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City of Miami Beach Achieves LEED Gold Certification
(Miami Beach, FL) Jul 29, 2021 -
The City of Miami Beach announced today it has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for its sustainability initiatives — joining a select group of some 110 local governments around the world that have attained various levels of LEED certification throughout the United States, as well as in communities in Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia and India.
“Miami Beach continues to lead in its efforts to build a more resilient and sustainable city,” shared Miami Beach Commissioner Micky Steinberg, who sponsored the city’s Green Building Ordinance. “Receiving the LEED for Cities Gold certification is a great accomplishment, which showcases the city’s sustainability achievements and provides a framework for measuring our progress in the future.”
The Green Building Ordinance, for which the city received points in the certification process, requires new construction over 7,000 square feet or ground floor additions to existing structures that encompass more than 10,000 square feet of additional floor area to be LEED Gold certified or Living Building Challenge certified. In addition to the Green Building Ordinance, the city was also recognized for its alternative transportation options, its expansive green spaces and natural resources such as the dune system that protects the coastline, and its approach to civic and community engagement.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED for Cities and Communities program measures the performance of social, economic and environmental conditions across seven LEED credit categories and scores cities based on the total number of points achieved. The certification establishes a framework for healthy, sustainable, equitable and resilient cities around the world.
Other U.S. cities and counties that have achieved LEED certification include Orlando, Tampa, Tallahassee, St. Petersburg, Palm Beach County, Broward County and Hillsborough County, Florida; Costa Mesa and San Jose, California; Greensboro, North Carolina; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Washington, D.C.
Miami Beach achieved LEED Gold certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at improving sustainability and the standard of living for residents.
The key metrics tracked through the LEED Cities and Communities program will help support the first Miami Beach climate action plan, which includes setting greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and prioritizing mitigation actions in the sectors of energy and transportation.
“A sustainable city strives to offer its residents a higher living standard. A LEED city takes action and delivers measurable outcomes that improves overall quality of life for residents,” explained Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council. “Given the extraordinary importance of climate protection, building more resilient cities is crucial and Miami Beach’s LEED certification is a symbol of their leadership.”
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About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a healthy, resilient and equitable future for all through the development of green buildings, cities and communities. For more than 20 years, USGBC has been advancing green building practices through the development of LEED, the world’s most widely used green building program. With the support of thousands of members, volunteers and partners, USGBC provides robust green building education courses, a rigorous professional credentialing program, and advocates for effective public policies. It convenes an international network of green building and sustainability leaders through the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and forward-thinking programs, including the Center for Green Schools. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
