Summary
Details
- Global
SITES is not legally mandatory.
It can become practically required where:
A public procurement process references SITES.
A municipality or public owner requires certification.
A campus standard requires it.
A developer commits to it.
A lender, investor, or grant program references it.
A corporate sustainability policy requires certified sustainable sites.
In most cases, SITES is voluntary and used to demonstrate credible sustainable landscape performance.
Deep dive
- What’s Required
- 1. Use of the SITES v2 Rating System
- 2. Site assessment and planning
- 3. Soil, vegetation and habitat protection
- 4. Water and stormwater management
- 5. Materials and construction practices
- 6. Operations, maintenance and monitoring
- Important Deadlines
- Current Status
- Penalties for Non-Compliance
- 1. Certification refusal
- 2. Lower certification level
- 3. Loss of contractual benefits
- 4. Reputational risk
- 5. Operational performance risk
- Examples of Known Violations / Failure Modes
- Resources
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What’s Required
1. Use of the SITES v2 Rating System
SITES projects are assessed under the SITES v2 Rating System, which is a 200-point system with four certification levels. Projects must meet prerequisites and earn enough points to achieve certification. USGBC support materials state that projects must earn at least 70 points to be certified.
Projects need to review:
SITES v2 Rating System.
SITES prerequisites.
SITES credits.
SITES scorecard.
Project boundary.
Submittal documentation.
Calculations and supporting evidence.
Review comments from GBCI.
2. Site assessment and planning
SITES requires project teams to evaluate the site context before design. This helps ensure that landscape decisions are informed by existing ecological, hydrological, social, and land-use conditions.
Project teams may need to document:
Existing site conditions.
Soil health.
Vegetation.
Habitat.
Hydrology.
Land use.
Climate risks.
Community context.
Site opportunities and constraints.
3. Soil, vegetation and habitat protection
SITES gives significant weight to soil, vegetation and ecological performance. Projects may need to show that they conserve existing natural assets, restore degraded areas, reduce disturbance and support biodiversity.
Relevant actions can include:
Protecting healthy soils.
Restoring compacted or degraded soils.
Using native or climate-appropriate vegetation.
Managing invasive species.
Protecting habitat.
Supporting pollinators.
Reducing heat island effects.
Avoiding unnecessary site disturbance.
4. Water and stormwater management
SITES projects are expected to manage water responsibly and reduce negative impacts from runoff, irrigation and poor landscape design.
Typical measures include:
Stormwater retention.
Rainwater management.
Low-impact development.
Efficient irrigation.
Reduced potable water use.
Water reuse where appropriate.
Planting strategies suited to local rainfall.
Protection of water quality.
5. Materials and construction practices
SITES also evaluates materials, sourcing, waste and construction impacts. Landscape and site projects can have significant embodied impacts through soil movement, concrete, paving, stone, timber, metals, plastics, irrigation systems and construction waste.
Project teams may need to address:
Material sourcing.
Reused or recycled materials.
Construction waste.
Durable design.
Reduced embodied impacts.
Responsible purchasing.
Soil protection during construction.
Contractor practices.
6. Operations, maintenance and monitoring
SITES is not limited to design. Projects must consider how the site will be maintained and whether the intended sustainability benefits can continue over time.
This may require:
Site maintenance plans.
Landscape management procedures.
Irrigation management.
Vegetation care.
Soil management.
Monitoring plans.
Education and signage.
Owner or operator training.
Important Deadlines
SITES is voluntary, so there is no universal legal deadline.
Important timing points:
Certification timing depends on project registration, documentation, and GBCI review.
Projects should use the current SITES v2 Rating System and associated guidance.
GBCI’s final review and certification decision determine whether certification is awarded.
SITES v2 remains the core framework referenced by current SITES guidance.
Current Status
SITES is active. GBCI accepts applications for SITES v2 project certification and offers the SITES AP professional credential. ASLA notes that ownership of the SITES Rating System was transferred to GBCI, which now accepts SITES v2 certification applications.
Current status:
Active certification system.
Administered by GBCI.
Based on SITES v2.
Applies to projects with or without buildings.
Uses a point-based system.
Certification levels include Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
Relevant to landscapes, green infrastructure, parks, campuses and public realm projects.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
SITES does not impose statutory penalties.
Possible consequences include:
1. Certification refusal
A project may fail certification if it does not meet prerequisites, achieve enough points or provide sufficient evidence.
2. Lower certification level
A project may receive a lower level than targeted if credits are not awarded.
3. Loss of contractual benefits
If SITES is required by a contract, procurement process, grant or development agreement, failure may create commercial consequences.
4. Reputational risk
Claims about sustainable landscape performance may be questioned if they are not supported by certification evidence.
5. Operational performance risk
Weak maintenance, poor planting choices, or inadequate stormwater design can create long-term performance problems even outside the certification process.
Examples of Known Violations / Failure Modes
Typical failure modes include:
Claiming SITES certification before GBCI awards it.
Treating landscape design as decorative rather than ecological.
Excluding relevant site areas from the project boundary.
Using weak soil or habitat documentation.
Overstating biodiversity benefits.
Failing to document stormwater performance.
Ignoring long-term maintenance requirements.
Submitting incomplete construction documentation.
Not updating documentation after design changes.
Treating SITES as a replacement for environmental permits.
Relying on design intent without operational follow-through.
Failing to align landscape management with certified design assumptions.
Resources
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