Atlanta Sustainable Development Design Standards

The City of Atlanta shall integrate green and/or sustainable building principles and practices into the design, construction, and operations of all city facilities, and city-funded projects to the fullest extent possible and at minimum to the extent described in section 75-19. Furthermore, the city shall provide leadership and guidance to encourage the application of green building practices in private sector development. This policy is expected to yield long-term cost savings to the city’s taxpayers due to substantial improvements in life-cycle performance and reduced life-cycle costs.

In addition, the city shall evaluate all land purchases for future development on the basis of reducing environmental impacts that include but are not limited to transit, pedestrian and bicycle accessibility, urban and brown fields redevelopment, on-site stormwater mitigation capacity, vegetation and habitat restoration, and renewable energy opportunities.

Includes the following provisions:
– Applies to new construction and renovations in which total project square footage includes 5,000 gross SF of occupied space
– LEED rating system shall be used as guidance for design (design and project management teams are required to achieve LEED Silver)
– Pre-requisite for city-funded facilities is Compliance with the City of Atlanta Soil Erosion, Sedimentation, and Pollution Control Ordinance.