A project team wants to earn credit for Location and Transportation Credit, Site Selection, Option 3: Open Space. A qualifying lot should be located…

To achieve Location and Transportation (LT) Credit: Site Selection, Option 3, the project must be located within a 1/2 mile (800 meters) walking distance of a park or open space that is at least 3/4 acre (0.3 hectare). The open space can be composed of up to three parcels, provided each is at least 1/4 acre and they are contiguous. Option C meets these criteria: the home is within the 1/2 mile distance limit, and the two parcels (a 1/2 acre pond/walkway and a 1/4 acre park) are both over the minimum parcel size and sum to the required 3/4 acre total. Parcels separated by a street are considered contiguous.

A. A cornfield is typically considered agricultural land, not a qualifying park or publicly accessible recreational open space as intended by the credit.

B. The distance of 3/4 mile exceeds the maximum allowed walking distance of 1/2 mile specified in the credit requirements.

D. The distance of 3/4 mile exceeds the 1/2 mile limit, and the total area of 1/2 acre (1/4 + 1/4) is less than the required 3/4 acre.

1. U.S. Green Building Council. (2016). LEED v4 for Homes and Midrise. Washington, DC: U.S. Green Building Council. pp. 22-23. In the section "LT Credit: Site Selection," Option 3 requirements state, "Locate the home within a 1/2 mile (800 meters) walking distance...of a park or open space that is at least 3/4 acre...The park or open space may be composed of up to three parcels, as long as each parcel is at least 1/4 acre...and the parcels are contiguous."

2. U.S. Green Building Council. (2021). LEED v4.1 Homes and Midrise Rating System. Washington, DC: U.S. Green Building Council. p. 26. The requirements for LT Credit: Site Selection, Option 3 remain consistent with LEED v4, specifying the 1/2 mile distance to a 3/4 acre open space, with allowances for up to three contiguous parcels each being at least 1/4 acre.