The U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system has been recognized by the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation (RNRF) with its 2011 Outstanding Achievement Award.
LEED for Neighborhood Development integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building into the first national system for neighborhood design.
The rating system was honored at an awards ceremony held on Nov. 10 in Washington, DC.
"LEED for Neighborhood Development is transforming communities around the world into walkable, sustainable and economically thriving communities," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC.
"Being recognized with the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Foundation is truly an honor and further validates the important work we are doing through the rating systems' development and refinement."
The annual award recognizes a project, publication, piece of legislation, or similar concrete accomplishment in the natural resources field.
USGBC shares the award with its collaborators on the rating system - the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
101 projects have completed at least one stage of certification in the pilot program and of the 115 projects that have registered under LEED-ND 2009, two have now completed a stage of certification.