Sustainable Sites Initiative

Report

The Sustainable Sites Initiative Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks – Draft 2008 is the product of more than two years of work by a diverse group of experts in soils, hydrology, vegetation, materials and human health and well-being. It is expanded and updated from the Preliminary Report which was released in November of 2007. This report focuses on measuring how a site can protect, restore and regenerate ecosystem services – benefits provided by natural ecosystems such as cleaning air and water, climate regulation and human health benefits. This report contains over 50 draft prerequisites and credits that cover all stages of the site development process from site selection to landscape maintenance.

The Initiative worked to develop sustainable land practices that will enable built landscapes to support natural ecological functions by protecting existing ecosystems and regenerating ecological capacity where it has been lost. The guidelines in this report can be applied right away to support new sustainable practices wherever possible—with the understanding that the benchmarks today are still a work in progress.

Public comment and suggestions for improvement will be taken into account for the Sustainable Sites Initiative Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009. We invite you to read and comment on this report.

Click here to participate in the review process.