December 18, 2008

Compact Development and Tree Hugging?

by Environmental Building Strategies in Green Building, LEED, Uncategorized Tags: Compact Development, Green Building, LEED 1 Comment

Inherently urban infill sites are green

Inherently suburban high density TOD (Transit Oriented Design) sites are green

With that said, not everyone will be able to live in these higher density, condo/apartment like spaces.
So what should they do? Well an important factor for these people to consider when thinking about social, environmental and enconomic issues is this idea of how much do I need and where am I willing to get it.

If you need a lot and don’t want to be all that burdened in getting it then at least live in an area where those services you use most are close by. For example, live in an area where you have the ability to drive an electric or hybrid car (or golf cart for that matter) to town to get your essentials. Consider getting the remainder of the larger items online instead of driving to the mega supercenter to park in a heat island and support wasteful corporate ideologies.

So before I get too far off tangent, review below the LEED for Neighborhood Development Pilot Program and please feel free to let us know what you think

LEED’s Neighborhood Pattern and Design, Compact Development, intends to “Conserve land. Promote community livability, transportation efficiency, and walkability,” and while it sounds ideal in theory it has caused some stir. On Green Life Smart Life, the author points out how LEED penalizes the size of everything and highlights a point system used by LEED for single-family homes:

- 4 Points from LEED if you build 20 units on a 1-acre lot
- 3 Points from LEED if you build 10 units on a 1-acre lot
- 2 Points from LEED if you build 7 units on a 1-acre lot

Others on TreeHugger commented on the system and complained about the close proximity of the homes if they were to follow the LEED guidelines. Is the trade off a good one? In order to gain these LEED points, single-family homes would be close to one another within this one acre but the acres surrounding the homes might then be open spaces. They would also likely be near public transportation if the builders are trying to attain LEED points, thus reducing the need for driving and increasing efficiency. While it may seem hard to sacrifice our own personal space, building near our neighbors allows us to save valuable farm land and preserve forests all while building communities.