Earning LEED credits offer a way for cities and communities to become more sustainable through several different categories. These categories include natural systems and ecology, transportation and land use, water efficiency, energy and greenhouse gas emissions, materials and resources, quality of life, and innovation. Within each category, LEED provides a series of requirements to meet in order to earn points within the topics as well as an incentive to earn credit in that certain category. By earning these credits, Shaker Heights will be able to become a green city that ties the community with the environment. We decided to use LEED as a foundation for our challenge because of how its requirements inspired many of our challenges. By participating in our challenge, you can be a part of the greater movement in making Shaker more sustainable through the certification of LEED credits.
*For more information about LEED for cities, please visit their website.
WHAT ARE THE LEEDS CATEGORIES?
Cities depend on nature and ecosystem services to not only sustain life, but also to enhance the quality of life. Ecosystem protect and even regenerate natural systems, thereby increasing the ecosystem services they provide and creating ecologically resilient communities. These are better able to withstand and recover from episodic floods, drought, wildfires, and other catastrophic events.
The transportation sector is responsible for a quarter of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. Land use is the key driver of mobility in a city, and rapid urbanization has disrupted land-use patterns, resulting in urban sprawl and increased dependency on personal, motorized vehicles. This credit category encourages cities to adopt an integrated approach towards urban planning through mixed-use development, efficient transportation, better connectivity, and engagement with stakeholders.
Water is the lifeline of any city. However, equity and access have been a major challenge in many cities. Water demand has been constantly increasing in urban and peri-urban areas and is stressing freshwater reserves, creating a perennial shortage of water in these cities. This credit category addresses water at multiple levels – meeting demand, maintaining water quality, reducing water losses, capturing storm water, and managing urban floods. This credit category encourages cities to adopt an integrated approach toward water use management and planning and move towards a net-zero water city.
Cities consume over two-thirds of the world's energy and account for more than 70% of global CO2 emissions. City energy systems can play a huge role in combating climate change. In addition, access to energy is critical in determining the quality of life of residents. This credit category is critical in determining the quality of life or residents. This credit category encouraged cities to provide equitable access to reliable power while simultaneously reducing the adverse impacts of energy use on the environment.
Cities are large aggregators and consumers of materials and nutrients, accounting for the highest natural resource consumption affecting the environment and human health. The development of cities, with their high concentration of resources, capital, data, and skills over a small geographic territory, provides opportunities to uniquely drive a global transition from a linear to a circular economy. This credit category encourages cities to move towards net zero waste city through recycling, reuse, and reduction of waste generation.
Raising the standard of living and quality of life for all residents around the globe is the program goal for the Quality of Life category. Cities and communities must equitably address the needs of all people, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, socio-cultural and economic status in their pursuits of livability and sustainability. This category encourages leaders to assess their socio-economic and demographic conditions and make improvements to their communities that support social equity, public health, affordability, education, prosperity, and community engagement.