The percentage of undeveloped land that must remain undisturbed for the Green Infrastructure and

Buildings Credit on Minimized Site Disturbance is determined by the density of the project. Higher-

density projects are generally permitted to disturb a greater portion of the land because they use the

land more efficiently, while lower-density projects must preserve more undeveloped land to

minimize the environmental impact. LEED encourages high-density development as a means to

preserve open spaces and reduce sprawl, which directly influences the required percentage of land

that must remain undisturbed.

Reference:

LEED v4 Neighborhood Development Guide: This guide details the requirements for minimizing site

disturbance, explaining how project density affects the percentage of land that must remain

undisturbed (USGBC, LEED v4 Neighborhood Development Current Version).

LEED Reference Guide for Neighborhood Development: Provides the rationale behind varying land

disturbance allowances based on project density (USGBC, LEED Reference Guide for Neighborhood

Development).