Each month in 2023, USGBC will share a handpicked education course or two about a specific aspect of green building that will be free for that month only. For the month of July, take advantage of two free courses exploring biodiversity, landscapes, and sustainable sites.
Creating a Biodiverse Landscape in an Urban Redevelopment: SITES Platinum Bai'etan Exhibition Center
1 CE credit | Intermediate level | Created by GBCI | Video format
A former waterfront warehouse in an industrial district of Guangdong, the Bai’etan Exhibition Center is the first project in China to achieve SITES Platinum certification for its urban flood management and sustainability features. China has begun to invest in nature-based solutions, such as “sponge cities,” to build resilience into urban infrastructure. The Bai’etan team restored the site’s riverbank to create a rich ecological habitat for terrestrial and aquatic wildlife, including the region’s migratory waterfowl. The project features entirely native vegetation selected for both beauty and improved biodiversity. Today, the area includes five times more vegetation than its original square footage.
Busting Myths about LEED’s Sustainable Sites Category and Climate Adaptation
1.5 CE credits | Intermediate level | Created by USGBC | Webinar format from Greenbuild 2020
How can you leverage your building site and landscape to foster a more resilient built environment? The Sustainable Sites (SS) credit category in LEED is known to reward decisions and strategies related to a building’s surrounding environment, with credits that focus on integrating the site with local ecosystems and preserving the biodiversity on which natural systems rely. Nevertheless, there is still a gap in awareness about how SS credits help buildings become “resilience success stories.” USGBC’s Sustainable Sites expert discusses misconceptions about the credit category and shares how it synthesizes decarbonization and resilience strategies.
Free every month: Benefit from synergies between SITES and LEED BD+C
1.5 CE credits | Intermediate level | Created by USGBC | Online format
You are likely already familiar with the SITES and LEED rating systems, but did you know how well they align with each other to optimize sustainability for the whole project – building and the site? The “Synergies between SITES and LEED” document outlines a list of substitutions and equivalences between SITEf&S v2 and LEED v4 for Building Design and Construction. The rating systems are complementary and can be used independently or in tandem. This course is eligible for LEED- and SITES-specific CE hours.