Event Description

USGBC wants to do more with LEED. Its existing certification programs have gained widespread adoption, but there is more to sustainability than just buildings and neighborhoods. To solve the climate and other sustainability challenges of the future, society needs something that has the rigor and brand strength of LEED but operates at a much larger scale. Welcome to LEED for Cities and Communities! LCC allows local governments, including cities, districts, villages, towns, counties and other special jurisdictions to seek the familiar LEED levels of recognition – certified, silver, gold and platinum – for their entire sustainability programs. LCC has the potential to spark change at a much larger scale, but only if it is widely adopted.

Denver was the first community in Colorado to apply for LCC certification. In April 2019 it was awarded certification at the Platinum Level. Many more Colorado communities could apply, but few have. This session will help communities and the vendors that serve them understand the value of LCC and what they will need to apply for certification. It will make the process inviting rather than intimidating, while offering opportunities for real-time audience engagement.

LCC includes sections on buildings, but it also includes much more – land use, energy systems, water conservation, natural resources, and green spaces. It applies the LEED process to a broader array of issues, and provides a common standard to compare progress with peer communities. As communities grapple with which metrics and efforts make the most sense to track, they will invariably discover gaps that, when filled, will help them to report better on progress and tell their desired stories. This session will provide the foundation to understand what internal and external resources would be best utilized to tell inspiring stories.