Neighborhood Development Resources

USGBC is committed to facilitating the development and retrofit of neighborhoods that integrate the combined principles of smart locations, neighborhood design, and green infrastructure and building. Among the many stakeholders are developers, owners, community members, architects, and local governments. From retrofitted existing neighborhoods to new green walkable and mixed-use developments, sustainable neighborhoods due to their location, design, and performance have the ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from both the building and transportation sectors.

Here you will find resources that represent opportunities to educate yourself and others about the benefits of green neighborhood development and integrate these principles into your project, whether it is 3 acres or 300 acres. These resources will provide an introduction to the LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system, as well as a presentation on LEED for Neighborhood Development and case studies on LEED for Neighborhood Development certified projects. In addition, there are resources for local governments with guidance on how to best incentivize LEED for Neighborhood Development. We are striving to create and share additional resources to best serve your needs so please let us know of other ways we can help.


Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program

Applications now accepted! With generous support from the Bank of America Foundation, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is pleased to offer a grant program that recognizes affordable housing developers who are committed to building sustainable communities. The Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program will award grants and provide educational resources to affordable housing developers and related public agencies who choose to pursue LEED 2009 for Neighborhood Development certification. For more information and to apply, visit the Affordable Green Neighborhoods website.

LEED for Neighborhood Development Registration Is Now Open!

Project teams are now able to register their projects in LEED Online and download forms for the Smart Location & Linkage (SLL) Prerequisite Review. This new feature will enable projects to assess their location against the SLL prerequisites before paying for a full certification.  Full certification will be added in late 2010 and project teams will be notified as soon as more information is available. For additional details and fee information, please visit the GBCI website.


LEED-ND Local Government Guide
  • Just Released - A Local Government Guide to LEED for Neighborhood Development
    Check out our recently updated white paper for local governments!
  • Upcoming Workshops!
    Check under our Workshops & Webinars section for more information!
  • Neighborhood Development Update (New! - Third Issue)
    Sign up to receive the Neighborhood Development Update.
  • Now Available - LEED for Neighborhood Development Reference Guide


    LEED for Neighborhood Development Reference Guide
    LEED for Neighborhood Development Reference Guide

    Order your copy today!

    » **Upcoming Events**
    LEED-ND Webinar
  • ND 252: LEED for Neighborhood Development Credit-by-Credit Online Training series. (1st episode - June 9, 2010)
  • LEED for Neighborhood Development
    Learn more about the LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system.
    Become a LEED AP ND
    Learn how you can demonstrate your knowledge and expertise with GBCI's LEED AP ND credential. You can also see what USGBC trainings and resources are available to help you prepare at www.usgbc.org/credentials.
    Fact Sheet
    Find answers to questions you may have about the rating system.
    » LEED for Neighborhood Development and LEED for Homes (New!)
    LEED For Neighborhood Development Presentation
    Access materials to educate yourself and others about green neighborhood development.
    Media Coverage
    Look up stories and articles about neighborhood developments in your community.
    Featured: Environmental Building News (BuildingGreen.com), Mar 09
    Featured: Living on Earth (Radio Interview), Week of 7/10/09
    Featured: GreenSource, Jan 2009
    Policy Adoptions and Resources
    See what LEED policies are being implemented to transform the built environment.
    UPDATED! - White Paper: A Local Government Guide to LEED for Neighborhood Development
    Featured: Green Playbook
    » Project Profiles
    Search for brief examples of best practices and lessons learned.
    Featured: Emeryville Marketplace
    Featured: Jackson Square Redevelopment
    Featured: Station Park Green (New!)
    Featured: Twinbrook Station
    » Studies and Statistics
    LEED for Neighborhood Development and Healthy Neighborhoods
    This fact sheet produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows how sustainable neighborhoods can have a beneficial impact on the health of your community.
    Featured: Using LEED as a Resource for Campus Sustainability Planning
    Featured: Designing Low Carbon Neighborhoods with LEED for Neighborhood Development
    »Additional Benefits
    » Surveys
    LEED for Neighborhood Development at the Local Level
    We have received many requests from local governments eager to understand how they can use LEED for Neighborhood Development as a tool to further their sustainability goals. In order to provide better guidance on this topic, we want to hear from you!

    Tell us what you need by taking one of the short surveys below:
    For Developers: Let us know what you need from your local government to make LEED for Neighborhood Development achievable.
    For Local & State Government Employees: Let us know what guidance you need from USGBC to effectively use LEED for Neighborhood Development as a tool.
    » Workshops & Webinars
    ND 252: LEED for Neighborhood Development Credit-by-Credit Webinar series.
    Register today! The series begins soon! (June 9th).

    LEED for Neighborhood Development Webinars
    Check out the first series of webinars on LEED for Neighborhood Development.

    ND 251: Understanding the LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System
    USGBC will be holding a 200-level workshop at the ASLA conference in September. Registration is now available!

    » Partner Organizations
    CNU: Congress for the New Urbanism
    NRDC: Natural Resources Defense Council