Location and Transportation Flashcards
A project team is removing from the design a solar car shading device that also serves as a fueling station. Which of the following is this most likely to impact?
(Choose 2)
A. Reduced parking footprint B. Rainwater management C. Heat island reduction D. Green vehicles
Heat island reduction
Solar car shading devices are a shading strategy for reducing heat islands.
and
Green vehicles
Green vehicles require recharging stations. Taking away the fueling station impacts this requirement.
How would the distance from a building’s entrance to the nearest bus stop be measured?
By calculating the walking distance along infrastructure that is safe and comfortable for pedestrians
When calculating the walking distance for credits such as Diverse Uses, a walkable route is used for the measurement. LEED 2009 used a radius to calculate the distance, but this did not accurately determine pedestrian access.
Which of the following is a priority designation used in LEED?
To encourage investment in economically disadvantaged or low-income areas
The high-priority site credit helps project teams identify priority development areas. LEED projects can earn points for building in what tend to be disadvantaged neighborhoods.
A developer is planning a mixed-use project that will include 1,000 single family homes, office space, retail, and townhomes. Which of the following neighborhood design strategies help promote community connectivity?
Street-grid patterns
A street pattern is how the streets are laid out. A street-grid pattern is one in which streets are laid out in squares/rectangles. Consider a city center that has blocks and how quickly individuals can get around compared to a suburban area in which the streets are not designed in a grid.
Note:
Walkability is what LEED calls connectivity, and it is the ability for people to get from place to place easily without using automobiles. Connectivity encourages walking by making it easier for people to get around.
When developing communities focus on creating sustainable sites, this includes designing walkable streets, promoting connectivity by using a street-grid pattern, providing diverse land uses that include a mix of services (such as shops and restaurants), and creating a diverse community by providing housing types for a wide range of incomes and promoting alternative transportation.
Providing housing types for a wide range of incomes, helps with the human element of the triple bottom line but having a diverse neighborhood does not promote connectivity.
Gated communities block people from moving freely through the community to get to the other side, hindering walkability.
Which of the following is NOT a type of diverse use?
A. A barber shop B. A public park C. A police station D. An ATM
An ATM
A diverse use is ‘a distinct, officially recognize 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. It does not include automated facilities such as ATMs, vending machines, and touchscreens.’
A project team developing a library on a greenfield site decides to reduce the project’s parking footprint. Which of the following additional areas of the project could this also aid?
A. Increasing the project density B. Protecting sensitive land C. Restoring habitat D. Encouraging walkable design
Protecting sensitive land
One of the synergies with parking reduction is that the land now not being used for parking is being protected from development, reducing the environmental impact from the location of a building on a site.
Note:
Reducing the parking does not increase a project’s density. This protects habitat, it does not restore it. The size of a parking lot doesn’t equate to increasing walkability.
What is NOT an example of smart growth?
A. Retail, office, and residential townhouses on the site of a former gas station
B. Residential development on a previously developed site located near shops and schools
C. Neighborhood design that has offices and shops within walking distance to public transportation
D. Development of a site that is far from existing development and infrastructure
Development of a site that is far from existing development and infrastructure
Smart growth is developing in areas near transportation, housing, and jobs in order to leave open spaces and farmland free from development.
This example of development is most likely on a greenfield which is not preferable to infill development.
A project team wants to reuse a building in a historic district for a project. Which of the following credit areas will this aid?
(Choose 2)
A. Sensitive land protection B. Building lifecycle impact reduction C. Protecting or restoring habitat D. High-priority sites
Building lifecycle impact reduction
Building lifecycle impact reduction is rewarded in the Materials credits.
and
High-priority sites
A historic building is a type of high-priority site LEED rewards projects for choosing.
What factors related to location would NOT affect a project team’s priorities?
A. There are no banks nearby that provide construction loans B. The community emphasizes sports and athletics for all ages C. Local zoning requires all buildings to be no more than four stories high D. The area only receives 12" (30 cm) of rainfall each year
There are no banks nearby that provide construction loans
The natural surroundings of a project, the available infrastructure, and the history of the area are all factors that may impact project decisions.
A project’s natural surroundings can include the quantity of sunshine, soil types, precipitation, native vegetation.
The human factors of the site, or its social aspects may include the history of the area, connections to other areas, local codes and regulations, the people who live there and their traditions. For example in New Orleans you might have a community that has a tradition of music. In many southern towns in the United States there is an emphasis on football and sports.
The available infrastructure would be important to also identify - materials that are available, highways and roads, public transit, electricity and water utilities.
Which of the following are examples of infill development?
(Choose 2)
A. A store built between two existing urban buildings B. A design that increases the number of units of residential space per acre C. The development of a brownfield site D. An office project on a previously developed site in a city center
A store built between two existing urban buildings
This example is a type of infill project.
and
An office project on a previously developed site in a city center
This example is a type of infill project.
Notes:
Infill development occurs within established urban areas where the site or area either is a vacant place between other developments or has previously been used for another urban purpose.
A design that increases the number of units of residential space per acre is an example of a compact development strategy. The project is putting more people in a given amount of space. This reduces the need for additional construction elsewhere to accommodate the same amount of people.
What credit category rewards project teams for taking advantage of existing patterns of development and land density?
A. Regional Priority B. Sustainable Sites C. Innovation D. Location and Transportation
Location and Transportation
LT focuses on the surrounding community of the project and what currently exists - is there public transportation, existing infrastructure, a previously developed site to build on, etc.?
Note:
Sustainable Sites
Sustainable Sites address on-site ecosystems.
Which of the following helps encourage building users to take alternative transportation?
A. Including off-street parking spaces B. Using permeable paving for parking lots C. Reducing the number of bicycle spaces D. Sharing parking among two or more buildings E. Limiting parking
Limiting parking
A LEED strategy to reduce occupants from driving their own vehicles to the project site is to make it harder for them to find a parking spaces. (It’s true!) This encourages the users to seek other modes of transportation.
If a project team is interested in developing on a previously developed site but this option is infeasible, which of the following options should the project team consider next?
A. Not disturbing sensitive land types B. Conducting a soil survey C. Locating prime farmland D. Developing on a greenfield
Not disturbing sensitive land types
If previously developed land is not an option, the next best thing is trying not to disturb sensitive land types:
Prime farmland Floodplains Endangered habitat Water bodies Wetlands
Which of the following use-type categories determine diverse uses?
(Choose 2)
A. Civic and community facilities B. Stores C. Restaurants D. Food retail
Civic and community facilities
and
Food retail
A diverse use is 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. It does not include automated facilities such as ATMs, vending machines, and touchscreens.
There are five categories of use types:
Food retail Community-serving retail Services Civic and community facilities Community anchor uses
Which of the following does NOT support users seeking alternative transportation options?
A. Including alternative-fuel facilities B. Providing preferred parking for green vehicles C. Installing bicycle storage D. Sharing parking among two or more buildings
Sharing parking among two or more buildings
A project team is reviewing potential sites for a new office building. Which of the following sites would be preferred?
A. Choosing a site in a LEED for Neighborhood Development location B. Building on a greenfield C. Selecting a site that requires occupants to drive 40 minutes each way to the building D. Locating the site in an area with pedestrian access to 4 retail shops
Choosing a site in a LEED for Neighborhood Development location
Project teams that select to build in a LEED-ND neighborhood are choosing a site that has connection with the surrounding community and good location and transportation attributes already. Note that LEED-ND projects may include residential uses, non-residential uses, or a mix.
Notes:
This question asks how to avoid picking an inappropriate site. In other words, what is the most appropriate site that will have the greatest positive impact from the available choices?
Greenfield sites are not preferred for LEED.
The driving distance would not make this a good site.
This is good to promote walkability and reduce vehicle distance traveled, but LEED prefers a variety of diverse uses - not just retail shops.
What urban area is a best choice for a LEED project?
A. Areas with high development density B. Areas without existing infrastructure C. Areas that have not been previously developed D. Areas with zero-lot-lines
Areas with high development density
Choosing urban areas that are previously developed with high development densities can earn LEED credit.
Note:
Projects far from existing infrastructure require more natural resources to connect the building to utilities and highways. Projects cannot earn credits for building on lots that are not previously developed. Zero-lot-lines are sites with little to no open space.
If a project owner locates a building close to a bicycle network, which of the following project elements could decrease?
A. Surrounding density B. Rainwater runoff C. The number of diverse uses D. Parking
Parking
Reducing parking is a LEED strategy for encouraging alternative transportation. Likewise, locating a project near a bicycle network is intended to reduce vehicle miles traveled and thus the parking required for those vehicles (local code permitting).
