This article was originally published as "LEED+: Projects implementing LEED are poised to leverage the shared advantages of complementary rating systems" in the November/December issue of USGBC+. Read the original version.

HP’s Boise project is the first to earn a SITES certification in the state of Idaho

The ASLA Annual Meeting and Expo is the largest gathering of landscape architecture professionals and students in the world. Join us at this year’s annual meeting in Los Angeles from October 20–23. Choose from over 120 educational sessions and explore hundreds of new products, services, technology applications and design solutions on the expo floor. Register now to gain perspective and establish new connections within the profession.

The Ocean State has taken a big step toward embracing sustainable development and landscapes. Building on the state’s eight-year legacy of green public buildings policy, the Rhode Island legislature has passed a bill to expand its coverage to include public lands.

Achieving your SITES AP credential demonstrates your expertise in sustainable landscape design and devopment to the world, and the GBCI-administered exams to qualify for the credential are delivered at Prometric testing centers in 160 countries.

Now, however, for regions where traveling to a testing center presents a challenge, or for large groups wishing to schedule their exams together, GBCI offers a still more convenient option: the Alternative Exam Delivery (AED) program.

Too often, landscapes, infrastructure and buildings are designed without regard to their harmful impact on our scarce resources, essential ecological systems and quality of life. Population growth and development are causing our communities to use more resources than ever before, which means more waste. We must think beyond the building to gain the benefits of healthy ecosystems.

It’s been quite an exciting year for SITES. We launched the SITES AP professional credential, certified our first round of projects under the SITES v2 rating system and witnessed SITES becoming a truly global program as projects registered around the world.

Greenbuild is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. It is the go-to place for the industry to convene and shape the future of the green building and sustainability movement.

This year, SITES and sustainable landscape design will be featured throughout the conference. Join us in Boston from November 8 to 10 for renowned speakers, engaging sessions, an interactive exhibit hall and valuable networking.

Southern California faces a variety of unique environmental and climate-related challenges that can be addressed through more sustainable land development practices. The SITES rating system can be used to develop landscapes on sites with or without buildings and takes into account significant water scarcity, coastal issues and high urban density concerns.

Learn how you can integrate GBCI’s SITES v2 rating system into the development and ongoing maintenance of your projects. Register for our SITES Workshop at Greenbuild China on October 16, 2017.