USGBC Selects LEED Development Village

Santa Fe, NM, July 30, 2007--The Village at Galisteo Basin Preserve, a community preserve combining large-scale land conservation with environmentally responsible development, said that it is one of 234 projects – and by far the largest of three in New Mexico – to be accepted into the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Neighborhood Development Pilot Program. 

Conducted by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) in partnership with the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC),

the LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) Pilot Program is establishing the first national standard for neighborhood design based on integrated principles of smart growth, new urbanism, and green building.  The rating system will help planners and developers create communities that protect the environment as well as address public health and quality-of-life issues, such as physical activity, respiratory health, accessible services, and affordable housing.

“The LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot project is an opportunity for us to guide the Village at Galisteo Basin Preserve with the highest standards for responsible community building,” said Ted O. Harrison, president of Commonweal Conservancy, the nonprofit conservation-development organization initiating the Village at Galisteo Basin Preserve.  “It’s exciting to work closely with these organizations in an effort to spearhead progressive development on a national scale.”

The Village at Galisteo Basin Preserve is a 300-acre, resource-efficient, mixed-use community surrounded by and supporting more than 12,000 acres of conservation lands in northern New Mexico’s Galisteo Basin.  Designed for economic and social diversity, the village’s 965 units will include a range of home types, sizes, and 30% affordable housing.  Commercial, educational, and civic development will foster an active, walkable village core, while parks, trails, and open space will connect neighborhoods, link the Village to the larger Basin, and encourage a culture of stewardship.

“The LEED for Neighborhood Development program goes beyond individual green buildings and focuses on community-wide design and development,” said Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC president, CEO and founding chair.  “Our pilot projects are leading the way for the development of smarter and healthier communities throughout the U.S.” 

The LEED-ND rating system will evaluate communities on criteria related to location and linkage to the larger community, neighborhood pattern and design, and green construction and technology.  LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a development's location and design meet accepted high standards for environmentally responsible, sustainable development.  The pilot program is expected to conclude in 2008.

The Village at Galisteo Basin Preserve: Environmentally Responsible Highlights

Environmentally responsible plans for the Village at Galisteo Basin Preserve include:

Community-scale wastewater recycling, water catchment, and aquifer recharge;

Healthy green-building practices and standards, including high-performance energy and water efficiency;

Community-based energy systems (concentrated solar power (CSP), wind, e.g.);

Transit-oriented strategies, such as a transit center with a Santa Fe Southern Railway access point, bus or van service, and car-share program;

Community design for passive-solar gain in building siting;

Community open-space stewardship: land conservation and restoration;

Walkable village center with commercial, educational, and civic services;

Planning that accounts for steep-slope, soil, view-shed, and habitat protection; and

Environmental education resources, including the involvement of Charter School No. 37.

For more information about the Village at Galisteo Basin Preserve, please visit www.galisteobasinpreserve.com