This course offers a comprehensive introduction to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED®) for Cities and Communities. As the world's population becomes more concentrated in urban areas, cities and communities encounter increasingly complex challenges, including climate change, resource shortages, and social inequalities. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Cities and Communities offers a structured approach to tackle these issues by encouraging sustainable, resilient, and equitable development in urban areas. Created by the U.S. Green Building Council® (USGBC®), this certification system assesses cities and communities on essential performance metrics such as energy use, water management, waste handling, transportation systems, and social equity. By aligning local development efforts with global sustainability objectives, LEED for Cities and Communities enables municipalities to improve residents' quality of life while reducing their environmental footprint. This training delves into the principles, advantages, and strategies for implementing the LEED for Cities and Communities framework, emphasizing its crucial role in fostering a sustainable urban future.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Discuss the fundamentals of LEED® for Cities and Communities
• Identify key issues such as climate change, resource shortages, and social inequalities affecting cities and communities
• Explain the principles, strategies, and advantages of sustainable, resilient, and equitable urban growth
• Describe how the U.S. Green Building Council® (USGBC®) assesses cities and communities based on performance metrics like energy use, water management, waste handling, transportation systems, and social equity
• Explain the point system and certification levels (Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum) and how points are allocated across various categories to achieve different certification tiers
• Discuss how to align the LEED® for Cities and Communities framework with local urban development and global sustainability goals
• Recall methods and approaches for integrating the framework into municipal planning and development
• Discuss the future of LEED® for Cities and Communities, including emerging trends in urban sustainability