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LEED-ND to Rate ''location efficiency''07-14-10 | News

LEED-ND to Rate ''location efficiency''

At the Congress for New Urbanism, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it will use LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) to rate the ''location efficiency'' of community projects applying for its upcoming sustainable community planning grants.

In the 2010 Budget, Congress provided $150 million to HUD for the Sustainable Communities Initiative, which aims to improve regional planning efforts, integrate housing and transportation decisions and increase the capacity to improve land use and zoning. Of that $150 million, approximately $100 million will be available for regional integrated planning initiatives through HUD?EUR??,,????'?????<

After a long pilot phase, the LEED-ND (Neighborhood Development) rating system is touted as a benchmark for green community development. LEED-ND, a collaboration of the USGBC, Congress for the New Urbanism and the Natural Resources Defense Council, will be used to rate the ?EUR??,,????'?????<

The focus of LEED-ND is basically the opposite of what is picture in the above photo. It integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the first national system for neighborhood design. LEED certification provides ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, said LEED-ND can be used to ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Sustainable communities provide more affordable transportation and housing, expenses that consume more than 50 percent of the average American's household budget. HUD Secretary Donovan added that the U.S. housing crisis could be alleviated by improved access to all forms of transportation.