Chapter 5 - Location & Transportation Flashcards
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
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
bicycle network
A path or series of paths in rural, urban, or suburban areas that are clearly marked for bicycle travel
brownfield
A property on which redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or possible presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant
buildable land
The portion of a site where construction can occur, including land voluntarily set aside and not constructed on
community connectivity
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.
Density
a ratio of building coverage on a given parcel of land to the size of that parcel. Density can be measured using floor area ratio (FAR); dwelling units per acre (DU/acre) or dwelling units per hectare (DU/hectare); square feet of building area per acre of buildable land; or square meters of building area per hectare of buildable land. It does not include structured parking.
development density
The total square footage of all buildings within a particular area measured in square feet per acre (square meter per hectare)
diverse use
buildings serving different functions clustered in the same area
Floodplain
Land that is likely to be flooded by a storm of a given size (such as a 100-year storm)
floor-area ratio (FAR)
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.
Development footprint
The total land area of a project site covered by buildings, streets, parking areas, and other typically impermeable surfaces constructed as part of the project.
Surfaces paved with permeable pavement (at least 50% permeable) are excluded from the development footprint.
global warming
The increase in temperature of Earth’s atmosphere due primarily to the greenhouse gases released from the burning of fossil fuels such as wood, coal, natural gas, and oil.
Greenfield
A site that has never been built on or developed for human use.
greenhouse gases
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.
green vehicles
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.
Habitat
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.
infill development
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.
Infrastructure
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.
pooled parking
Parking spaces that are shared among two or more buildings.
preferred parking
Parking spaces that have the shortest walking distance to the main entrance of the project, exclusive of spaces designated for people with disabilities.
previously developed/disturbed site
A site that once had buildings, roadways, and parking lots, or that was graded or otherwise altered by direct human activities.
prime farmland
Previously undeveloped land with soil suitable for cultivation. Avoiding development on prime farmland helps protect agricultural lands, which are needed for food production.
Redevelopment
Reusing previously developed land.
Remediation
The process of cleaning up a contaminated site by physical, chemical, or biological means. Remediation processes are typically applied to contaminated soil or groundwater.
shortest path analysis
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.
smart growth
An approach that protects open space and farmland by emphasizing development with houses, jobs, and services near each other.
total parking capacity
The total amount of parking spaces for a site that includes new and existing surface parking spaces, new and existing garage or multilevel, 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.
Walkability
A metric for how amenable an area is to walking.
water body
The surface water of a stream, arroyo, river, canal, lake, estuary, bay, or ocean. It does not include irrigation ditches.
wetlands
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.
ACEEE Annual Vehicle Rating Guide
LT Credit - Green Vehicles (1)
Credit requires green vehicles to achieve minimum green score of 45 on ACEEE annual vehicle rating guide.
Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Transportation Planning Handbook
LT Credit - Reduced Parking Footprint (1)
Credit requires that projects provide parking capacity that is a percentage reduction below base ratios recommended by Parking Consultants Council
Location & Transportation (L&T) Credits
LEED for Neighborhood Development - 16
or
Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses - 5
Access to Quality Transit - 5
High Priority Site - 2
Sensitive Land Protection - 1
Bicycle Facilities - 1
Reduced Parking Footprint - 1
Green Vehicles - 1
