Over the course of the past decade, communities throughout Florida have seen the rapid adoption of sustainability principles integrated into the buildings in which we live, work and play. With more than 2,800 LEED certified commercial buildings in the State of Florida (representing more than 174 million gross square feet), and another 190+ million sf of Energy Star buildings, there is little question that developers and project teams are seeing the value of creating healthy and high performing green buildings.

New guidance connects sustainability and health as part of economic recovery and response

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, projects from Maine to Alabama to California continue to pursue SITES certification. Newly registered projects in 2020 include:

In the SITES Guiding Principles, we aspire to create and implement outdoor spaces that respond to economic, environmental, and cultural conditions. COVID-19 has increased both the urgency and challenge of ensuring access to parks, trails, and other landscapes while also supporting social distancing.

Since its inception, the SITES rating system has helped projects of all types, sizes, and locations become more sustainable and resilient. Functional landscapes create a multitude of benefits for the communities who enjoy them – from reducing stormwater runoff to improving the health and wellbeing of those who visit. SITES was also created with its users in mind: Intended to be a flexible and widely applicable to projects across the world.