Site Selection

The selection of the project’s site is one of the most important decisions that can contribute to the success of the project’s sustainability. The sustainable site will allow for proper building orientation, as well as reduce associated environmental impacts. Redevelopment of brownfield sites can improve the quality of the environment. Selecting previously developed sites can reduce the burden on greenfield sites, farmlands or encroaching on wetlands and water bodies that compromise existing habitat and ecosystems. Developing a master plan for the project and site can protect the environment beyond the initial construction phase in consideration of future expansions. Projects applying for LEED Commercial Interiors should investigate occupying existing LEED certified buildings such as LEED for New Construction or LEED for Core and Shell.
Selection Strategies

Increase development densit
• Create a smaller footprint
• Maximize the floor area ratio or square footage per acre by stacking floors, instead of spreading out the building footprint, in order to maximize open spaces and protect the habitat
• Locate the project in densely populated communities
• Average density of project and surrounding community should be 60,000 sf/acre min.
● Redevelopment
• Previously developed sites
• Protects undeveloped land and is often served by existing infrastructure such as roads, utilities and community services
• Restore a brownfield site
• Improves and protects the environment
• Saves undeveloped land
• Incentives often offered by owner or government agencies
• Consider tradeoffs such as costs for environmental assessments and remediation, time required to investigate and remediate and
potential liabilities to owner
● Protect the Habitat
• Select sites that do not include sensitive site elements and land types such as:
• Prime farmland as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Less than 5 feet above areas defined by FEMA as being in the 100 year flood plain
• Land that is habitat for threatened or endangered species Within 100 feet of wetlands as defined by Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
• Within 50 feet of a body of water as regulated by the Clean Water Act (CWA)
• Public parklands
Urban development
• Urban areas often have infrastructures in place, such as mass transit and community services, that provide for more sustainable sites through community connectivity and also by reducing demands on our natural resources.
• Community connectivity: must be on a previously developed site AND within 1/2 mile of a residential neighborhood with an average density of 10 units/acre AND within 1/2 mile of ten basic community services such as: bank, convenience store, place of worship, fire station, post office, restaurants (2 permitted), etc. and has pedestrian access between the building and services
• Mass transit: unobstructed walking distance within 1/2 mile of commuter rail, light rail or subway system OR unobstructed walking distance within 1/4 mile of one or more bus stops for two or more public, campus or private bus lines usable by building occupants
• Create a smaller footprint
• Maximize the floor area ratio or square footage per acre by stacking floors, instead of spreading out the building footprint, in order to maximize open spaces and protect the habitat
• Locate the project in densely populated communities
• Average density of project and surrounding community should be 60,000 sf/acre min.
● Redevelopment
• Previously developed sites
• Protects undeveloped land and is often served by existing infrastructure such as roads, utilities and community services
• Restore a brownfield site
• Improves and protects the environment
• Saves undeveloped land
• Incentives often offered by owner or government agencies
• Consider tradeoffs such as costs for environmental assessments and remediation, time required to investigate and remediate and
potential liabilities to owner
● Protect the Habitat
• Select sites that do not include sensitive site elements and land types such as:
• Prime farmland as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Less than 5 feet above areas defined by FEMA as being in the 100 year flood plain
• Land that is habitat for threatened or endangered species Within 100 feet of wetlands as defined by Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
• Within 50 feet of a body of water as regulated by the Clean Water Act (CWA)
• Public parklands
Urban development
• Urban areas often have infrastructures in place, such as mass transit and community services, that provide for more sustainable sites through community connectivity and also by reducing demands on our natural resources.
• Community connectivity: must be on a previously developed site AND within 1/2 mile of a residential neighborhood with an average density of 10 units/acre AND within 1/2 mile of ten basic community services such as: bank, convenience store, place of worship, fire station, post office, restaurants (2 permitted), etc. and has pedestrian access between the building and services
• Mass transit: unobstructed walking distance within 1/2 mile of commuter rail, light rail or subway system OR unobstructed walking distance within 1/4 mile of one or more bus stops for two or more public, campus or private bus lines usable by building occupants