First Three Sustainable Sites Projects Certified

The program was established to provide comprehensive guidelines and performance benchmarks for built landscapes, comparable to the LEED rating systems for buildings. The four-star SITES system focuses on hydrology, soils, vegetation, materials, and human health and well-being, with a total of 250 possible points in specific areas such as brownfield use, native vegetation, and use of recycled materials.

Of the first three SITES projects certified, the Missouri headquarters of Novus International achieved three stars, while a green space at the University of Texas–Arlington and a playground in Memphis, Tennessee, each earned one star. Among the features of the three-star Novus headquarters are stormwater retention basins providing aquatic habitat, a prairie walking trail, and a staff-maintained vegetable garden fed by a windmill-powered well. For more information, see www.sustainablesites.org.