Chapter 5: Location and Transportation

Question 1

ACEEE (American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy

Answer 1

A nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1980 whose mission is to advance energy efficiency as a fast, cheap, and effective means of meeting energy challenges.

Question 2

Bicycle Network

Answer 2

A path or series of paths in rural, urban, or suburban areas that are clearly marked for bicycle travel.

Question 3

Brownfield

Answer 3

A property on which redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or possible presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.

Question 4

Buildable land

Answer 4

The portion of a site where construction can occur, including land voluntarily set aside and not constructed on.

Question 5

Community Connectivity

Answer 5

The amount of connection between a site and the surrounding community, measured by proximity of the site to homes, schools, parks, stores, restaurants, medical facilities, and other services and amenities.

Question 6

Density

Answer 6

A measure of the total building floor area or dwelling units on a parcel of land relative to the buildable land of that parcel.

Question 7

Development Density

Answer 7

The total square footage of all buildings within a particular area measured in square feet per acre (square meter per hectare)

Question 8

Diverse Use

Answer 8

A distinct, officially recognized business, nonprofit, civic, religious, or governmental organization, or dwelling units (residential use) or offices (commercial office use). It has a stationary postal address and is publicly available.

Question 9

Floodplain

Answer 9

Land that is likely to be flooded by a storm of a given size (such as a 100-year storm).

Question 10

Floor-area Ratio (FAR)

Answer 10

The density of nonresidential land use, exclusive of structured parking, measured as the total nonresidential building floor area divided by the total buildable land area available for nonresidential structures.

Question 11

Footprint

Answer 11

The area of ground that the building sits upon as defined by its perimeter.

Question 12

Global Warming

Answer 12

The increase in temperature of Earth’s atmosphere due primarily to the greenhouse gases release from the burning of fossil fuels such as wood, coal, natural gas, and oil.

Question 13

Greenfield

Answer 13

A site that has never been built on or developed for human use.

Question 14

Greenhouse Gases

Answer 14

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. The most abundant of the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO2), is released through the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacturing of cement.

Question 15

Green Vehicles

Answer 15

Vehicles that provide less harmful impacts to the environment than conventionally fueled vehicles. Examples of green vehicles are hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles, compressed-air vehicles, hydrogen and fuel-cell vehicles, neat-ethanol vehicles, flexible-fuel vehicles, natural gas vehicles, and clean diesel vehicles.

Question 16

Habitat

Answer 16

A natural environment such as a field, stream, or forest that is home to one or more wildlife species and plants. The LEED rating systems aim to reduce the destruction of natural habitats during construction.

Question 17

Infill Development

Answer 17

Building and developing in vacant areas of high-density urban centers. Infill development can reduce traffic congestion, save open space, and create more livable communities.

Question 18

Infrastructure

Answer 18

Roads, electrical lines, sewer lines, phone lines, and other public services permanently installed on developed sites. Locating a project on a previously developed site is advantageous because the existing infrastructure saves costs and lowers the carbon footprint of the project.

Question 19

Pooled parking

Answer 19

Parking spaces that are shared among two or more buildings.

Question 20

Preferred Parking

Answer 20

Parking spaces that have the shortest walking distance to the main entrance of the project, exclusive of spaces designated for people with disabilities.

Question 21

Previously Developed / Disturbed Site

Answer 21

A site that once had buildings, roadways, and parking lots, or that was graded or otherwise altered by direct human activities.

Question 22

Prime Farmland

Answer 22

Previously undeveloped land with soil suitable for cultivation. Avoiding development on prime farmland helps protect agricultural lands, which are needed for food production.

Question 23

Redevelopment

Answer 23

Reusing previously developed land.

Question 24

Remediation

Answer 24

The process of cleaning up a contaminated site by physical, chemical, or biological means. Remediation processes are typically applied to contaminated soil or groundwater.

Question 25

Shortest Path Analysis

Answer 25

A measurement of how far a pedestrian and bicyclist would travel from a point of origin to a destination, reflecting access to amenities, safety, convenience, and obstructions to movement.

Question 26

Smart Growth

Answer 26

An approach that protects open space and farmland by emphasizing development with houses, jobs, and services near each other.

Question 27

Total Parking Capacity

Answer 27

The total amount of parking spaces for a site that includes new and existing surface parking spaces, new and existing garage or multilevel parking spaces, and any off-street parking spaces outside the project boundary that are available to the building’s users. Not included are on-street (parallel or pull-in) parking spaces on public rights of way, parking spaces for fleet and inventory vehicles, and motorbike or bicycle spaces.

Question 28

Walkability

Answer 28

A metric for how amenable an area is to walking

Question 29

Water Body

Answer 29

The surface water of a stream, arroyo, river, canal, lake, estuary, bay, or ocean. It does not include irrigation ditches.

Question 30

Wetlands

Answer 30

land areas saturated by water, such as swamps, marshes, and bogs. Wetlands provide habitats for fish and wildlife, feed downstream waters, trap floodwaters, remove pollution, and recharge groundwater supplies.

Question 31

7 Original Sustainable Sites Credits

Answer 31

1) Transportation
2) Heat Island
3) Stormwater
4) Brownfield
5) Light Pollution
6) Development Density
7) Site Protection

Question 32

How much of total greenhouse gas emissions was Transportation responsible for?

Answer 32

33%

Question 33

4 Main Intents of Location and Transportation

Answer 33

1) Location
2) Transportation
3) Site Development
4) Health and Livability

Question 34

What is the focus of the Location Intent?

Answer 34

By most accounts, selecting the site location for a building project is the single most important decision a project team can make.

Question 35

2 Location Intent Strategies

Answer 35

1) Locate the project within a LEED-Certified Neighborhood Development
2) Locate the building within proximity of surrounding density and diverse uses

Question 36

What are the 2 options for locating a building within proximity of surrounding density and diverse uses?

Answer 36

1) locating the project in or near high-density locations

2) the building’s entrance has to be located within 0.5 miles walking distance of 7 or more diverse uses.

Question 37

Residential Density

Answer 37

Measured in dwelling units (DU) per acre

Question 38

Nonresidential Density

Answer 38

Measured by the Floor-Area Ratio (FAR)

Question 39

Combined Density

Answer 39

Measured in square feet per acre of buildable land

Question 40

What is the focus of the Transportation Intent?

Answer 40

To reduce the number of people traveling alone in conventional automobiles to and from the building.

Question 41

6 Transportation Intent Strategies

Answer 41

1) Limit Available Parking
2) Develop in Areas that have Multimodal Transportation Access
3) Designate 5% of all parking spaces used by the project as preferred parking for green vehicles
4) Provide preferred parking for carpools for 5% of the total parking spaces
5) Install electrical vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) in 2% of all parking spaces used by the project
6) Install liquid or gas alternative fueling facilities or a battery switching station in at least 2% of all parking spaces

Question 42

3 types of parking that are included in Parking Capacity

Answer 42

1) New and existing surface parking spaces
2) New and existing garage or multilevel parking spaces
3) Any off-street parking spaces outside the project boundary that are available to the building’s users

Question 43

3 types of parking that are not included in Parking Capacity

Answer 43

1) On-street (parallel or pull-in) parking spaces on public rights of way
2) Parking spaces for fleet and inventory vehicles unless these vehicles are regularly used by employees for commuting as well as business purposes
3) Motorbike or bicycle spaces

Question 44

How does a vehicle become a “Green Vehicle”

Answer 44

It must achieve a minimum green score of 45 on the ACEEE annual vehicle rating guide.

Question 45

What is the focus of the Site Development Intent?

Answer 45

To protect the land and its human and wildlife occupants from further impacts.

Question 46

4 Site Development Intent Strategies

Answer 46

1) Avoid developing on environmentally sensitive lands
2) Locate the project on a site that has been previously developed
3) Locate the project on a high-priority site such as a brownfield
4) Develop in areas with existing infrastructure

Question 47

What areas are considered Sensitive Lands

Answer 47

1) Farmlands
2) Floodplains
3) Threatened or Endangered Species Habitats
4) Water Bodies
5) Wetlands

Question 48

What is the focus of the Health and Livability Intent?

Answer 48

To provide opportunities to increase the physical fitness of occupants by promoting more walking and bicycling.

Question 49

8 Health and Livability Intent Strategies

Answer 49

1) Develop in areas that promote walkability
2) Provide bicycle storage facilities, shower rooms, and bicycle networks in close proximity to diverse uses
3) Provide a bicycle maintenance program for employees or bicycle route assistance for employees and customers
4) Provide pedestrian amenities
5) Promote connectivity
6) Create a diverse community
7) Promote access to sustainable food
8) Provide access to grocery stores