Following previous work co-writing U.S. Green Building Council’s Pilot and LEED versions for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) Reference Guide, Raimi + Associates co-wrote the LEED version 4 Reference Guide sections for all LEED Location and Planning credits.

The new Location and Planning (LP) section of LEED is cross-cutting, including not only LEED-ND but credits in LEED-NC, LEED-EBOM, LEED for Schools, and LEED for Healthcare. This includes key concepts such as walking distance, smart development locations, transit access, connectivity, bicycle facilities, district-scale utilities and stormwater strategies, and urban design for walkable streets. Raimi + Associates’ team was tasked with providing step-by-step implementation guidance, resources, and best practices tips for a total of 37 different LEED credits and prerequisites, relying on R+A’s technical expertise and project experience implementing district-scale sustainability for projects across the country.

The work brought together R+A’s leadership over the past decade in helping USGBC develop, test, and refine LEED-ND. Through the combination of technical assistance, education, and real-world testing on projects, R+A has continued to influence the future of the LEED rating system with staff person Aaron Welch’s role as chair of the national Location + Planning Technical Advisory Committee from 2016-2018.