LEEDing you into a Greener Neighborhood

Is your apartment building LEED certified? Who cares - that's sooo last year.

Now, LEED certification is expanding from buildings to entire neighborhoods with the arrival of LEED-ND ("Neighborhood Development"). This is the first year projects can apply for this designation.

LEED for Neighborhood Development is a collaboration among the United States Green Building Council, Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. The emphasis is on smart growth, urbanism, and green building - and apartment dwellers are likely to play a central role.

Here are the requirements for the LEED-ND certification and how those in apartments and other renters fit into the picture.