As sustainability and ESG performance become increasingly important for projects of all sizes, backgrounds, and locations, the LEED rating system for green buildings has become synonymous with energy efficiency and resilient design. But as most landscape architects know, sustainability can extend much further than the perimeter of a building.

The Sustainable SITES Initiative, also administered by Green Business Certification Inc., offers a comprehensive rating system for sustainable and resilient landscape development. The SITES and LEED rating systems are complementary and can be used independently or in tandem. SITES offers LEED to SITES Readiness tools and synergy documents to help project teams assess their eligibility and credit overlaps.

Many LEED-certified buildings have chosen to expand upon their commitment to efficiency and resilience through their landscapes. And last year, an entire neighborhood took advantage of the synergies between LEED and SITES.

In Austin, Texas, the Mueller neighborhood project was one of the first to achieve LEED for Neighborhood Development certification. The community’s Mary Elizabeth Branch Park is providing residents with a SITES certified place to gather and play – making Mueller the first project to combine these two rating systems in the world.

As developers become more aware of land’s immense potential to combat climate change and improve resilience, landscapes and buildings can work collaboratively to improve the performance of our spaces.