Most U.S. and international jurisdictions were established long before climate change, sustainability, resilience and equity became priority issues. Today, these jurisdictions—many with limited resources—are playing catch-up.

Despite the urgency of these priority issues, there is plenty of good news. For one, public awareness is greater than ever, and many highly skilled and educated individuals are stepping up to take on climate change and related issues. What’s more, President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act legislation have made a significant amount of funding available to address these diverse but interrelated challenges. Of equal importance, new tools are being introduced to help jurisdictions benchmark, plan and implement initiatives that will help them more fully prepare for the future.

One of the most comprehensive and effective tools available today is USGBC’s LEED for Cities and Communities rating system. LEED for Cities was created to help jurisdictions of all sizes realize a more resilient, sustainable and equitable future.

The rating system is built around seven core categories. They include frameworks for measuring and managing integrative, community-wide planning; natural systems and ecology; transportation and land use; water efficiency; energy and GHG emissions; waste management; and quality of life.

Hilari Varnadore was instrumental in the development of the STAR Community Rating System, the nation’s first framework and certification program for city-scale sustainability. Varnadore later amplified the STAR rating system’s impact on the industry by working with USGBC to integrate it into the city-specific pilot of LEED for Cities and Communities. Today, hundreds of cities, towns and counties have committed to this LEED rating system, and more than 200 are registered and/or certified.

Conversation highlights:

The scope of the city framework in LEED for Cities and Communities: “LEED for Cities goes beyond buildings to improve sustainability and resilience of an entire jurisdiction," Varnadore said. "It’s really looking at all of the things that are happening within that jurisdiction. Local governments that commit to certification are going to be working on diverse topics—things like access to green spaces, renewable energy, land use planning, housing affordability, public health, economic growth, responsible procurement and more.”
Updating city-specific guidelines of LEED for Cities and Communities in 2023: “We worked with all of the local governments that certified over the last five years. Their direct feedback went into our update. So, when you ask, ‘How does [LEED for Cities] evolve, it’s really built by and for local governments. We work very closely with [them] to ensure that this is something that they need… [The process is] very connected to the market.”
Remaining relevant: “We’re always looking for feedback from local governments—and those who work with local governments—about what’s working now, what they’d like to see, what interests them. Are there new products that we should be thinking about? Are there other tools that could make this work easier or [make it] more helpful?”

Additional information

The following resources provide helpful information regarding cities within the LEED for Cities and Communities framework:

LEED for Cities informational packet for local governments
"LEED for Cities" brochure
LEED for Cities Local Government Leadership Program page
"About LEED for Cities and Communities: Existing Cities" document
"How LEED for Cities Works: Accelerating Sustainability in Local Governments" article
LEED for Cities and Communities: Existing Cities Educational Resources page

If you have any questions about the program and how LEED benefits cities, email us at cities@usgbc.org.

Listen to the Q&A

Listen to Q&A podcast with Hilari Varnadore, vice president of LEED for Cities