Chapter 5 - Location & Transportation

Question 1

American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

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 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.

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

buildings serving different functions clustered in the same area

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

Development footprint

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

global warming

Answer 12

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.

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, 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

ACEEE Annual Vehicle Rating Guide

Answer 31

LT Credit - Green Vehicles (1)

Credit requires green vehicles to achieve minimum green score of 45 on ACEEE annual vehicle rating guide.

Question 32

Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Transportation Planning Handbook

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Location & Transportation (L&T) Credits

Answer 33

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