LEED-ND Certification Expanded

Implementing LEED-ND may raise a series of legal issues, because the rating system operates at a scale that has traditionally been governed by zoning laws and municipal comprehensive plans. The USGBC warns that LEED-ND should not be used a substitute for comprehensive planning, but project applicants and municipalities should be aware that implementing LEED-ND may itself trigger the need for revisions to a municipal plan or zoning code.

The U.S. Green Building Council (''USGBC'') recently released a certification system for green neighborhood development, known as LEED-ND [1]. LEED-ND expands the well-known LEED system for green buildings to larger-scale projects ranging in size from two buildings to multiple buildings on sites up to 320 acres. The system incorporates the principles of new urbanism, emphasizing mixed-use planning and walkable neighborhoods, and was developed in concert with the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Congress of the New Urbanism. While LEED-ND is primarily designed for neighborhood-scale projects, it may also apply to campus-style developments, such as university campuses, military bases, resort developments, religious retreat centers or summer camps.

Some notable features of the LEED-ND system include: Each project must have at least one certified green building; A project's site must be contiguous property, but may include ''conclaves of non-conforming properties'' that may be exempt from LEED-ND requirements; Project sponsors should have control over or title to 50 percent or more of the project land area.

Projects are evaluated based on a number of prerequisites and credits earned by incorporating design elements which are grouped by category, including: Smart location and linkage - relates to transportation, location, and land preservation; Neighborhood pattern & design - relates to community character, mix of uses, and walkability; Green infrastructure and buildings - examines building design and construction with regard to energy and water use, and sustainable best practices; Innovation and design process - grants credits for ''exemplary and innovative'' performance, beyond existing credit structures; Regional priority - allows credits unique to a project?EUR??,,????'?????<