LEED for Neighborhood Development + LEED LT Credits

 

Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program

U.S. Environmental Protection

Raimi and Associates – along with Farr Associates, the Agora Group, and the U.S. Green Building Council – is part of a team of national experts working with the non-profit Global Green to offer no-cost sustainable neighborhood design technical assistance to communities across the United States. The technical assistance program is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Sustainable Communities, under the Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program.

Each of the team’s three-day site visits around the country during 2012 will explicitly use the framework of LEED for Neighborhood Development, following on similar work R+A and Agora have done for existing neighborhoods in Syracuse, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia. For each site visit, R+A and the team will use LEED-ND to identify a neighborhood’s positive qualities, consult with community stakeholders in meetings and public workshops, and identify major opportunities to improve neighborhood health, livability, and sustainability performance.

Raimi + Associates’ 2012 assignments include visits to The 40 Arts District in Lakewood (CO) to advise on transit-oriented, mixed use, arts-supportive development around Denver’s new West Corridor Light Rail Line; to Lafayette (IN) to assist with a Transit-Oriented Development Plan in coordination with the Historic Centennial Neighborhood Plan; and to Oakland (CA) to contribute to ongoing infill development, urban design improvements, and neighborhood stabilization. The Oakland work will leverage R+A’s recent completion of the International Boulevard TOD Plan for the City of Oakland and Aaron Welch’s role as Neighborhoods Co-Chair for USGBC-NCC.

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LEED Reference Guide: 2012, 2009, and LEED-ND Pilot

U.S. Green Building Council, Washington D.C.

Following its work on the LEED for Neighborhood Development Pilot Reference Guide, Raimi + Associates wrote many portions of the LEED Reference Guide for Green Neighborhood Development, 2009 edition. The Reference Guide, published by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as the official guide to using LEED for Neighborhood Development, outlines best practices for documentation and on-the-ground implementation of various credits found in the LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system. Raimi + Associates' work focused on a variety of credit topics including  walkable streets, connectivity, bicycle network and storage, compact development, mixed-use neighborhood centers, transportation demand management, reducing parking footprints, existing and historic building reuse, brownfield redevelopment, and others. USGBC launched the public version of the LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System and Reference Guide in April 2010.

Raimi + Associates will be working with Criterion Planners, the Agora Group, and the U.S. Green Building Building Council throughout the spring and summer of 2012 to write the "Location and Transportation" section of the LEED 2012 Reference Guide. This will include describing implementation best practices, necessary calculations, credit concepts, and example case studies for around 40 credits from LEED-ND, LEED-NC, and the other LEED Rating Systems.

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Nashville LEED-ND Project Certification

Nashville, Tennessee

Raimi + Associates is directing LEED for Neighborhood Development implementation for a confidential 20 acre infill development project in Nashville, TN. The project will feature high-performing green buildings and infrastructure, an excellent previously developed location, walking access to nearby parks and businesses, and a walkable urban environment that will be a destination for the surrounding neighborhood. Early in the conceptual design phase, Raimi + Associates conducted a multi-day LEED-ND design charrette with the project architect, landscape architect, civil engineer, and developer to assess initial design ideas, revise project plans, and establish basic design parameters as the project moved forward. This work, as an integrated member of the project design team, resulted in a LEED-ND credit plan for Stage 2 submittal and certification. This, in turn, guided Raimi + Associates’ subsequent work completing all mapping, data collection, and other LEED-ND documentation in coordination with the project team. The project’s designation as a LEED-ND Certified Plan by the U.S. Green Building Council is expected in late 2011 before project construction begins in 2012. As the project continues to develop, Raimi + Associates frequently advises the project developer on LEED-ND implications for assorted design and program decisions.

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Mapleton-Fall Creek: LEED-ND Existing Neighborhood Implementation

Indianapolis, Indiana

Raimi + Associates conducted a 4-day LEED-ND design charrette for an existing, redeveloping neighborhood in inner Indianapolis, Indiana. The project was funded by the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) with support from the U.S. Green Building Council. It was a pilot collaboration between LISC and NRDC, providing a model for similar green community development work throughout the country. The Mapleton-Fall Creek neighborhood is the site of a focused redevelopment and retrofit effort by the Mapleton-Falls Creek Community Development Corporation (MFCDC), with the intention of preserving the neighborhood fabric while making targeted improvements to walkability, equity, green infrastructure, and neighborhood amenities. The work conducted by Raimi + Associates and Agora focused on assessing the existing neighborhood with LEED-ND, creating policy recommendations for the neighborhood, and generating a credit-by-credit guide for how the neighborhood could achieve LEED-ND certification. It also included proposed revisions to MFCDC building specifications for energy efficiency, water efficiency, and erosion and sedimentation control in order to meet LEED-ND prerequisites. A key focus of the event was local capacity building, and the final presentation of charrette results drew over 50 attendees from throughout Indianapolis, the neighborhood, and the region – many of whom had participated over the course of the charrette. The project continues Raimi + Associates’ commitment to expanding LEED-ND’s application in existing neighborhood planning, retrofit, and development.

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A Citizen's Guide to LEED-ND

Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, D.C.


Raimi + Associates is writing a Citizen's Guide to LEED-ND for use by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), its members, and citizens and organizations interested in creative uses of LEED-ND at the local level. NRDC has long had an active interest in smart growth and sustainable development, and was one of three organizations, along with U.S. Green Building Council and the Congress for New Urbanism, to develop LEED-ND. The purpose of the Citizen's Guide to LEED-ND is to provide the "go-to" introduction to LEED-ND for a wide general audience. It is also to empower advocates to use LEED-ND in creative ways, such as guiding advocacy for or against specific development projects; assessing existing neighborhoods; informing neighborhood plans and zoning codes; and using LEED-ND as a required or incentivized standard. Read more here.

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9th & Berks LEED-ND Implementation

Philadelphia, PA

 

9th and Berks is a mixed-use development that will replace a 1.9 acre parking lot directly adjacent to the Temple University Regional Rail Station, one of Philadelphia’s most highly trafficked transit stations. It will include affordable and market-rate housing, innovative green building techniques, health services, and retail space to serve the surrounding neighborhood. The project is being jointly developed by New York City’s Jonathan Rose Company and Asociaciòn Puertoriquenos en Marcha, a community development and service non-profit with a long track record of success in the surrounding neighborhood. In coordination with Jessica Millman of the Agora Group, Raimi + Associates led a multi-day design charrette to assess current project designs, create a credit-by-credit work plan for LEED-ND Stage 2 Gold certification, and build LEED-ND capacity with local experts. The charrette, attended by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) staff and representatives from the City of Philadelphia’s Planning Commission and Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, was funded in part by USGBC’s Affordable Green Neighborhood Grant Program.

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Station Park Green LEED-ND Implementation

San Mateo, CA for EBL&S Development, LLC

Raimi + Associates was the LEED-ND consultant for the Station Park Green mixed-use development in San Mateo, California. Station Park Green was one of the first projects to successfully complete a stage of certification in the LEED-ND pilot program, achieving a stage 1 "Gold" certification. Raimi + Associates used its in-depth knowledge of the LEED-ND rating system to collaborate with the project team of architects, engineers, urban designers and developers and successfully complete, review and submit the LEED-ND pilot application in a limited amount of time. Station Park Green is also a conditionally certified GreenTRIP project as a result of its innovative parking reduction and transportation demand strategies.

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The Syracuse SALT District: LEED-ND in an Existing Neighborhood

Syracuse Center of Excellence at Syracuse University

Raimi + Associates coordinated an innovative application of LEED for Neighborhood Development in the 156-acre SALT District of Syracuse, New York, achieving Stage 1 Gold certification. The project is one of the only certified LEED-ND projects in the country to create a plan for retrofit of an existing neighborhood. The historic neighborhood’s traditional neighborhood form includes a location within walking distance of downtown Syracuse, a neighborhood park and school, a high number of jobs and neighborhood-retail services, and a diverse mix of housing types. However, decades of underinvestment had led to high vacancy rates, a run-down building stock, and disproportionate socio-economic challenges such as high poverty and unemployment rates. The neighborhood is also cut off from downtown by a freeway off-ramp and elevated railroad tracks. In response to these issues, the neighborhood is undergoing major improvement efforts by a broad coalition including the Syracuse Center of Excellence (CoE) at Syracuse University, the City of Syracuse, Home HeadQuarters affordable housing developers, arts organizations, and neighbors. Raimi + Associates used LEED-ND to assess the existing neighborhood, identify strengths and weaknesses, and generate a redevelopment plan for the neighborhood based on LEED-ND. The process developed by Raimi + Associates is a model for how existing neighborhoods across can use LEED-ND to guide redevelopment and enhance sustainability. Read more here.

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LEED-ND Pilot Project Review

U.S. Green Building Council, as a subconsultant to Criterion Planners

Throughout 2008 and 2009, Raimi + Associates was part of a team of consultants reviewing project applications submitted for certification under the LEED-ND pilot rating system (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Neighborhood Development). LEED-ND was developed through a partnership of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Natural Resources Defense Council in an effort to encourage more complete and sustainable neighborhoods. It is similar to other members of the LEED family of rating systems, but expands its focus to the public realm, establishing standards for efficient land use, neighborhood connectivity and accessibility, a quality walking and cycling environment, and resource efficiency. Nearly 250 projects registered for the LEED-ND pilot program, and Raimi + Associates reviewed the detailed and technical documentation submitted to (USGBC) by pilot projects pursuing certification, determining if the projects met credit requirements. Part of this effort involved testing and refining the requirements and structure of the rating system and providing feedback to USGBC.

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LEED-ND 300-level Training Curriculum Development

U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C.

Contracting with the U.S. Green Building Council, Raimi and Associates worked with Criterion Planners (Portland, OR) and Global Green (Santa Monica, CA) to develop a day-long 300-level LEED-ND training curriculum. The course is targeted towards professionals with previous LEED-ND experience, and focuses on advanced concepts in LEED-ND implementation. This includes clarifying unique aspects of the Rating System, defining key decision points during the neighborhood planning process, and presenting a sample project site for analysis and preliminary design according to LEED-ND criteria. The course premiered in early 2010 and is currently being used by the U.S. Green Building Council at conferences and events across the country. Raimi + Associates is one of a small number of LEED Faculty used by U.S. Green Building Council to teach 300-level sessions.

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Hercules Bayfront LEED-ND

Hercules, CA for Anderson Pacific, LLC

As the LEED-ND consultant for Hercules Bayfront, a 42-acre former dynamite factory being redeveloped as a mixed-use, transit-oriented neighborhood, Raimi + Associates guided the project's successful Stage 1 "Gold" LEED-ND certification. The project will comprise approximately 1,400 residential units and up to 339,000 square feet of non-residential space and will feature a first-of-its- kind intermodal transit hub with ferry, train, and bus service; remediated wetlands and open space; water and energy efficiency; and walkable streets that integrate public plazas and paseos. Raimi + Associates completed or managed all necessary documentation on behalf of the developer; coordinated the efforts of multiple sub-consultants including engineers, biologists, architects, and urban designers; and represented Anderson Pacific to the Green Building Certification Institute during all portions of the certification process.

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LEED-ND Pilot Rating System Development Support

U.S. Green Building Council

Raimi + Associates led a team of consultants to draft the pilot Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Neighborhood Development (or LEED-ND) rating system. During the initial phase of work on the pilot project, Raimi + Associates reviewed over 4,000 public comments on the draft pilot rating system and assisted U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) staff with extensive revisions to the system. Raimi + Associates also assisted USGBC staff in developing a pilot reference guide to test the rating system and guide projects in their application of LEED-ND.
 

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LEED-ND Public Health Study

U.S. Green Building Council*

Matt Raimi and Sarah Patrick prepared a detailed study of the relationship between public health outcomes and the built environment. The report focuses on five key public health topics – respiratory and cardiovascular health, fatal and non-fatal injuries, physical activity, social capital and mental health – among the general population. It also looks at the impact of each of these five areas on special populations including children, the elderly and people of color. The report presents a comprehensive picture of which elements of the built environment have the greatest positive impact on these public health outcomes. The study was the first to not only summarize the impact of the built environment on public health topics but also to recommend positive changes to the built environment based on public health. The findings of the study supported development of LEED for Neighborhood Development, the U.S. Green Building Council's most recent rating system.

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LEED-ND Accredited Professional test writer

U.S. Green Building Council*

R+A participated with a team at U.S. Green Building Council headquarters in Washington, D.C. to create the test for those seeking to become LEED Accredited Professionals (AP) with a specialization in LEED for Neighborhood Development. R+A wrote and reviewed questions for the test, focusing on LEED-ND rating system content, process, and implementation. After initial beta testing, the LEED-ND AP test was released in summer of 2010.
 

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