Report estimates 1.2 million people experience LEED-certified retail centers daily

The U.S. Green Building Council has announced a new report, "LEED in Motion: Retail," that details the extensive involvement of the retail industry with LEED and the impact of the globally recognized green building rating system on retail development and the consumer experience.

The report is the latest in USGBC’s popular LEED in Motion series designed to equip readers with the insight and knowledge to understand LEED and to make the case for sustainable building practices worldwide.

Highlights of the LEED in Motion: Retail report include:

USGBC’s conceptualization of the future of retail, emphasizing the economic and social benefit of green building for retailers of all sizes and types.
Interviews with industry leaders, including Jonathan Balas, Senior Manager of Global Sustainability for Yum! Brands and Curt Radkin, Senior Vice President of Corporate Properties for Wells Fargo & Company.
Profiles of site-specific retail projects, including the Destiny USA shopping complex in Syracuse, the Nike Store at the Unicenter in Buenos Aires, and the Uš?e Shopping Mall in Belgrade.
Listing of the top 10 U.S. states and the top 10 countries with LEED for Retail certified projects.

The LEED in Motion report outlines the many ways LEED certification delivers a superior consumer experience, including the benefits of circulating fresh air, setting a consistently comfortable temperature and utilizing daylight wherever possible. Additionally, the report shows that 100 percent of those retailers participating in LEED reduced the pollution and land development impact of their buildings by meeting LEED’s sustainable site standard.

The report also includes a foreword from Starbucks, which achieved a milestone this year as it opened its 500th LEED-certified store. Profiles of Target, with 143 LEED-certified stores, and Kohl’s, with 434 LEED-certified stores are also included.

The LEED in Motion: Retail report is currently available to download for free on the USGBC website.

Founded in 2009 with an initial endowment of $1.9 million, HMC’s nonprofit Designing Futures Foundation (DFF) has donated about $230,000 in its three years of existence, including $105,000 in scholarships to California students. The grants help promising high schoolers with an interest in architecture, design, engineering, education, or healthcare pay for expenses like test preparation services, computers, and college entrance exam fees and tuition. The scholarships can be extended for up to five years of college.

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