FocuS oN StRENGtHS aND wEakNESSES. Identiy areas where the neighborhood or communityperorms well under LEED-ND. Where it does not, solicit stakeholder input on community needs.
3. RESPoND wItH a PLaN. Propose retrots, targeted redevelopment, inrastructure improvements,or other measures that build on the neighborhoods strengths and address its weaknesses. The level odetail and eort can vary widelyrom an inormal list o suggestions to a detailed design and policy
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proposal that becomes the backbone o a neighborhood plan. I a neighborhood is already the ocus oa planning eort, participate in that process to ensure that it addresses the needs you have identied andprotects the neighborhoods strengths.
The Syacuse SALT DistictThe 156-acre Syracuse, Art, Lie, and Technology (SALT) District, in Syracuse, New York, is the ocus
o an ongoing neighborhood improvement and retroft eort by a broad variety o partnersincluding
the Syracuse Center o Excellence, Home Headquarters aordable housing development, Syracuse
University, the City o Syracuse, and multiple residents and community groups. These partners
coordinated their neighborhood improvement eorts through the lens o LEED-ND. Their frst step was
to assess the existing neighborhood using LEED-ND, identiying strengths and weaknesses by each
prerequisite and credit. Next, through a collaborative stakeholder process, the project team proposed
design and policy responses that would address those issues and improve neighborhood sustainability.
The result or the SALT District was a certifed LEED-ND Gold plan that provides policies and design
proposals or improving the street and pedestrian network, improving stormwater management,
adding parks and open space, increasing green building and energy efciency eorts, and targeted
redevelopment. The process applied in the SALT Districtassessing an existing neighborhood and
developing a retroft plan using LEED-NDis one that could be replicated in neighborhoods across thecountry, whether or not they pursue LEED-ND certifcation.
4. Inom Community Planning and zoningWhile LEED-ND is useul at the neighborhood scale, you can also apply it on a wider scale, inormingcommunity-wide plans, zoning codes, and other planning documents. Many local governments havecomprehensive, citywide plans that provide long-term policy guidance or land use and transportation. Somealso address the design o buildings and public space, economic development, public inrastructure, naturalresource protection, parks, housing, health, or a variety o other issues.These are typically updated periodically.
You can audit your communitys plan, assessing how well it promotes these topics and suggestingimprovements. Use the Sustainable Neighborhood Development Checklist at the end o the Citizens Guide towalk yoursel through this process. You can also use the checklist as a source or policy language to adapt, orlook directly at the LEED-ND Rating System or more detail. All LEED-ND credits and prerequisites also havea general Intent statement (easily ound in the ocial Rating System) that can sometimes be adapted oruse in a community plan.
Most local governments have a zoning code that guides how and where development can happen. Zoning codescan regulate anything rom building heights and parking requirements to building uses, design, and pedestrianorientation. They are oten very detailed and technical. As a result, they can be intimidating to the layperson (oreven the proessional), but LEED-ND can suggest specic topics and standards to look or and encourage (see theCitizens Guides Sustainable Neighborhood Development Checklist, or the LEED-ND Rating System).
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A Sustainable Deelopment Oelay zone
Zoning is the set o regulations that a city, town, or county uses to guide development within its own
borders. You can talk to your local government about creating areas o town where zoning specifcally
promotes sustainable development. This could include requiring development projects to meet some or
all o LEED-NDs standards, or it could include limiting development in areas that dont meet LEED-NDs
location criteria. Be careul that requirements or sustainability dont create a disincentive in the veryareas that are appropriate or development.
Topics to look or and assess in zoning codes include:n Density (NPD Credit 2: Compact Development);
n Building and sidewalk design orwalkable streets (NPD Credit 1: Walkable Streets; NPD Credit 14: Tree-Lined and Shaded Streets);
n Transit service and access (SLL Credit 3: Locations with Reduced Automobile Dependence, NPD Credit 7: TransitFacilities); parking standards or cars and bicycles (NPD Credit 5: Reduced Parking Footprint; NPD Credit8: Transportation Demand Management);
n Aordable and diverse housing (NPD Credit 4: Mixed-Income Diverse Communities); and
n Urban agriculture set-asides (NPD Credit 13: Local Food Production).
Incentie Eample: ee reductions
Kane County, Illinois oers discounts on road impact ees (Ordinance 07-232, 2007) or development
projects that meet certain minimum standards or density, location, and design, including:
n 40 percent discount or walkable transit; diverse uses; density; and small blocks.
n Additional 10 percent discount or infll or redevelopment.
n Additional 10 to 20 percent or higher densities.
LEED-ND can provide best practices and standards when designing incentives like these.
In addition, you can encourage local governments, redevelopment agencies, developers, land trusts,aordable housing organizations, or other decision-makers to require or provide benets to projects thatmeet LEED-ND standards. For instance, the City o East Lansing, Michigan requires private developmentthat receives city assistance and is over a certain size to attain LEED-ND or LEED-NC Silver-level certication(Resolution 2009-10, April 2009). The City o Nashvilles 2009 Zoning Ordinance (BL2009-586) providesa height bonus or LEED-ND certied projects. Other citiesincluding Oakland, Caliornia and Boston,Massachusettsrequire certain projects to submit a LEED-ND checklist demonstrating their level operormance.
Potential benets that might be provided include:
n Streamlined development approval process
n Fee reductions
n Tax credits
n Grants
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A Citizens Guide to LEED or Neighborhood Development
n Allowing additional density or building height
n Sharing the cost o new inrastructure required by projects
n Marketing assistance
A Local Goenment Guide to LEED-ND
The U.S. Green Building Council has published a white paper ocusing on how local governments
can implement LEED-ND, outlining some constraints they may ace, and suggesting a variety o
approaches and examples. Its a helpul complement to the Citizens Guide.
5. Inom Specifc State, Local, and regional PolicyLocal governments oten maintain topic-specic ordinances, master plans, design standards, or operationsstandards. Examples o these could include a parking or water conservation ordinance, a bicycle orpedestrian master plan, streetscape design standards, inrastructure replacement standards, a climate actionplan, or an economic development plan. You can use the Sustainable Neighborhood Development Checklistat the end o this Citizens Guide to assess these policies. It is organized by topic, so i needed you can consultjust the policy topics that match your interest.
Many regions and states also have plans, policies, and regulations that might either deter or promote LEED-ND implementation. You can again use the Checklist at the end o the Citizens Guide to review these state orregional policies and advocate reorm i necessary. In some cases, there may be opportunities to removebarriers to LEED-ND implementation. In other cases, you may be able to adapt LEED-ND standards directlyinto these policy documents. Examples may include:
n State or regional land use plans
n State building codes
n Regional transportation unding
n Development standards or guidelines rom air quality agenciesn Congestion management agency policies
n Regional water, wastewater, or stormwater regulations
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A Citizens Guide to LEED or Neighborhood Development
Supplementary Materials
So ar, we have looked at the key concepts o neighborhood sustainability and suggested some ways you
might use LEED-ND in your own community. Now what? First o all, we encourage you to come up withyour own ways o promoting smart and green neighborhoods, since you know your own community betterthan we do.
As discussed above, the Sustainable Neighborhood Development Checklist can help in your day-to-day work. It summarizes all credits and prerequisites in LEED-ND by topic and is designed to make thesystem more accessible, portable, and easy to adapt to a number o contexts. You can use it in all o thecircumstances we suggested in the previous section.
I you want, you can also estimate the score or a project i it were to pursue LEED-ND certication throughthe U.S. Green Building Councils ormal process. When you want to propose specic best practices or aproposal, plan, regulation, or policy document, you can use the checklist or go straight to the LEED-NDRating System or more detail. It can be a struggle or local citizens, designers, planners, and governmentsto create easible standards or sustainable development on their own. LEED-ND has the potential to ll thisgap with criteria that have been developed in a consensus process and eld-tested in various contexts.
Most importantly, we welcome you to be creative and bold in your use o LEED-ND and your importanteorts to improve where you live. As someone who knows your community well and cares about asustainable uture or it, you are doing important work or which you are uniquely qualied.
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A Citizens Guide to LEED or Neighborhood Development
SUSTAINABL
ENEIGHBOrHOODDEvELOPMENTCHECKLIS
T
Thisinorma
lc
heck
listsummarizesa
llcre
ditsan
dprere
qu
isites
inthe
LEED
-NDRating
sSy
stems.
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ittoassessthest
rengthsan
d
wea
knesseso
a
deve
lopmentproposa
l,sitep
lan,
ex
istin
gne
ighborhoo
d,
orevenazon
ingco
deorne
ighborhoo
dp
lan.Y
oucan
alsouse
itas
asource
orstan
dard
san
dthresho
ldsto
inc
lude
inp
lans,regu
lations,
designs,ortop
ic-s
pec
ifcpo
licye
orts,a
lthoug
hthe
LEE
D-N
DRating
System
itse
lcanpro
videa
dditiona
ldeta
ilorth
istask.I
your
interest
isinaspec
ifctop
ic(
s)likecyc
lingorwa
lkab
lestreets,o
riyouare
assess
ingapo
licy
do
cument
likeawatere
fc
iencyordinanceorparksan
drecreationp
lan,youcanuse
justthepartso
thechec
klistthat
relatetothattop
ic.P
leasenotethatth
isc
hec
klist
isasim
plifcationan
disnot
LEED
-NDitse
l,
whichrequ
iressop
histicate
dver
ifcationo
comp
liancew
ithstan
dardsan
dprov
idesamuc
hmorea
uthoritativeeva
luation.T
hisc
heckli
stisorgan
ize
dintothe
ollow
ingto
pics:
SmatLocationand
Linkage
n
Loca
tion
n
Ecosys
temsand
Open
Spaces
n
Con
tam
ina
tedSites
n
Trans
it-Accessib
leLoca
tions
n
Cyc
ling
Fac
ilities
n
Jo
bsan
dHousing
Prox
imity
Neighbo
hoodPattenandDesign
n
Wal
ka
bleStree
ts
n
Com
pac
tDeve
lopmen
t
n
Neig
hborhoo
dConnec
tions
n
Mixe
dUses
n
Aorda
blean
dDiverse
Hous
ing
n
Park
ingan
dTransporta
tion
Deman
d
n
Parksan
dRecrea
tion
n
Univ
ersa
lDes
ign
n
Com
mun
ity
Part
icipa
tion
n
Loca
lFoo
d
n
Scho
olAccessan
dDes
ign
GeenInfastuctueandBuild
ings
n
Cons
truc
tion
Tec
hn
iques
n
Energy
Efc
iencyan
dConse
rva
tion
n
Energy
Pro
duc
tionan
dDistribu
tion
n
Wa
ter
Efc
iencyan
dConserva
tion
n
Stormwa
teran
dWas
tewater
n
Green
Bu
ilding
Process
n
Historican
dEx
isting
Bu
ilding
Reuse
n
Hea
tIslan
ds
n
Recyc
lingan
dReuse
n
LightPo
llution
Somepeop
lemaywanttospen
d30m
inutesoran
hour
toqu
icklymovethroug
hthec
heck
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hennecessarytog
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llpark
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perormance.
Othersmaywanttospen
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ingsitecon
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nstogetamore
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daccurateassessment.
Ine
ithercase,
wereco
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kenotesasyoumovethroug
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larly
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ideas
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how
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improve
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Asanoptiona
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dstep,
youcanest
imateascoreun
derthe
LEED
-NDRating
System.
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PROJECTNAME:
______________________________
ADDRESS/LOCATION:_
_____________________________T
yPEOFPROJECT:
___________________
___________
STEP1:SstnleN
eooodDeelopmentCecklst
Step2:OptonlLEED-ND
SconEecse
TOPiC
DOESThEP
rOjECTDOThEOLLOwiNg?
YES
MaYb
E
NO
LEED-ND
POiNTS
POSSibLE
PrOjECT
YES
POiNTS
PrOj
ECT
MaYbE
POiN
TS
LEED-ND
SOurCE
CrEDiTOr
PrErEquiSiTE
SMarTLOCaTiONaNDLiNKagE(SLL)
LOCaTiON
Islocatedon
asitethatisnyotheollowing(onlonerequiredorscoring):
Required
Inll(75%surroundedbexistingdevelopment)
o
o
o
Well-connectedtoadjacentdevelopmentban
existingstreetnetwork
o
o
o
Well-servedbtransitorneighborhoodamenities
o
o
o
Islocatedon
asitethatisoneotheollowing(pickjustoneorscoring):
Credit1:Preerred
Locations
Inllandalsoapreviousldevelopedsite
o
o
o
5
Inllbutnotapreviousldevelopedsite
o
o
o
3
Ad
jacenttoexistingdevelopment,andalsoapreviousldevelopedsite
o
o
o
2
Apreviousldevelopedsite,b
utnotadjacentorinll
o
o
o
1
Issurrounded(withinmile)bawell-connectedexistingstreetnetwork.I
possible
,estimatetheexistingnumberointersectionspe
rsquaremilenearb(pick
justoneorscoring):
Credit1:Preerred
Locations
200to250intersectionspersquaremile
o
o
o
1
250to300intersectionspersquaremile
o
o
o
2
300to350intersectionspersquaremile
o
o
o
3
350to400intersectionspersquaremile
o
o
o
4
Morethan400intersectionspersquaremile
o
o
o
5
Islocatedinaneconomicalldistressedareawhilelsoproviding
aordableho
using.
o
o
o
3
Credit1:Preerred
Locations
ECOSYSTEMS
aNDOPEN
SPaCES
Doesnotbuildonhabitatwherespeciesarethreatened,endangered,o
rimperiled
ocreatesahabitatconservationplanundertheEndangeredSpeciesAct.
o
o
o
Required
Prereq2:Imperiled
Species
Doesnotbuildonwetlandsorwaterbodiesndleavesbuersoundevelopedland
aroundthem
oatleast50to100eet.
o
o
o
Required
Prereq3:Wetland/
WaterBod
Conservation
Doesnotbuildonprimeagriculturalland,nlesstheprojectisinll,transit-
served,o
rmakesuporsoillossbcreatingpermanentl
protectedsoileasements
elsewhere.
o
o
o
Required
Prereq4:
AgriculturalLand
Conservation
Prereq1:Smart
Location
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NEighbOrhOODPaTTErNaNDDESigN(NPD)
waLKabLE
STrEETS
Includesllo
theollowingatminimum:
Required
Prereq1:Walkable
Streets
Public-acingbuildingentries(ontoanpublicspaceexceptaparkinglot)
on9
0%obuildingrontage.
o
o
o
Aminimumbuilding-height-to-streetwidth-ratioo1to3(1ooto
buildingheightorever3eetostreetwidth)alongatleast15%ostreet
leng
th.
o
o
o
Side
walksalong90%ostreetlength(bothsidesothestreet).
o
o
o
Garagedoorsalongnomorethan20%ostreetlength.
o
o
o
Includessome
ollotheollowing(SeeRatingSstemorscoringthresholds):
1-12
Credit1:Walkable
Streets
Minimaldistancebetweenthesidewalkandmostbuildings,w
ithmixed-
use
andnonresidentialbuildingsparticularlclos
etothesidewalk.
o
o
o
Freq
uentbuildingentries(atleastever75eet).
o
o
o
Unshutteredwindowsalongthesidewalkornonresidentialbuildings.
o
o
o
Noblankwallsmorethan50eetalongsidewalks
.
o
o
o
Freq
uenton-streetparking(availablealongatleast70%ostreets).
o
o
o
Side
walksalong100%ostreetlength(bothsidesothestreet).
o
o
o
Elev
atedground-foorsoratleasthaloalldwe
llingunits(atleast24
inch
esabovesidewalkgrade).
o
o
o
Aminimumbuilding-height-to-streetwidth-ratioo1to3(1ooto
buildingheightorever3eetostreetwidth)along30%ostreetlength.
o
o
o
Low
designspeedsormoststreets(20mphorresidential,25mphor
non-residential).
o
o
o
Drivewacrossingsalongnomorethan10%os
idewalklength.
o
o
o
Lines60%os
treetlengthwithnon-invasivetrees(spaced
anaverageoatleast
ever40eetromtrunkcentertotrunkcenter).
o
o
o
1
Credit14:Tree-
LinedandShaded
Streets
Providesnoon-t
imeshadealongatleast40%osidewalks.
o
o
o
1
COMPaCT
DEvELOPMENT
Meetsminimumrequireddensities(Atleastsevendwellingunitsperacreor
residentialand
0.50foor-arearatioornon-residentialse
eRatingSstemor
calculationandscoringdetails).
o
o
o
Required
Prereq2:Compact
Development
Exceedsincrea
singdensitthresholds(Atleast10dwelling
unitsperacreor
residentialand
0.75foor-arearatioornon-residentialse
eRatingSstemor
calculationandscoringdetails).
o
o
o
1-6
Credit2:Compact
Development
TOPiC
DOESThEPrOjECTDOThEOLLOwiNg?
YES
MaYbE
NO
LEED-ND
POiNTS
POSSibLE
PrOjECT
YES
POiNTS
PrOj
ECT
MaYbE
POiN
TS
LEED-NDSOurCE
CrEDiTOr
PrErEquiSiTE
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NEighbOrhOOD
CONNECTiONS
Doeseteotheollowing(onlonerequiredorscoring):
Required
Prereq3:
Connected
Communit
Includesastreetorpathwaintotheprojectatleastever800eet,a
nd
has
atleast140intersectionspersquaremilewithintheproject(estimate
ipo
ssible).
o
o
o
O,onlitheprojecthasnointernalstreets:iss
urrounded(withinmile)
ba
nexistingstreetnetworkoatleast90intersectionspersquaremile
(estimateipossible).
o
o
o
Doesllothe
ollowing:
Credit6:Street
Network
Doesnotincludecul-de-sacs.
o
o
o
Includesastreetorpathwaintotheprojectatleastever400eet.
o
o
o
Has
highintersectionspersquaremilewithintheproject(pickstoneo
theollowingorscoringthiscredit):
300to400intersectionspersquaremile
o
o
o
1
Hasmorethan400intersectionspersquare
o
o
o
2
MixEDuSES
Enableswalkin
gaccess(withinmile)totheollowingnumberoexistingornew
landuses,c
lus
teredwithinneighborhoodcenters(pickjust
oneotheollowingor
scoringthiscredit):
Credit3:Mixed-
UseNeighborhood
Centers
4to
6uses
o
o
o
1
7to
10uses
o
o
o
2
11to18uses
o
o
o
3
Mor
ethan19uses
o
o
o
4
Usescanincludecommercialorcivicacilitiessuchasrestaurants,schools,
pharmacies,su
permarkets,t
heatres,parks,libraries,o
rsho
ps.
aOrDabLE
aNDDivErSE
hOuSiNg
Providesmultiplehousingtpesodierentsizes,suchaslargeandsmall
apartments,du
plexes,t
ownhomes,a
nd/orsingle-amilhomes.(
SeeRatingSstem
ordetailedho
usingdiversitthresholds).
o
o
o
1-3
Credit4:Mixed-
IncomeDiverse
Communities
Providesapercentageonewrentaland/oror-salehousingathighlevelso
aordabilit,availableoratleast15ears(SeeRatingSs
temordetailed
aordabilitth
resholds).
o
o
o
1-3
Providesbothhighlevelsoaordabilitandmultiplehousingtpesodierentsizes.
o
o
o
1
TOPiC
DOESThEPrOjECTDOThEOLLOwiNg?
YES
MaYbE
NO
LEED-ND
POiNTS
POSSibLE
PrOjECT
YES
POiNTS
PrOj
ECT
MaYbE
POiN
TS
LEED-NDSOurCE
CrEDiTOr
PrErEquiSiTE
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LOCaLOOD
Providesot
otheollowing:
1
Credit13:Local
FoodProduction
Perm
anentlsetasidegardeningspace,reelocalproduceshares(rom
with
in150miles)orresidents,orproximittoaarmersmarket(on-siteor
with
inmilewalkdistance).
o
o
o
Allowsgrowingoproduce,includinginardsor
onbalconies,patios,o
r
rootops.
o
o
o
SChOOL
aCCESSaND
DESigN
Achievesot
otheollowing:
1
Credit15:
Neighborhood
Schools
Islo
catedwithinwalkingdistanceoaschool(
mileorelementarand
middleschools;1mileorhighschools).
o
o
o
New
schoolcampusesincludedintheprojectarenolargerthan5acres
(elementar),10acres(middleschools),o
r15acres(highschools).
o
o
o
44Ponts
Possle
_______
____
___
NPDSub-
TOTaLS
grEENiNraSTruCTurEa
NDbuiLDiNgS(gib)
CONSTruCTiON
TEChNiquES
Createsandimplementsanerosionandsedimentationcon
trolplanorconstruction
activities,red
ucingsoilerosionanddownstreampollution.
o
o
o
Required
Prereq4:
Construction
Pollution
Prevention
Doesoto
theollowing:
1
Credit7:Minimized
SiteDisturbance
inDesignand
Construction
Preservesallheritagetreesandmostothernoninvasivetrees,especiall
largerones.
o
o
o
Preservesaproportionopreviouslundevelope
dland(10%to20%)on
the
projectsite.
o
o
o
ENErgY
EiCiENCY
aND
CONSErvaTiON
Ninetpercen
tobuildingsquareootagemeetsminimum
energecienc
requirements.(
Minimum10%improvementoverASHRAE90
.1seeRatingSstem
ordetails).
o
o
o
Required
Prereq2:Minimum
BuildingEnerg
Ecienc
Ninetpercen
tobuildingsquareootageexceedsincreasingthresholdsorenerg
ecienc.(Minimum18%improvementoverASHRAE90.1
and/or75HERSScore
seeRatingSstemordetailsandincreasingthresholds).
o
o
o
1-2
Credit2:Building
EnergEcienc
Orients75%obuildingsordenseblockslength-w
isealongeast-westaxes(within
15degrees)tomaximizepassiveandactivesolaraccess.
o
o
o
1
Credit10:Solar
Orientation
TOPiC
DOESThEPrOjECTDOThEOLLOwiNg?
YES
MaYbE
NO
LEED-ND
POiNTS
POSSibLE
PrOjECT
YES
POiNTS
PrOj
ECT
MaYbE
POiN
TS
LEED-NDSOurCE
CrEDiTOr
PrErEquiSiTE
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TOPiC
DOESThEPr
OjECTDOThEOLLOwiNg?
YES
MaYbE
NO
LEED-ND
POiNTS
POSSibLE
PrOjECT
YES
POiNTS
PrOj
ECT
MaYbE
POiN
TS
LEED-NDSOurCE
CrEDiTOr
PrErEquiSiTE
ENErgY
PrODuCTiON
aND
DiSTribuTiON
Generatesren
ewableenergon-s
ite,providingtheollowingpercentageothe
projectsannu
alelectricalthermalandenergcost(pickjustoneorscoring):
Credit11:On-Site
RenewableEnerg
Sources
5%
o
o
o
1
12.5%
o
o
o
2
20%
o
o
o
3
Providesatleast80%obuildingheatingandcoolingthroughashared
neighborhood-w
idesstem.
o
o
o
2
Credit12:District
Heating/Cooling
Providesenerg-e
cientnewneighborhoodinrastructure
suchastraclights,
streetlights,andwaterandwastewaterpumps(15%minimumimprovementovera
conventionalmodel).
o
o
o
1
Credit13:
Inrastructure
EnergEcienc
waTEr
EiCiENCY
aND
CONSErvaTiON
Meetsminimumrequirementsorwatereciencinbuildings(atleast20%
reductionoverabaseline-seeRatingSstemordetails).
o
o
o
Required
Prereq3:Minimum
BuildingWater
Ecienc
Exceedsincreasedthresholdorwatereciencinbuildings(atleast40%reduction
overbaselineseeRatingSstemordetails).
o
o
o
1
Credit3:Building
WaterEcienc
Reduceswate
rconsumptionoroutdoorlandscaping(atleast50%reductionover
baseline).
o
o
o
1
Credit4:
Water-E
cient
Landscaping
STOrMwaTEr
aND
waSTEwaTEr
Isabletoreta
inandtreatallstormwateron-s
iteromtheollowingsizeso
rainstorm(pickjustoneorscoring):
Credit8:
Stormwater
Management
80thpercentilerainstorm(morerainthan80%ostormsorthepast
20-40ears)
o
o
o
1
85thpercentilerainstorm
o
o
o
2
90thpercentilerainstorm
o
o
o
3
95thpercentilerainstorm
o
o
o
4
Treatsandreu
seswastewateron-s
ite(pickjustoneothe
ollowingorscoring):
Credit14:
Wastewater
Management
25%
owastewaterreused
o
o
o
1
50%
owastewaterreused
o
o
o
2
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TOPiC
DOESThEPr
OjECTDOThEOLLOwiNg?
YES
MaYbE
NO
LEED-ND
POiNTS
POSSibLE
PrOjECT
YES
POiNTS
PrOj
ECT
MaYbE
POiN
TS
LEED-NDSOurCE
CrEDiTOr
PrErEquiSiTE
grEEN
buiLDiNg
PrOCESS
UsesLEEDor
asimilargreenbuildingratingsstemtocertiatleastoneproject
building.
o
o
o
Required
Prereq1:Certied
GreenBuilding
UsesLEEDor
asimilargreenbuildingratingsstemtocertitheollowing
percentageso
theprojectsbuildingsquareootage(pickjustoneorscoring):
Credit1:Certied
GreenBuildings
Atleast10%
o
o
o
1
Atleast20%
o
o
o
2
Atleast30%
o
o
o
3
Atleast40%
o
o
o
4
Atleast50%
o
o
o
5
hiSTOriC
aNDExiSTiNg
buiLDiNg
rEuSE
Reusesandre
storesatleast20%otheexistingbuildingstock.
o
o
o
1
Credit5:Existing
BuildingUse
Includesahistoricbuilding(s),a
ndrehabilitatesinecessar.
o
o
o
1
Credit6:Historic
Resource
Preservation/Reuse
hEaT
iSLaNDS
Usesoneotheollowingstrategiesocomnton
otetotorefect
insteadoabsorbsolarheat:
1
Credit9:Heat
IslandReduction
Solar-refectiveroos(usualllight-colored)orvegetatedroos.
o
o
o
Shade,open-gridperviouspaving,o
rsolar-refectivepavingoratleast
50%
oroads,sidewalks
,parkingareas,andoth
erhardscape.
o
o
o
rEuSE
aND
rECYCLiNg
Usesreccled
contentinatleast50%othetotalmasso
publicinrastructure
materialssuchaspaving,r
oadbase,a
ndwater/sewerpiping.
o
o
o
1
Credit15:Reccled
Contentin
Inrastructure
Providestle
stootheollowingve:
1
Credit16:
SolidWaste
Management
Inrastructure
Recclingservicesorresidents
o
o
o
Hazardouswastedisposalservicesorresidents
o
o
o
Compostingservicesorresidents
o
o
o
Recclingreceptaclesonevermixed-useornonresidentialblock
o
o
o
Recclingorsalvagingoatleast50%oconstructionwaste
o
o
o
LighT
POLLuTiON
Providesot
otheollowing:
1
Credit17:Light
PollutionReduction
Mo
tionsensorsinsharedareas(publiclorpr
ivatelowned)toreduce
ligh
tingwhenunoccupiedandduringdalighthours.
o
o
o
Lim
itslighttrespasstosurroundingareasbd
irectingexteriorlighting
dow
nwardandreducingitsbrightness,e
speciallinruralareasand
residentialormixeduseneighborhoods.
o
o
o
2 9 P o n t s
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TOPiC
DOESThEPr
OjECTDOThEOLLOwiNg?
YES
MaYb
E
NO
PrOjECT
YES
POiNTS
PrOj
ECT
MaYbE
POiN
TS
LEED-NDSOurCE
CrEDiTOr
PrErEquiSiTE
iNNOvaTiONaNDDESigNPrOCESS(iD)
iNNOvaTiON
aND
ExEMPLarY
PErOrMaNCE
Exhibitsexem
plarenvironmentalperormanceinareasno
taddressedb
,orgreatl
exceeding,theLEED-N
Dratingsstem.W
riteinbelow(orscoring,adduptove):
Credit1:Innovation
andExemplar
Perormance
1.
o
o
o
1
2.
o
o
o
1
3.
o
o
o
1
4.
o
o
o
1
5.
o
o
o
1
Emplosapro
jectteammembercredentialedasaLEEDAccreditedProessional,i
n
smartgrowth
btheNaturalResourcesDeenseCouncilandSmartGrowthAmerica,
orinnewurbanismbtheCongressortheNewUrbanism
.
o
o
o
1
Credit2:LEED
Accredited
Proessional
6Ponts
Possle
_______
____
___
iDSub-TOTaLS
rEgiONaLPriOriTYCrEDiT(rP)
rEgiONaL
PriOriTY
Addressesgeographicall-specicenvironmental,socialequit,orpublichealth
priorities.W
riteinbelow(orscoring,addonepointperstrateguseduptoour,
evenithestrategisalreadaddressedinLEED-N
D.A
co
mpletelistoRegional
PrioritCreditsisavailableromU
.S.G
reenBuildingCouncil):
Credit1:Regional
PrioritCredit
1.
o
o
o
1
2.
o
o
o
1
3.
o
o
o
1
4.
o
o
o
14Ponts
Possle
_______
____
___
rPSub-TOTaLS
110POiNTSPOSSibLE
TOTaL
_______
____
___
PrOjECT
TOTaLS
(Cetfcton
Estmtes)
Cetfed: 4 0- 4
9 p o i n t s
S
le: 5 0- 5
9 p o i n t s
gold: 6 0- 7
9 p o i n t s
Pltnm: 8 0 + p o i n t s
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Credit10
SolarOrientation
1
Increasepassiveandsolaraccessborientingbuildingsordenseblockstomaximizenorth-andsouth-
acingexposure.
Credit11
On-SiteRenewableEnergSources
1-3
Generaterenewableenergon-s
ite.
Credit12
DistrictHeatingandCooling
2
Providebuildingheatingandcoolingthroughasharedneighborhood-w
idesstem.
Credit13
InrastructureEnergE
cienc
1
Provideenerg-e
cientneighborhood
inrastructure.
Credit14
WastewaterManagem
ent
1-2
Reusetreatedwastewater.
Credit15
ReccledContentinInrastructure
1
Usereccledcontentinneighborhood
inrastructure.
Credit16
SolidWasteManagem
entInrastructure
1
Provideneighborhoodcomposting,reccling,andhazardouswastecollection.
Credit17
LightPollutionReduction
1
Limitexteriorilluminationanddirectitdownward.
innotonndDesnPocess
6PontsPossle
Credit1
InnovationandExemplarPerormance
1-5
ExhibitexemplarenvironmentalperormanceinareasnotaddressedbtheLEED-N
Dratingsstem.
Credit2
LEEDAccreditedProessional
1
Haveateammemberthatis:aLEEDA
ccreditedProessional,a
ndcredentialedins
martgrowthbthe
NaturalResourcesDeenseCouncila
ndSmartGrowthAmerica,orcredentialedinnewurbanismb
theCongressortheNewUrbanism.
reonlPotyCedt
4PontsPossle
Credit1
RegionalPrioritCredit
1-4
Addressgeographicallspecicenvironmental,socialequit,o
rpublichealthpriorities.
PoectTotls(Cetfctonestmtes)
110Ponts
Possle
Cetfed:40-4
9points
Sle:50-5
9points
gold:60-7
9points
P
ltnm:80+points
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A Citizens Guide to LEED or Neighborhood Development
LEED AND LEED-ND BASICS
LEED, an acronym or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a amily o green buildingrating systems developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED provides vericationo high environmental perormance in building and neighborhood design and construction. Since the rst
LEED pilot program in 1998, LEED has become the most widely-used green building certication system inthe United States. As o the beginning o 2011, there were more than 7,000 LEED-certied projects in theUnited States and around the world, with approximately 23,000 more registered or uture certication. 4Planning to construct a similar verication system or neighborhood location and design began in 2003and, ater a pilot program, LEED-ND was ully launched in 2010.
DIErENT LEED rATING SYSTEMS
Since LEEDs rst launch, USGBC has developed multiple LEED rating systems targeted towards specic typeso development. The LEED amily o rating systems now includes rating systems or New Construction,Schools, Building Core and Shell, Commercial Interiors, Existing Buildings, Homes, and NeighborhoodDevelopment. USGBC expects to launch LEED rating systems or Healthcare, Retail, and Retail Interiorsin 2011. Though topics and requirements o dierent LEED rating systems sometimes overlap, they are
designed to apply to the specic technological issues and building requirements o dierent developmenttypes.
PrErEqUISITES AND CrEDITS
All LEED rating systems contain a combination o required prerequisites and optional credits. Since 2009,all LEED rating systemsincluding LEED or Neighborhood Developmentevaluate projects based on a100-point base scale (not including up to 10 special innovation and regional priority bonus points,explained in the Rating System). Projects seeking certication must meet all prerequisites and earn at least40 points by achieving various credits. Beyond basic certication, projects may achieve Silver (50 points),Gold (60 points), or Platinum (80+ points) certication or increasingly high perormance.
LEED-ND Certification Levels
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A Citizens Guide to LEED or Neighborhood Development
WHATS UNIqUE ABOUT LEED-ND?
LEED or Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) promotes best practices in location, design anddevelopment at the neighborhood scale. It is the rst LEED rating system to ocus beyond the building leveland evaluate whole neighborhoodsor multi-building projects that contribute to neighborhoodsandprioritize criteria such as site location, urban design, transportation, housing aordability, walkability,
socio-economics, and neighborhood-wide green inrastructure, in addition to green buildings.
LEED-ND CErTIICATION PrOCESSThe LEED-ND rating system is applicable to a broad variety o advocacy eorts and community projects.For some o these applications, LEED-ND certication is possible and desirable, while or others it is not.Certied projects can vary widely by project size and type, but certication is most appropriate or projectssmaller than 320 acres and larger than one building, being developed by a single developer or coordinateddevelopment group, and being constructed within a predictable timerame.
For all LEED rating systems except LEED-ND, certication occurs ater a project is ully constructed.However, due to the long time rame o large-scale planning and development projects, the LEED-ND RatingSystem has developed a three-stage certication process. This allows projects to be recognized by USGBC asthey move through the planning, entitlement, and construction process, and to receive eedback throughoutthe project development process. USGBCs three stages o LEED-ND certi