LEED-ND and Livability Revisited

Abstract

This study examines LEED-ND’s criteria for Neighborhood Pattern and Design (NPD). LEED- ND was developed as a system for rating new neighborhoods on the sustainability of their planning. However, it has increasingly been adopted by cities as a de facto measure of “livable” neighborhood design and used to accelerate development processes. We hypothesize that these criteria do not area is Temescal, a gentrifying neighborhood in Oakland, CA. livability very highly. Furthermore, residents consistently rated and ranked NPD characteristics quite differently than did LEED-ND, system. We propose that a single set of weighted, prescriptive desired amenities of different communities.

About the Authors

Geoff Boeing is a Ph.D. student studying City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley. His research revolves around urban form, complexity theory, and the intertwined relationship between normative urban design and emergent features of urban form arising from complex systems. He is also the graduate student instructor for UC Berkeley’s Urban Informatics and Visualization course.

Daniel Church (Master of City Planning, 2015) is interested in urban design, most specifically implementing suburban retrofitting and placemaking as catalytic tools to spur economic development and create more walkable urban spaces.

Lilija Rudis (Master of City Planning, 2015) focuses her research on environmental planning and urban design, particularly how sustainable design and development can be used to create more resilient, equitable, and livable cities.

Julie Mickens (Master of Landscape Architecture, 2014) studies ecological, functional landscape systems in planned communities, suburban retrofits, and urban environments.

Haley Hubbard (Master of City Planning, 2015) is interested in urban design and the policies that shape design decisions, with a specific focus on the design of the public realm.