Capítulo 3. Las pedagogías críticas como alternativa
3.4. Escenarios de diálogo y posibilidad en la pedagogía radical
New Category
Let’s get started with the Location & Transportation credit category. This is a new credit category for LEED. While it is a new credit category, most of the credits were extracted out of the sustainable sites category from the prior version of LEED. If you worked on a LEED for New Construction project under LEED 2009, these credits should look familiar to you.
Community Relationships
Why the division? The credit categories were divided to separate a building’s relationship to its community versus its relationship to its site and the site ecosystem.
To be successful with the credits in the location and transportation category, a project team is going to need to be familiar with the surrounding areas of the site and the public transportation that is available.
Synergy with Neighborhood Development Projects
The Location and Transportation credit category has 8 credits, and no prerequisites.
LT Credit 1: LEED for Neighborhood Development Location
Can earn up to 16 points. That is a huge number of points and emphasizes how LEED is trying to push sustainable neighborhoods and the alignment between the other rating systems and the LEED ND rating system, so they all become a more cohesive family of rating systems.
LT Credit 2: Sensitive Land Protection; can earn one point
LT Credit 3: High Priority Site; can earn 2 points
LT Credit 4: Surrounding Density and Diverse Areas; can earn up to 5 points
LT Credit 5: Access to Quality Transit; can earn up to 5 points
LT Credit 6: Bicycle Facilities; can earn up to 1 point
LT Credit 7: Reduced Parking Footprint; can earn 1 point
LT Credit 8: Green Vehicles; can earn 1 point
What is interesting to note here is if you add up the points from credits 2 through credits 7, they come out to a total possible of 16 points. That is the same as the maximum for the
LEED for Neighborhood Development location credit. What’s happening here is if you locate a project in a LEED ND development, your paperwork gets streamlined and just went down significantly. This was one of the goals for LEED version 4. By tying the rating systems closer together the paperwork gets reduced.
Project teams may only submit either credit one solely, or any combination of credits 2-7 to achieve the maximum of 16 points. Of course if locating your project in a LEED ND location isn’t possible, you still have the option of earning up to 16 points by attempting the other credits in this category. It will just take more documentation to do so.
LT Credit 1 | LEED for Neighborhood Development Location
Let’s start with the credit for LEED for Neighborhood Development Location. The intent of this credit is to avoid development on inappropriate sites, to reduce vehicles miles or kilometers traveled, and to enhance livability and improve human health by encouraging daily physical activity. This is a new credit and encourages selection of a LEED ND certified site. This credit is designed to give project teams a streamlined path to earn points.
Must be a LEED ND certified project
The requirements are to locate the project within the boundary of a development certified under LEED for Neighborhood Development (Stage 2 or Stage 3 under the Pilot or 2009 rating systems, Certified Plan or Certified Project under the LEED v4 rating system).
Your project team needs to find a LEED ND project to site the building in.
As we mentioned in the introduction, if a project attempts this credit then the project is not eligible to earn any of the other location and transportation credits.
Point Distribution
The number of points a project can earn varies based on the project type, and the certification level of the LEED ND project. The possible point totals are listed in this table.
Certification
Level Points NC Points Core
and Shell Points School Points Healthcare
Certified 8 8 8 5
Silver 10 12 10 6
Gold 12 16 12 7
Platinum 16 20 15 9
This table is going to be handy during your pre-planning. Don’t just assume that putting your project in a LEED ND location is going to earn you the most points in this category.
It’s possible that by achieving credits 2 through 7 individually or in some combination that your project could earn more points than attempting the LEED ND location credit.
Review Question
True or False: Project teams that attempt LT Credit LEED for Neighborhood Development Location can also attempt other credits in the LT category.
Answer is: False. Your project can either attempt this credit, or attempt one or more of the other credits were going to be discussing next. If you pursue this credit, your documentation is easier.
LT Credit 2 | Sensitive Land Protection
The intent is to avoid the development of environmentally sensitive lands and reduce the environmental impact from the location of a building on a site. This credit is the
evolution of the Sustainable Sites credit Site Selection in LEED 2009. This credit addresses wetlands, waterbodies, floodplains, and prime farmland.
2 Options
There are 2 options for this credit. The first option is to develop on previously developed land. The second option is to develop on previously developed land or land that does not meet the criteria for sensitive land. Each option can earn one point, and you pick one option or the other.
Option 1: Previously Developed Land
Option 1 requires locating the development footprint on land that has been previously developed. There are some key terms here that are important for this requirement.
The development footprint is the total land area of a project site covered by buildings, streets, parking areas, sidewalks, and other typically impermeable surfaces constructed as part of the project. It’s not just the building itself, but the entire sum of all physical development. It’s not enough to put the building on a previously developed area and put the parking lot next door in a greenfield.
And what does previously developed mean? It is land that has been altered by humans, such as paving, construction, and/or land use that would typically have required
regulatory permitting to have been initiated (alterations may exist now or in the past). If 100% of the land within your LEED boundary is previously developed, you may build
anywhere. If 40% of the area within the LEED project boundary is previously developed, your project team has to prioritize that 40% of the site for new development. The date of previous development permit issuance constitutes the date of previous development, but permit issuance in itself does not constitute previous development.
So it’s a bit of a technical definition to determine if your site is previously developed, rather than just looking at an empty paved parking lot and saying ‘ok, this is a previously developed site.’ In prior LEED versions there would be projects on huge greenfields and a tiny portion of the land was developed, and the project team would say ‘oh, previously developed’. That is not the case anymore.
Land that is not previously developed and landscapes altered by current or historical clearing or filling, agricultural or forestry use, or preserved natural area use are considered undeveloped land. By developing on previously developed land, we can conserve and preserve undeveloped land, which promotes natural habitats for species diversity and stormwater infiltration.
Option 2: Avoid Land meeting Sensitive Criteria
Option 2 applies to undeveloped land, or greenfield conditions. The intent is avoiding building on land that meets one of the sensitivity criteria.
Do not develop on portions of sites that meet any of these criteria. When it says, “Do not develop,” think carefully about what development means.
Development means not just the building. It’s also hardscapes, roadways, and sidewalks, which are all parts of the building project. When it says don't develop, the requirements mean all of those.
Prime Farmland
Do not develop on prime farmland. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations defines prime farmland. In addition, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) maintains detailed maps with soil data identifying soil as prime, unique, or of state significance.
Floodplains
Do not develop on undeveloped floodplains. What if there was somewhere in New Orleans that falls into a flood plain, but it previously had a building on it? If I develop there, am I still eligible to receive this credit? And the answer is yes. It’s only new developments or previously undeveloped areas that aren’t allowed within this limit.
However, developed areas are ok. Flood hazard maps must delineate areas with a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year. FEMA is the referenced standard used to determine floodplains.
Habitat
Protect habitats for endangered species. Remember there are both endangered plant and animal species. There are several standards used for identifying endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service sponsors both the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the NatureServe Heritage Program. The act lists threatened and endangered animals.
NatureServe classifies habitats that are home to species identified as GH (possibly extinct), G1 (critically imperiled) or G2 (imperiled).
Water Bodies
Do not develop land within 100 feet (30 meters) of a water body such as a stream (including intermittent streams), arroyo, river, canal, lake, estuary, bay, or ocean. It does not include irrigation ditches. This buffer is generous because if human impacts affect the water body, from stormwater runoff, it will quickly end up in the ocean or our drinking water supply.
Wetlands
Do not develop land within 50 feet (15 meters) of any wetlands. Wetlands are areas inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil
conditions. This buffer is smaller than water bodies because the primary purpose of a wetland is to filter water of contaminants! That doesn’t mean you can pollute at will, but if you need a metaphor, wetlands are nature’s water filter.
International Projects
For international project teams, you may need to identify local equivalencies from many reference standards. Working with a qualified biologist or ecologist may be necessary to identify those local equivalencies. Organizations likely to have qualified members include the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, and the Institute of Environmental
Management and Assessment.
Implementation
The credit does allow for making minor improvement within the wetland and water body buffers, if these improvements are for the betterment of the site. Improvements include:
Bicycle and pedestrian pathways no more than 12 feet wide (3.5 meters), of which no more than 8 feet (2.5 meters) may be impervious;
Activities to maintain or restore native natural communities and/or natural hydrology;
One single-story structure per 300 linear feet (90 linear meters) on average, not exceeding 500 square feet (45 square meters);
Grade changes necessary to ensure public access;
Clearings, limited to one per 300 linear feet (90 linear meters) on average, not exceeding 500 square feet (45 square meters) each;
Removal of the following tree types:
Hazardous trees, up to 75% of dead trees
Trees less than 6 inches (150 millimeters) diameter at breast height
Up to 20% of trees more than 6 inches (150 millimeters) diameter at breast height with a condition rating of 40% or higher.
Trees under 40% condition rating
The condition rating must be based on an assessment by an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) using ISA standard measures, or local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.
Brownfield remediation activities.
As you consider that list you can visualize how each of those improvements does indeed add to the user experience of the site. Allowing your project occupants to visually connect with natural habits can increase their awareness of how special these ecosystems are to the broader community.. Minor improvements align with the triple bottom line that respects people and the planet as equally valuable to your building’s profit.
Sample Question
A technology firm is deciding on a location to build a new data center. Which of the following sites would be most appropriate?
A. Developed site 30 feet (9 meters) from a fishing stream
B. Land with a species classified as possibly extinct by NatureServe C. Undeveloped land in a flood plain as defined by FEMA
D. Undeveloped land that is 40 feet (12 meters) from a stream E. Brownfield that is 80 feet (24 meters) from a wetland F. Organic tree nursery defined as prime farmland
E is the correct answer. Focus on the word ‘most.’ First prioritize conservation of greenfields; B, C, and D are off limits. Now there are three choice remaining, all
previously developed sites: A, E, and F. A is too close to the stream, development should be at least 100 feet from a body of water. F is classified as prime farmland, which meets the definition of sensitive site and will not earn the credit. E is highly desirable for a LEED project. It is a brownfield so it is previously developed, and it is more than 50 feet from the wetland.
LT Credit 3 | High Priority Site
The next LT Credit is High Priority Site. The intent is to encourage project location in areas with development constraints and promote the health of the surrounding area.
This credit merges the Brownfield Redevelopment credit from LEED 2009 along with a credit that is in the LEED ND rating system into this new credit for LEED v4. The credit encourages project teams to select sites with difficult development constraints.
Three Options
Option1 is to locate the project on an infill site in a historic district. 1 point for BD&C, 2 points for CS.
Option 2 is to locate the project in an area with a priority redevelopment designation. 1 point for BD&C, 2 points for CS
Option 3 is brownfield remediation. 2 points for BD&C, 3 points for CS
Historic Districts
A historic district is a group of buildings, structures, objects, and sites that have been designated or determined to be eligible as historically, culturally or architecturally
significant, and categorized as either contributing or noncontributing to the historic nature of the district. These districts are usually designated by a local or national group or agency. A 100 year old neighborhood doesn’t automatically qualify as historic just because its old - it has to be designated as such. In the United States we have the
National Register of Historic Places that has the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation.
An infill site is a site where at least 75% of the land area, exclusive of rights-of-way, within ½ mile (800 meters) of the project boundary is previously developed. A street or other right-of-way does not constitute previously developed land; it is the status of property that matters. Developing on an infill site contributes to the overall health and livelihood of a neighborhood by reducing vacant space for crime and blight. Layering this benefit over a historic district ensures the longevity of the social character and regional vernacular. These can be very desirable places to live or work.
Priority Designation
This option is where you find the rating system working on the economic and social nature of the LEED rating systems. They are trying to get projects to move into underserved neighborhoods and areas to promote growth.
Locate the project on one of the following:
a site listed by the EPA National Priorities List;
a Federal Empowerment Zone site;
a Federal Enterprise Community site;
a Federal Renewal Community site;
a Department of the Treasury Community Development Financial Institutions Fund Qualified Low-Income Community
a site in a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Qualified Census Tract (QCT) or Difficult Development Area (DDA)
Note that the project will qualify as a priority designation if only part of the site is located within one of the priority designations. In the LEED documentation the project team will need to include a site map that indicates the portion of the site in the priority area.
Projects outside the U.S. can use a local equivalent program administered at the national level.
Brownfield Remediation
The definition of brownfield is property reuse which may be complicated by the
presence, or potential presence, of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. For this option projects locate the building on a brownfield where soil or groundwater contamination has been identified, and where the local, state, or national authority (whichever has jurisdiction) confirms its remediation.
Your team is either going to remediate the site, or you can locate on a site that has already been remediated and designated as a brownfield. Contaminated sites can be identified by two different processes. The owner may perform a phase two environmental site assessment to demonstrate that contamination is present. Sometimes, a site is
designated as a Brownfield by local, state or federal government agencies. Either one of these counts as a brownfield redevelopment.
Remediation is the process of cleaning up a contaminated site by physical, chemical, or biological means. Remediation processes are typically applied to contaminated soil and groundwater. Project teams have to perform remediation to the satisfaction of the identified authority.
Environmental Site Assessment
A phase two environmental assessment tells you what the problems are and perhaps suggests what remediation is needed. Then the remediation experts would come in to help you identify what needs to be done. The scope of work varies based on type and
magnitude of contamination. It could be safely demolishing existing structures, or treating soil and groundwater.
New technologies can minimize site disruption, treat contamination, and monitor the site factors like air and water to ensure contaminants do not return.
Case Study: Tassafaronga
Tassafaronga in Oakland California earned LEED for Homes Platinum Certification and LEED ND Plan Gold. The project is an apartment building with supportive housing units, medical facility, and townhouses. The project size is 7.5 acres with a budget of $58 million.
Tassafaronga was originally founded in 1945 by the U.S government as temporary housing for wartime workers in Oakland’s shipyards. In 1964, the Oakland Housing Authority (OHA) acquired the property and replaced the original structures with 87 concrete low-rise public housing units. Tassafaronga Village, as the project was quaintly and optimistically christened, devolved into a breeding ground for drug and gang crime.
Deep fissures in the concrete and seismic issues added to the deteriorating scenario. For decades, Tassafaronga, in Oakland, California, sat in a blighted condition, continually declining, and the home of crime and drug lords. It was a dangerous brownfield, tainted with asbestos, lead, and toxic insecticides.
Creative financing and environmentally enlightened development strategies brought about transformation. In 2007, OHA secured permission to demolish the project,
officially deemed “severely distressed.” Tassafaronga Village was ultimately dismantled and rebuilt with 97 percent of its waste materials recycled, many reused on site, including existing concrete foundations ground up for the project's new road base.
LT Credit 4 | Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses
The intent of this credit is to conserve land and protect farmland and wildlife habitat by encouraging development in areas with existing infrastructure and social benefits.
Density promotes walkability, transportation efficiency, reduces vehicle distance traveled, and improves public health by encouraging daily physical activity.
Two Options
While this is really one credit, it offers two distinct and different options for point achievement. The first option is surrounding density which can earn 2 to 3 points. The second option is diverse uses, which can earn 1 to 2 points. Projects may pursue both options.
Surrounding Density
The goal is to locate the project on a site whose surrounding density within ¼ mile (400 meter) meets the following thresholds for either combined, or separate residential and
The goal is to locate the project on a site whose surrounding density within ¼ mile (400 meter) meets the following thresholds for either combined, or separate residential and