LEEDing the Neighborhood

With its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
standards, the US Green Building Council (USGBC) brought
sustainable building out of the realm of hippydom and into the
terrain of architects and designers hoping to make environmentally
sound commercial construction the norm, not the exception.

Now, the USGBC is trying to expand its reach to neighborhoods.
Along with the Congress for the New Urbanism and the Natural
Resources Defense Council, the USGBC aims to fill the current
certification void with standards aligned with ‘smart growth,
urbanism, and green building,’ according to the groups’ recently
released
draft
rating system.

As early as 2007, it could be possible to certify entire
neighborhoods under LEED for Neighborhood Developments (LEED-ND)
standards. The USGBC will launch a pilot rating system in 2006.
Assuming the LEED-ND standards pass the requisite vote in 2007, US
residents will have the possibility to certify neighborhoods that
address environmental concerns such as energy efficiency, wetland
preservation, and heat island reduction,
Jamais
Cascio writes in Worldchanging.

Go there >>
LEED
for Neighborhood Developments

Go there too >>
Sustainable
Neighborhood Design

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