May 2008: The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria. Greenway engineers have adopted and implement LEED designs when required or desired by the client.
Our implementation of LEED designs can be seen at the recently opened FEMA Office / GSA Warehouse in Frederick County, VA. Considerations for building LEED certified development are:

Encourage healthy living. 
LEED for Neighborhood Development emphasizes the creation of compact, walkable, vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods with good connections to nearby communities. Research has shown that living in a mixed-use environment within walking distance of shops and services results in increased walking and biking, which improve human cardiovascular and respiratory health and reduce the risk of hypertension and obesity.
Protect threatened species. 
Fragmentation and loss of habitat are major threats to many imperiled species.  LEED encourages compact development patterns and the selection of sites that are within or adjacent to existing development to minimize habitat fragmentation and also help preserve areas for recreation.
Increase transportation choice and decrease automobile dependence. 
These two things go hand-in-hand; convenient transportation choices such as buses, trains, car pools, bicycle lanes and sidewalks, for example, are typically more available near downtowns, neighborhood centers and town centers, which are also the locations that produce shorter automobile trips

Benefits to Project Developers of LEED for Neighborhood Development Communities

Potentially reduced fees or waiting periods.  
Increasingly, municipalities are reducing fees or waiting periods associated with the approval process for community projects that can demonstrate a commitment to sustainability.  Successfully completing the first stage of LEED for Neighborhood Development certification (pre-review approval) may assist projects that are still in the planning stages to gain the necessary approvals as expediently and cost-effectively as possible.
A good impression on your neighbors.  
A LEED for Neighborhood Development certification can help projects explain the environmental and community benefits of a project to residents and businesses in nearby areas.  The rating system also encourages projects to work collaboratively with the existing neighborhood  to make sure their needs are taken into account.
Higher tenancy rates.  
Rising demand for housing in highly walkable or transit-accessible areas can result in higher tenancy rates. 
Please use the link below for more informaton on LEED from the U.S. Green Building Council
http://www.usgbc.org/Default.aspx
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