LEED-ND Public Health Criteria Study and LEED-ND Rating System Development Support

US Green Building Council (USGBC)

DC&E has served as a primary consultant to the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and its partners, the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in developing the new LEED-ND (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – Neighborhood Development) certification system for entire neighborhoods, which will be similar to the existing LEED Green Building Rating System® for individual buildings.  Work included research on the linkages between the built environment and on-the-ground public health outcomes, focusing on how neighborhood design can improve public health by encouraging walking and bicycling, enhancing pedestrian and bicycle safety, decreasing air pollution and enhancing public spaces to improve security.  DC&E’s research served as a basis for setting standards and thresholds for the LEED-ND system.  In addition, DC&E supported USGBC and its partners during the public review of the draft rating system by summarizing and responding to public comments, working with a 15-member committee to finalize the rating system, and developing a reference guide that can be used to pilot test the product.