LEED Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) Committee

Mission Statement:

The members of LEED® ND committee shall serve as stewards of LEED for Neighborhood Development in New Jersey to integrate the principles of smart growth, new urbanism, and green building. Our goal is to educate key project stakeholders about the benefits & necessities of sustainable development. We shall continually strive to increase membership, develop educational programs, and work with other USGBC NJ Chapter committees.

Committee Overview:

The role of the LEED ND Committee is to promote the understanding and use of LEED ND in New Jersey. The committee recognizes that for New Jersey to become sustainable it must offer its residents a high quality of life at low cost and it must do so for the long term. In that regard, there is need to preserve and regenerate the natural landscape; to encourage development that is pedestrian oriented and served by alternate forms of transportation that are efficient and are environmentally and socially responsible; and that buildings built in those urban areas are state of the art green facilities. The committee believes that LEED ND gives an effective catalyst to accomplish that goal. The committee usually meets 1 to 2 times per month and organizes special activities that are both social and educational for its members and guests.

Upcoming Events:

LINCOLN PARK COAST CULTURAL DISTRICT & NJIT SHOWCASE – SPRING 2013

What? Showcase and walkthrough for a New Jersey LEED ND Certified Gold project
Where? Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District and NJIT in Newark, NJ
When? Spring 2012

For more information, please contact:
Michael R. Thomas, PE, LEED AP ND, mrt137@hotmail.com
David G. Roberts, AICP, PP, LLA, RLA, LEED AP ND, LEED AP BD+C, droberts@maserconsulting.com
Kareem El Gendy, NJIT Student, gendakel@gmail.com

Principles of Neighborhood Development:

LEED ND is a collaboration between 3 organizations: 1. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), 2. The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), and 3. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

Smart Location and Linkage (SLL): Location is everything. Building a sustainable development includes picking a site that promotes redevelopment, high levels of connectivity, environmental preservation, availability of existing nearby assets and more transportation choices.

Neighborhood Pattern and Design (NPD): The innovative planning and design principles of CNU make up the heart and soul of NPD. Walkable streets, compact development, mixed-use and income communities, civic centers, recreational assets and community outreach initiatives help build healthy, safe and sustainable communities.

Green Infrastructure and Buildings (GIB): Buildings account for nearly 40% of the total energy used in the U.S. If green building can reduce energy usage and costs, wouldn’t it make sense to incorporate GIB into a sustainable community? Efficiency is promoted through green building design, building reuse, solid waste management, on-site renewable energy sources, stormwater management and light pollution reduction.

LEED ND Checklist

Committee Members:

Board Liaison: TBD

Branch/Committee Chair: Michael R. Thomas, LEED AP ND, mrt137@hotmail.com

Branch/Committee Vice Chair: Marvin Reed, CNU, marvinreed@aol.com

Branch/Committee Membership Chair: Paul Qvale

Branch/Committee Program Chair: Dave Roberts, LEED AP ND

Committee Members:

Elizabeth (Betsy) Ackerman

Athena Sarafides

Teri Jover, NJ Future

Carlos Rodrigues