The Olympic Village, the temporary home to the more than 17,000 athletes around the world competing in the Olympic Games, has been certified as LEED Gold under the U.S. Green BUilding Council's pilot LEED for Neighborhood Development certification program. The program aims to rate neighborhoods for their environmental efforts based on factors including location, design, green construction and innovation.
Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the USGBC, said the Olympics, with its global theme, is a perfect venue to test out the new program. "The Olympic Games represent the exciting possibilities that emerge when the world comes together," he noted. "The commitment of the Olympic Village, demonstrated through its success in the LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot program, is an important part of that effort."
He added that China's approach to the Olympic Village in Beijing points to a promising future of environmental sustainability. "It's a cause for great optimism that China's growth in the coming years can be a model of sustainable development," he said.
