LEED for Cities Local Government Leadership Program

USGBC and Bank of America have partnered to support the LEED for Cities Local Government Leadership Program. The goal of the one-year program is to help local governments get organized, set goals, collect data, and apply for LEED for Cities certification. Certification provides a springboard for civic engagement, cross-agency coordination, integrated budgeting and performance management, partnerships with philanthropy, and economic development.

$2.4m

investment by Bank of America

90

local governments engaged

12.5m+

population represented

Local governments engaged in the program receive a range of benefits including access to orientation and training; ongoing technical support; peer-to-peer networking and collaboration; and opportunities to showcase leadership through marketing, communications, conferences and events.

Cohort participants

Click the year to view the cohort participants.

2017
2019
2020
2021
2022
2022 - Florida
2023

National cohort participants

Abington Township, PA
Albuquerque, NM
Amesbury, MA
Atlanta, GA
Atlantic Beach, FL
Baltimore, MD
Billings, MT
Birmingham, AL
Bloomington, IN
Cape Canaveral, FL
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, IL
Cincinnati, OH
Claremont, CA
Cleveland, OH
Columbia, SC
Coral Gables, FL
Costa Mesa, CA
Cutler Bay, FL
Davidson, NC
Dayton, OH
Durango, CO
Fayetteville, AR
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Greensboro, NC
Hattiesburg, MS
Henderson, NV
Houston, TX
Issaquah, WA
Ithaca, NY
Johnson County, KS
Jupiter Inlet Colony, FL
Kane County, IL
Kansas City, MO
La Crescent, MN
Las Vegas, NV
Long Beach, CA
Louisville, KY
Miami Beach, FL
Miami, FL
Miami-Dade County, FL
Middleton, WI
Nashua, NH
Newark, NJ
Northampton, MA
Oakland County, MI
Orange County, FL
Orange County, NC
Orange County, NY
Orlando, FL
Palm Beach County, FL
Phoenix, AZ
Pinellas County, FL
Pueblo County, CO
Racine, WI
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Reno, NV
Royal Oak, MI
San Diego County, CA
San Jose, CA
Santa Fe, NM
Santa Monica, CA
Sarasota, FL
Shaker Heights, OH
State College, PA
Tampa, FL
Tempe, AZ
Tucson, AZ
Washington, DC
West Palm Beach, FL
Largo, FL
South Bend, IN
Lexington, KY
Palm Coast, FL
Colorado Springs, CO
Plano, TX
Grand Junction, CO
Scottsdale, AZ
San Diego, CA
Lantana, FL
Des Moines, IA
North Miami, FL
Lawrence, KS

2022 Florida cohort participants

The success of the national cohort has begun to inspire regional cohorts and in 2022 the first Florida state cohort of cities and counties commenced. At the state or regional level, partnerships with local universities and their students and connections with mentor cities and counties are being tested.

Broward County, FL
Hallandale Beach, FL
Oldsmar, FL
Sarasota County, FL
Titusville, FL
Treasure Island, FL

Testimonials

Cincinnati has worked hard to be a sustainability leader and innovator... obtaining the LEED for Cities certification provides proof that our efforts are working and guidance about where our future projects will have the most impact.
- Mayor John Cranley,
City of Cincinnati, OH

We know these are very challenging times... being able to work together with other communities with the technical assistance that [USGBC] provides... the collaboration and sense of solidarity is so key to making progress and getting us all where we need to be together.
- Mayor John Hamilton,
City of Bloomington, IN

This year, Costa Mesa took major efforts forward on our sustainability journey and it's wonderful to see our city being recognized on a national scale for its leadership.
- Mayor Katrina Foley,
City of Costa Mesa, CA

Program journey

Once applications are reviewed and local governments are selected to participate, the program commences with a multi-day orientation and training event open to staff, elected and appointed officials, and partners. USGBC staff guides each team through the rating system and certification process, leading exercises such as goal setting and roadmap development consistent with the requirements in IP Credit: Integrative Planning and Leadership.

After the training, project leaders connect with their internal departments and partners to begin identifying and collecting data for certification. The leadership program convenes the project leaders regularly throughout the year to share progress and best practices. Each local government receives a dedicated USGBC liaison who checks in regularly, helps to resolve issues, and provides feedback and support.

Each local government is responsible for gathering the data necessary for certification. When the local government has completed the application to their specification, they submit for review. GBCI provides a robust, third-party review with two phases: preliminary and final. A results report is generated along with a case study at the time of certification. USGBC provides communications and marketing support, including a certificate and resources to announce and celebrate the certification.

Beyond the program year, local governments shift their focus to evaluating results, prioritizing investments and next steps, and communicating impact. USGBC works closely with all participants to showcase their stories in webinars, articles, conference sessions and workshops.

Apply

The LEED for Cities Local Government Leadership Program typically issues a call for applications in the first quarter of each calendar year. If you are interested in applying, please contact cities@usgbc.org to learn when applications will be available and to be added to the waitlist.

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