Championed for over a decade, the LEED certification program has given notoriety to many newly constructed 'green' buildings, but new measures are helping us measure sustainability at the community scale, writes Kaid Benfield.
Since 1998, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) has provided planners, architects and citizens alike with an easy to understand scale to measure the sustainability of a newly constructed building. And their LEED-ND tool, which was developed with the help of Benfield's colleagues at the NRDC, is intended, "to do for multi-building, neighborhood-scale projects and for smart growth what the LEED systems had already done for individual green buildings."
Several new initiatives, however, have Benfield excited about the possibilities of measuring sustainability at a larger scale. Explained by Benfield, Rockford, Illinois and the State of New Jersey are developing their own system of indicators to measure their respective sustainability efforts. Rockford's Vital Signs initiative, "is designed as a system in which measurements are taken at multiple times throughout the 20-year planning horizon, in order to indicate progress and determine whether adjustments in strategy are necessary." Using indicators in 16 core categories, the tracking system is impressively extensive.
The other program described by Benfield, Sustainable Jersey, "includes a point-based rating system similar to those used in LEED, but at a community-wide scale approaching that of the Rockford initiative. Unlike either of those programs, however, Sustainable Jersey does not employ precise measurements to determine performance achievement but is aimed at a more conceptual and programmatic level."
FULL STORY: Measuring community sustainability: how do we know if we're on the right path?

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.
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