On April 22, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Network on Smart and Sustainable Cities (ANSSC) will host its monthly webinar from 2 to 3:30 pm EDT on the LEED Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) Rating System. The featured speaker will be Jason Hercules, location and planning specialist at ANSI member and accredited standards developer the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Launched by the USGBC 15 years ago, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification system recognizes commercial, institutional, and residential projects for their exceptional environmental and health performance in both the United States and abroad. The result of a partnership between USGBC, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), the LEED-ND rating system integrates the principles of smart growth, new urbanism, and green building into the first national standard for green neighborhood development. It applies to new land development projects or redevelopment projects containing residential uses, nonresidential uses, or a mix. Projects can be at any stage of the development process, from conceptual planning to construction. LEED-ND communities harness existing resources, like transit, public infrastructure, and historic buildings, and build upon them with pedestrian-friendly streets, lots of amenities, and green building techniques.
Jason Hercules has taught and worked to implement sustainable development practices for almost 15years. During his time with the USGBC, he has managed resource development projects for LEED-ND, the campus guidance program, and many other USGBC rating systems and programs. His expertise in smart growth, transit-oriented, mixed-use development and green building helps generate the many sustainable development outcomes espoused by LEED. Mr. Hercules holds a master of science in community and regional planning from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor of arts in environmental studies from Southwestern University.
Participation in the April webinar is open to individuals who have joined the ANSSC, a forum for information sharing among members of the standardization community, representatives of local governments, and experts in sustainable urban infrastructure planning and development. To register for the ANSSC and participate in the webinar, please visit www.ansi.org/cities.