Intention:
- To channel development to urban areas with existing infrastructure.
- Protect greenfields and protect habitat and natural resources.
Implementation:
- Density Development (OPTION 1)
- Commercial
- minimum 60,000 sq.ft. per acre
- compare to 2 story downtown building
- previously developed site
- Community Connectivity (OPTION 2)
- previously developed site
- within 1/2 mile radius of 10 "basic services" (see below)
- Banks, churches, restaurants (2 allowed), stores, etc.
- do not include undeveloped areas (parks, water bodies)
- pedestrian access between buildings
- within 1/2 mile of residential area averaging density 10/units per acre
Codes/Standards Applied:
- none
Extra Credit:
- Earn exemplary performance credit by first meeting the requirements of Option 1 and additionally meeting one of the two following requirements:
- The project itself must have a density of at least double that of the average density within the calculated area OR
- The average density within an area twice as large as the base credit must be at least 120,000 sq. ft/acre
Submittal Phase:
- Design
Links from Reference Guide:
- Congress for New Urbanism
- Urban Land Institute (ULI) Washington
- The International Union for the Scientific Study of Population
Other Sustainable Sites Credits
- SS P1 – Construction Activity Pollution Prevention (prerequisite)
- SS 1 – Site Selection
- SS 2 – Development Density & Community Connectivity
- SS 3 – Brownfield Redevelopment
- SS 4.1 – Alternative Transportation – Public Transportation Access
- SS 4.2 – Alternative Transportation -Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms
- SS 4.3 – Alternative Transportation – Low Emission & Fuel EfficientVehicles
- SS 4.4 – Alternative Transportation – Parking Capacity
- SS 5.1 – Site Development – Protect or Restore Habitat
- SS 5.2 – Site Development – Maximize Open Space
- SS 6.1 – Stormwater Design – Quantity Control
- SS 6.2 – Stormwater Design – Quality Control
- SS 7.1 – Heat Island Effect – Non-Roof
- SS 7.2 – Heat Island Effect – Roof
- SS 8 – Light Pollution Reduction
37 Comments On This Post
Hey,I’m curious about where the density radius of 415′ is determined as per the Reference guide. Any ideas?
Never mind, I figured it out. For everyone else – refer to Equation 2 on the preceding page.
(0.44 x 43560)(Sq. Rt.) (3) = 415′
Tim, thanks for the equation. But I wonder where the number (3) came from?
Please explain for me.
I believe the residential requirement of 10 units per acre within 1/2 mile applies to the community connectivity option, not the development density option, which is based solely on the 60,000 sf density requirement?
Tim,
The “Development Density” option can be:
1. for commercial: 60,000sf/acre density
2. for residential: 10 residential units/acre within a 1/2 mile radius. It sounds much like the community connectivity part, but that is 10 services within a 1/2 mi. radius instead.
I hope this helps!
Can’t you get ID credit if you double the radius and calculate a density of 120,000 sf/acre?
Yes, also you may achieve ID credit for doubling the first calculation
Density(sf/acre)=Gross Building SF/Project site
whichever calc you use, it needs to double..and you can use the calc that best helps you achieve the credits..
Another factoid is that whichever site boundry is chosen, it must stay consistent throughout the project.
Pat, where you required to perform this calculation, since isn’t one of the credits that the LEED AP is responsible for?
Valeria,
Are you talking about on my exam? On the exam, the only calculations I encountered were regarding plumbing fixtures and FTE for parking.
When is your test? It sounds like you’re almost ready to ace it?
=)
yes!I paasssssed!
I took the test July 10th and I felt it was really a hard test. I am not an architect, or architect student and I found most of the questions to be applications of specific scenarios. It seem to assume a body of knowledge beyond the reference guide, ie architecture.
There was a lot of reasoning problems. Not many simple direct questions….
I am so glad it is done.
My advice is to pay attention to the credits where the AP is responsible for the calculations.. almost all of MR and anything with FTE and know what units of measurement are being used in the calculations the AP is not responsible for…for example I had a question about how the calculation would be submitted in a Green power scenario by giving you a baseline and knowing to convert consumption into cost.(!)
Thank You Pat for this site. I have directed many others to your site and still visit it time to time…
You may move this comment to a better category if you feel it would be useful to others
Cheers!
Valeria
Valeria,
First congradulations on passing. Did you take the BD + C or one of the other exams?
Thank you,
I took New Construction, Version 2.2 you see my posting is 2008…(I made legacy!!)
This is a great site,Pat was instrumental in structuring what I needed to learn.
Good luck Scott!
Pat,
You answered Tim’s question:
The “Development Density” option can be:
1. for commercial: 60,000sf/acre density
2. for residential: 10 residential units/acre within a 1/2 mile radius. It sounds much like the community connectivity part, but that is 10 services within a 1/2 mi. radius instead.
Where did you find the 2nd part about residential? I can’t find that in the Ref Guide for 2.2.
This is a major concern because if it is not in the Ref. Guide or on the website how am I supposed to know it?
Thanks,
Gary
Gary,
Thanks for your comment. That’s a good catch, and I’ve since revised the credit to reflect how it’s shown in the third edition. I apologize for any confusion.
Cheers!
Regarding Zak’s question posted on July 1, 2008:
“Can’t you get ID credit if you double the radius and calculate a density of 120,000 sf/acre?”
Be careful. The 2.2 Ref. Guide states on p.40, “To double the area, use equation 2 but double the property area first.”
So the new equation would be: Density Radius = 3 X SQRT (2 X Property Area).
Gary
The calculation of the square footage includes underground floors?
If there are underground parking?
Pat,
Under Option 2 (Community Connectivity)…10 basic services within a mile applies to Residential as well as Commercial. This is unclear in your summary.
Cheers,
Shane
Pat,
in your summary, it states that parks cannot be included, but in the reference guide v2.2, it is included as a basic service. And if parks are included, are water bodies included as well?
Thanks!
Mina – there are 22 basic services listed in the ref. guide that are eligible. I checked the CIRs for you and I do not see a request to include a water body and therefore I would conclude that it is not eligible.
Mina and Nick,
Becareful to distinquish how parks and water bodies are handled between the two different options in SS c 2. In option one, we can not count a park or a body of water in the calculation of average property density within the density boundary. In option 2, we can count a park as a community service. A body of water wouldn’t be a service unless it was part of a park that we would count.
Remember that to earn the credit you must comply with either of the two options but you don’t need to comply with both.
Hope this helps,
Gary
Good tip with differentiation of the two options inc this credit Gary! That’s why I have an “or” instead of “&” between the two options on printed in my charts because you cannot do both!
Nick D.
http://www.leedcharts.com
Hi, Pat,
It seems Park is countable for the 10 services in the reference guide. Correct me if I am wrong. Great website!
Xixi
This may be a silly question, but is the 10 units / acre literally 10 houses on 1 acre? Seems very low density.
Great site!
On my ref. guide for option 2, it is 1/2 mile of resid. density of 10 units/acre AND 1/2 mile rad. of 10 basic services.
It is not to do 1 or the other, you have to do BOTH 10 units/arce & 10 services.
Im trying to solve Development Density (Option 1)for my project site and I was wondering if anyone knows of an easier way to collect all the data, ex. total sq.ft. of surrounding buildings within a 1/2 mile radius etc… instead of having to go to a website like the city of chicago department of zoning and clicking on every building in the area to add up the total sq.ft. Is there another resource that anyone used that was rather quick or more of a smooth operation???
-Thanks!
Ask a few commercial real estate agents that specialize in that area. If one is a member of CCIM (s)he will have access to more sophisticated market databases. They should at least be able to give you a rough estimate that would help you make a go-no go decision to pursue that credit further. In the process you’ll discover the best agent(s)for future real estate transactions.
Gary
I’m curious [and have been unable to discover on my own at this point] if there is a more extensive list of all basic services that would be accepted by LEED for this credit. There are obviously 22 basic services listed in the LEED manual, however it clearly states that the list is not limited to these 22 options. My colleagues and I are trying to determine if there are any other possible options that won’t be rejected by the review committee that could be used in addition to the listed 22. Given that we are only allowed 1 of each type of service[save restaurant], a more extensive list of options would be most helpful. Any help??
Thanks!
—
Chris
Question about UofFlorida website link!
LEED 2009 Update
There are marked updates on the credits that changes everything for my studying.
Example: SS2 1point marked out and 5 points put in? In option 2; 1/2 mile from a main entrance not the main entrance. There are changes in every credit.
Is this what I need for 3/31/09 deadline exams?
Help!
#36 on Building green sample test:
Some LEED credits offer synergies with other credits, but some can work against each other. That may be most true with which of the following: (choose 2)
A) EQ c.1, Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring & EQ c. 6, Controllability of Systems
B) SS c.2, Development Density & EQ c.8, Daylight and Views
C) EAc.1, Optimize Energy Perf. & EQc2 Increased Ventilation
D) SSc.2, Dev. Density & MRc.5, Regional Materials
E) EQc2, Onsite REnewable Energy & EQ c.6, Green Power
The answer is given as B and C, I can understand C but could anyone explain B? Thanks!
Joy
With a high development density your building will probably end up in an urban center where it will be harder to provide outdoor views towards the completion of EQc8. Therefore I think they work against each other.
I hope it helps.
Baloch,
Thanks for your reply to my question.
I passed my test today with a 190!
190 is an excellent score…….way to go Joy!
I wish i get a score like that too[:P]
Can I earn point in this credit for greebfield site? (In all options it stated “previously developed site”)
Can anyone tell me of a website like Pat’s that is LEED FOR SCHOOLS?
E
You don’t include how to calculate the density radius in the walkthrough does that mean it is not necessary?
Several test questions i have seen indicate a Police Station is not an essential community facility, but yet theater is.
The list in the RG says something like “including…but not limited to” and then lists a series of types of facility, including “beauty”. How can that specifically exclude a Police Station?
…and why are movies and haircuts essential services? Surely security is lower on the hierarchy of needs.
yes, but you don’t need the police station to be there to make a neighborhood secure…just the police..
police don’t work just in police stations, most of the work is out.
10 units per acre. My future building is located in a downtown area. There are not many houses around, but there are apartments towers. Can I count one apartment building for 10 units per acre to achieve this credit. Thanks!