Land and Natural Development (LAND) Code: Guidelines for Sustainable Land Development

Sustainable land development strategies based on scientific information Land and Natural Development (LAND) Code offers a pioneering method to develop sites in harmony with natural processes that is solidly based on peer–reviewed scientific findings. While the LAND Code can be readily used in conjunction with LEED, EPA, and other guidelines, it features several unique characteristics, including: Recommendations based on peer–reviewed scientific research Rating scheme that weights each development and land use practice based on its environmental benefit and difficulty of implementation Straightforward, step–by–step system that is accessible to non–experts Focus on land rather than buildings Extensive use of photographs and diagrams to illustrate practices and procedures After an introduction, the book begins with chapters covering water, soil, air, living resources, energy, and materials. Throughout these chapters, the authors recommend tested and proven strategies that minimize disruption of the natural processes. Each chapter provides background, describes benefits for both developers and ecosystems, and recommends protective strategies in simple, non–technical language (a glossary is provided explaining all terms not in common usage). A toolbox of environmental engineering methods to implement the strategies follows, and the final chapter of the book provides a series of examples of actual development projects in which a variety of approaches have successfully attained sustainable development. With its emphasis on scientific understanding, the LAND Code offers you the information needed to make and implement decisions for ecologically sound land development.

Acknowledgments. CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION. What This Book is About. Why This Book. How to Use This Book. How Land Code Points Were Determined. How We Use the Term Sustainability . How This Book Came About. CHAPTER 2. WATER. Site Drainage. Impervious Surfaces. Stormwater Quality. Water Conservation and Reuse. CHAPTER 3. SOILS. Erosion Prevention and Control. Soil Health and Integrity. CHAPTER 4. AIR QUALITY AND MICROCLIMATE. CHAPTER 5. LIVING RESOURCES. Living Resources Conservation Plan. Preserving and Restoring Habitat. Buffering Critical Habitat. Landscape Connectivity. Road Placement and Design. Native Species and Landscape Heterogeneity. Selected Resources for Identifying Native and Invasive Species. CHAPTER 6. ENERGY. CHAPTER 7. INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY AND MATERIALS. CHAPTER 8. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING. Erosion Prevention and Control. Stormwater Management: Runoff Quality and Quantity. Renewable Energy. Computer Models. CHAPTER 9. DIFFERENT PATHS TO SUSTAINABILITY. Case Studies. Points Checklist. Glossary. References. Index.

DIANA BALMORI , PhD, is the founder of New York City–based Balmori Associates, a firm that is internationally recognized for its success in realizing complex urban projects that integrate innovative sustainability systems and patterns of use within an overarching sense of place. Her firm has created master plans ranging from a blueprint for Bilbao, Spain, to the design for the Farmington Canal Rail Trail to a waterfront park on the Mississippi River. Balmori Associates is implementing a 46,000–square–foot network of green roofs in Long Island City, New York. She has been appointed to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts through 2007. Balmori teaches at the Yale School of Architecture as well as at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. GABOURY BENOIT , PhD, is associate dean for research and professor of Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Engineering at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. At Yale, he is also director of the Center for Coastal and Watershed Systems and codirector of the Hixon Center for Urban Ecology. Dr. Benoit′s research focuses on the behavior, transport, and fate of chemicals in natural waters, soils, sediments, and biota. Special areas of interest are non–point source pollutants, toxic contaminants, and human–environment interactions in urban areas.