By David Abell & Ryan O'Neill, USGBC, LEED for Cities
March 10, 2025 -- Whether it is through new construction or by operating and maintaining assets, local governments continue to use LEED as a winning strategy. Over 2 million square feet of new projects were registered by federal, state and local governments in 2024, and over 60% of that was made up of local government projects.
In fact, last year local governments increased the square footage of LEED-registered projects by 58% over 2023 and 140% since 2022. With support from USGBC, cities, towns and counties are investing in creating more resilient and sustainable places for their residents.
The decision for many local governments to use LEED is ingrained in their environmental and climate commitments and goal of leading by example for their community. In addition, 368 localities either require, are incentivized to use, or encourage the use of LEED in their building codes for projects that meet specific requirements.
In 2024, several new and updated policy decisions were made. In Overland Park, Kansas, for example, the city adopted green building objectives requiring new construction and major renovation of city facilities to be certified as LEED Silver or higher. (Exceptions are allowed for equivalent-level certifications or when project-specific circumstances warrant them.)
The City of Dallas updated its Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan in August 2024 to include resolution that, to the greatest extent possible, city facilities must obtain LEED Gold certification based on the current version for each building type.
Several iconic local government buildings have also certified with LEED in recent years. California provides a strong example: In 2023, the City of Sunnyville’s LEED Platinum City Hall also went all-electric and achieved net zero energy. In Contra Costa County, CA, the new administration building achieved LEED Platinum at the end of 2024, the first government building in the world to receive TRUE certification for waste reduction in a construction project.
Community spaces that have certified include the Mill River Whittingham Discovery Center venue in Stamford, Connecticut, which achieved LEED Platinum in October 2024. In Palm Coast, Florida, a city that has a LEED building policy for new capital projects and that participated in USGBC’s Local Government Leadership Program, the Southern Recreation Center earned LEED Gold in December.
USGBC provides a wide range of offerings to local government staff and elected officials. A great way to engage is through the Local Government Leadership Program. Learn more and stay up to date.
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The authors are both Associate Directors on the Client Solutions Cities team at the U.S. Green Building Council. They support the LEED for Cities product by working directly with local governments to use data to benchmark sustainability and drive progress.