SKIM
This SKIM section provides a look at the ten sections of the SITES v2 reference guide and explains the intent behind each prerequisite and credit.
Click the links below to learn more information about each category of this section.
Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 | Section 4 | Section 5 | Section 6 | Section 7 | Section 8 | Section 9 | Section 10
Section 1: Site Context
Particular attention is placed on understanding the context of where a project is located and developed. SITES requires careful planning and the protection of existing, functioning natural features that are unique, critical, sensitive, or threatened, such as farmlands, floodplains, wetlands, and wildlife habitats. These features provide essential ecosystem functions for wildlife, site users, and the surrounding community. SITES considers previous uses of the site and rewards projects that are located on degraded sites because of the opportunity and, sometimes the urgency, to restore ecosystem services in these areas. Redevelopment also reduces pressure on undeveloped land, or greenfields. This section also looks beyond the site boundary to consider how the surrounding area can contribute to reducing pollution, improving human health and well-being, and supporting local economies and communities.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 1.1: Limit development on farmland.
Intent: conserve farmland for future generations. - Prerequisite 1.2: Protect floodplain functions.
Intent: protect floodplain functions (e.g., storage, habitat, water quality benefits) by limiting new development within the 100-year floodplain. - Prerequisite 1.3: Conserve aquatic ecosystems.
Intent: conserve and protect aquatic ecosystems like wetlands and deepwater habitats that provide critical ecosystem functions. - Prerequisite 1.4: Conserve habitats for threatened and endangered species.
Intent: protect ecosystem function by avoiding development of areas that contain habitat for endangered plant and animal species.
Credits
- Credit 1.5: Redevelop degraded sites
Intent: protect ecosystem function and reduce resource consumption by building on urban and previously developed areas. - Credit 1.6: Locate projects within existing developed areas
Intent: reduce development impacts, support local economy and improve human health and well-being by selecting sites within existing developed areas. - Credit 1.7: Connect to multi-modal transit networks
Intent: improve human health and reduce pollution by selecting a site that connects to pedestrian, bicycle and mass transit networks.
Section 2: Pre-design Assessment and Planning
Before design begins, an integrated design team must conduct a comprehensive site assessment of existing physical, biological, and cultural conditions that will inform planning and design. This team must include experts in natural systems, design, construction, and maintenance, in addition to representatives of the community, the owners, and the intended site users.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 2.1: Use an integrative design process
Intent: optimize site performance by fostering a spirit of collaboration amongst the integrative design and construction team. - Prerequisite 2.2: Conduct a pre-design site assessment
Intent: maximize site performance by conducting an accurate and detailed assessment of site conditions and exploring options for sustainable outcomes prior to design. - Prerequisite 2.3: Designate and communicate Vegetation and Soil Protection Zones
Intent: maximize ecosystem services by designating and communicating to project team members a site development plan that protects healthy vegetation, soils and sensitive environmental features.
Credits
- Credit 2.4: Engage users and stakeholders
Intent: identify specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely project goals by engaging site users and stakeholders during the design process to supplement professional expertise and local knowledge.
Section 3: Site Design: Water
Natural systems are of critical value for their ability to store, clean, and distribute available water. This section encourages projects that are designed to conserve water, maximize the use of precipitation, and protect water quality. For example, a sustainable project may harvest rainwater on site and use it, rather than potable water, for irrigation and water features. The goal is to incorporate strategies and technologies that restore or mimic natural systems.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 3.1: Manage precipitation on site
Intent: reduce negative impacts to aquatic ecosystems, channel morphology and dry weather base flow by replicating natural hydrologic conditions and retraining precipitation on site. - Prerequisite 3.2: Reduce water for landscape irrigation
Intent: conserve water resources and minimize energy use by reducing the use of portable water, natural surface water and groundwater withdrawals for landscape irrigation after the establishment period.
Credits
- Credit 3.3: Manage precipitation beyond baseline
Intent: reduce negative impacts to site water balance, water quality and aquatic ecosystems by replicating natural hydrology and providing retention and treatment for precipitation on site. - Credit 3.4: Reduce outdoor water use
Intent: conserve water through irrigation methods and strategies that eliminate the use of potable water, and natural surface water for landscape irrigation and other outdoor use. - Credit 3.5: Design functional rainwater features as amenities
Intent: integrate aesthetically pleasing storm water features that are visually and physically accessible to the public and manage on-site storm water. - Credit 3.6: Restore aquatic ecosystems
Intent: support healthy aquatic ecosystems for people and wildlife, by restoring the ecological function that have been degraded, or destroyed.
Section 4: Site Design: Soil and Vegetation
This section requires proper soil management as a design element and construction priority. In addition to serving as the foundation for robust vegetation, healthy soils filter pollutants and help prevent excess runoff, erosion, sedimentation, and flooding. Using appropriate vegetation, managing invasive plants, and restoring biodiversity (emphasizing native species) are some key strategies that have multiple environmental, economic, and social benefits. They can reduce or eliminate landscape irrigation, increase the quality of wildlife habitat, promote regional identity, and reduce maintenance needs.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 4.1: Create and communicate a soil management plan
Intent: support healthy plants, biological communities and water storage and infiltration by planning for soil restoration in the design stage and limiting soil disturbance during construction. - Prerequisite 4.2: Control and manage invasive plants
Intent: limit damage to local ecosystem services by developing and implementing an active management plan for the control and subsequent management of known invasive plants found on site and by ensuring that no invasive species are brought to the site. - Prerequisite 4.3: Use appropriate plants
Intent: improve landscape performance and reduce resource use by installing only plants that are appropriate for site conditions, climate and design intent. - Prerequisite 4.4: Conserve healthy soils and appropriate vegetation
Intent: maintain existing ecosystem services, reduce resource use and protect soil by limiting the disturbance of existing plants and healthy soils.
Credits
- Credit 4.5: Conserve special status vegetation
Intent: protect existing ecosystem services by identifying and conserving all vegetation on site designated as special status by local, state or federal entities. - Credit 4.6: Conserve and use native plants
Intent: foster habitat for native wildlife that is necessary for plant reproduction by conserving or installing plants that are native to the site’s ecosystem. - Credit 4.7: Conserve and restore native plant communities
Intent: contribute to regional diversity of flora and provide habitat for native wildlife by conserving existing native plant communities and installing vegetation native to the ecoregion. - Credit 4.8: Optimize biomass
Intent: support the water, nutrient, atmospheric gas and climate regulation ecosystem service benefits provided by vegetation on site by maintaining or establishing regionally appropriate vegetative biomass. - Credit 4.9: Reduce urban heat island effects
Intent: minimize the effects on microclimate and human and wildlife habitat by using vegetation and reflective materials to reduce heat island effects. - Credit 4.10: Use vegetation to minimize building energy use
Intent: place vegetation or vegetated structures in strategic locations around regularly occupied buildings to reduce energy consumption and costs associated with indoor climate control. - Credit 4.11: Reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire
Intent: reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire on site and in adjacent landscapes by designing, building, and maintaining sites to manage fuels.
Section 5: Site Design: Materials Selection
Appropriate selection and use of materials can contribute to a project’s ability to support and enhance ecosystem services on the site and wherever the material exists throughout its life-cycle. The demolition, selection, procurement, and use of materials in site design and construction present considerable opportunities to decrease the amount of materials sent to landfills, to preserve natural resources, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to support the use of sustainable building products.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 5.1: Eliminate the use of wood from threatened tree species
Intent: minimize negative effects on ecosystems by purchasing wood products extracted only from non-threatened tree species.
Credits
- Credit 5.2: Maintain on-site structures and paving
Intent: extend the life cycle of buildings and infrastructure, conserve resources and reduce waste by maintaining structures and paving in their existing form. - Credit 5.3: Design for adaptability and disassembly
Intent: minimize materials use and waste over the life-cycle of a site by increasing the efficient use of materials, facilitating the reuse and recycling of materials resulting from renovation and demolition. - Credit 5.4: Reuse salvaged materials and plants
Intent: conserve resources and avoid landfilling useful materials by reusing salvaged materials and appropriate plants. - Credit 5.5: Use recycled content materials
Intent: reduce the consumption of virgin materials and avoid landfilling useful materials by purchasing products with recycled content. - Credit 5.6: Use regional materials
Intent: reduce energy use for transportation, increase demand for regional materials, plants and soils; and promote regional identity by supporting the use of local resources. - Credit 5.7: Support responsible extraction of raw materials
Intent: protect ecosystems, respect cultural and community values and improve land use through responsible extraction of raw materials for site design and construction. - Credit 5.8: Support transparency and safer chemistry
Intent: decrease harmful health and environmental impacts and encourage the use of safer alternatives by promoting the use of materials with available chemical inventories, life cycle information and hazard assessments. - Credit 5.9: Support sustainability in materials manufacturing
Intent: support sustainability in materials manufacturing by specifying and using materials from manufacturers whose practices increase energy efficiency, reduce resource consumption and waste and minimize negative effects on human health and the environment. - Credit 5.10: Support sustainability in plant production
Intent: support sustainable practices in plant production by purchasing plants, sod and seed from providers whose practices increase energy efficiency, reduce resource consumption and waste and minimize negative effects of human health and the environment.
Section 6: Site Design: Human Health and Well-Being
Any access to nature, whether in a park or natural area, or simply viewing green space during daily life, positively affects mental health and facilitates social connection. These effects are essential to healthy human habitat and extend to include positive physical health outcomes. This section promotes outdoor opportunities for physical activity, restorative and aesthetic experiences, and social interaction. It also encourages projects to address social equity in their design and development choices. The intent is to build stronger communities and create or renew a sense of environmental stewardship.
Credits
- Credit 6.1: Protect and maintain cultural and historic places
Intent: enhance a site’s identity and meaning by protecting and maintaining significant historic buildings, structures and objects as well as cultural landscapes. - Credit 6.2: Provide optimum site accessibility, safety and wayfinding
Intent: increase a site user’s ability to understand and access outdoor spaces by incorporating elements of accessibility, safety and wayfinding into site design. - Credit 6.3: Promote equitable site use
Intent: provide economic and social benefits to the local community by providing publicly available on-site events, facilities, amenities or programming. - Credit 6.4: Support mental restoration
Intent: improve human health and well-being by providing visual and physical connections to restorative outdoor spaces. - Credit 6.5: Support physical activity
Intent: improve human health by providing on-site opportunities that encourage physical activity. - Credit 6.6: Support social connection
Intent: strengthen community and encourage social connections by providing outdoor gathering spaces to support people gathering, eating, working and playing together. - Credit 6.7: Provide on-site food production
Intent: improve human health and well-being, community involvement and education about food production and nutrition by designing and managing food production on site. - Credit 6.8: Reduce light pollution
Intent: minimize negative effects on nocturnal environments and human health and functioning, reduce sky-glow and increase nighttime visibility by reducing light trespass on site. - Credit 6.9: Encourage fuel efficient and multi-modal transportation
Intent: reduce emissions and promote a healthy lifestyle by encouraging and supporting efficient and adaptable modes of transportation. - Credit 6.10: Minimize exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
Intent: improve human health by minimizing site users’ exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (i.e., secondhand smoke). - Credit 6.11: Support local economy
Intent: provide economic and social benefits to the local community during site construction by providing employment opportunities and purchasing local materials and services.
Section 7: Construction
Sustainable construction practices start with ensuring that contractors are aware of sustainability goals set in the initial design phase. Then, proper actions can be taken through the construction phase. This section encourages projects to protect air quality through low-emitting equipment, strive for a net-zero waste site, ensure healthy vegetation through soil restoration strategies, and protect receiving waters from polluted runoff and sedimentation.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 7.1: Communicate and verify sustainable construction practices
Intent: ensure site performance by communicating and verifying sustainable practices and throughout the construction process. - Prerequisite 7.2: Control and retain construction pollutants
Intent: protect receiving waters (including surface water, groundwater and combined sewers or rainwater systems), air quality and public safety by preventing and minimizing the discharge of construction site pollutants and materials. - Prerequisite 7.3: Restore soils disturbed during construction
Intent: support healthy plants, biological communities, water storage and infiltration by restoring soils distributed during construction.
Credits
- Credit 7.4: Restore soils disturbed by previous development
Intent: support healthy plants, biological communities, water storage and infiltration by restoring soils in areas disturbed by previous development. - Credit 7.5: Divert construction and demolition materials from disposal
Intent: support a net-zero waste site and minimize down-cycling of materials by diverting, reusing or recycling construction and demolition materials to avoid disposal in landfills or combustion in incinerators. - Credit 7.6: Divert reusable vegetation, rocks and soil from disposal
Intent: support a net-zero waste site by diverting from disposal vegetation, mineral and rock waste and soils generated during construction. - Credit 7.7: Protect air quality during construction
Intent: protect air quality and reduce pollution by using construction equipment that reduces emissions of localized air pollutants and greenhouse gasses.
Section 8: Operations and Maintenance
To produce a design and to meet performance goals that will conserve resources and reduce pollution and waste throughout the life of the project, work with a maintenance professional during the design phase. This section promotes maintenance strategies that maximize the site’s long-term potential in providing ecosystem services. Strategies include reducing material disposal, ensuring long-term health of soil and vegetation, reducing pollution, conserving energy, and encouraging the use of renewable energy.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 8.1: Plan for sustainable site maintenance
Intent: ensure long-term site sustainability by developing a site maintenance plan outlining the project’s strategies and required implementation tasks. - Prerequisite 8.2: Provide for storage and collection of recyclables
Intent: facilitate recycling and reduce waste generation and disposal in landfills by providing space for recyclable materials collection in outdoor areas. - Prerequisite 8.3: Recycle organic matter
Intent: support nutrient cycling, improve soil health and reduce transportation costs and materials going to landfills by recycling vegetation trimmings or food waste to generate compost and mulch.
Credits
- Credit 8.4: Minimize pesticide and fertilizer use
Intent: reduce stress on plants, decrease negative effects on human health and have the lowest possible negative ecological and environmental impacts by promoting practices based on observation and planning to minimize or eliminate synthetic pesticide and fertilizer use. - Credit 8.5: Reduce outdoor energy consumption
Intent: reduce greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing energy consumption and costs associated with site use and operations. - Credit 8.6: Use renewable sources for landscape electricity needs
Intent: reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with site operations and minimize air pollution, habitat destruction and pollution from fossil fuel-based energy production by supporting a renewable energy market. - Credit 8.7: Protect air quality during landscape maintenance
Intent: protect air quality and reduce pollution by minimizing the use of powered landscape maintenance equipment that exposes site users to localized air pollutants and generates greenhouse gasses.
Section 9: Education and Performance Monitoring
This section recognizes projects for efforts made to inform and educate the public about the project goals and sustainable practices implemented in site design, construction, and maintenance. It also creates an incentive to monitor, document, and report the performance of the site over time in order to influence and improve the body of knowledge in site sustainability.
Credits
- Credit 9.1: Promote sustainability awareness and education
Intent: promote understanding of sustainability in ways that positively influence user behavior by interpreting on-site features and processes. - Credit 9.2: Develop and communicate a case study
Intent: inspire and educate the public on the value of sustainable landscapes by describing and communicating a thoughtful and informative summary of the SITES project. - Credit 9.3: Plan to monitor and report site performance
Intent: improve the body of knowledge on long-term site sustainability by monitoring and documenting sustainable design practices to evaluate their performance over time.
Section 10: Innovation or Exemplary Performance
This section encourages creativity and innovation in fulfilling prerequisite and credit requirements. It awards bonus points to projects that demonstrate exemplary performance above and beyond the targets established by one or more of the credits. SITES also supports innovation by awarding extra points to projects that develop or pursue sustainable practices or meet benchmarks for sustainable performance that are not currently addressed in the SITES v2 Rating System.
Credits
- Credit 10.1: Innovation or exemplary performance
Intent: encourage and reward innovation and exemplary performance in site design, construction, and maintenance by providing examples and performance criteria outside the current SITES v2 Rating System.
