An Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program Recipient is Reimagined in San Francisco

Sophie Lambert
Director, Neighborhood Development
U.S. Green Building Council

San Francisco’s largest public housing site, Sunnydale, is on its way to becoming a thriving, green and vibrant mixed-income community. Recently, its master plan received conditional approval at the LEED Gold level, one of three major checkpoints on the path to certification as a LEED for Neighborhood Development project. Re-envisioned and aptly renamed Sunnydale HOPE SF, the 50 acre project, which was originally built in 1941, will be transformed into a neighborhood of choice complete with quality housing, community education and services, neighborhood parks and retail, all the while improving the lives of its current and future residents.

“Our master plan to revitalize an isolated public housing community into a healthy, mixed-income development incorporates sustainability priorities that came directly from the community members, like accessible neighborhood parks and amenities, affordable and market-rate housing, and green streets,” said Ramie Dare, project manager for Mercy Housing California and The Related Companies of California. “We are very proud of achieving LEED Gold approval for the Sunnydale HOPE SF master plan.”

Sunnydale HOPE SF is one of ten projects that were hand-selected to receive a grant from the USGBC’s Affordable Green Neighborhood Grant Program, announced at Greenbuild 2010 in Chicago, Ill. With generous support from the Bank of America Foundation, Sunnydale HOPE SF and the other grantees received a $25,000 cash award and educational resources to help each project pursue USGBC’s LEED for Neighborhood Development certification. It is the first of the grant recipients to complete one of the three-stage processes on the path to certification.

LEED for Neighborhood Development, which was recently recognized by the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation (RNRF), is transforming communities around the world into walkable,
sustainable and economically thriving communities.

Born out of the idea that everyone should have access to greener, healthier homes, buildings, schools and amenities, each selected affordable housing project not only will provide green housing for a range of income levels, demonstrated a commitment to strengthening its neighborhoods, engaging stakeholders in the development process, and the provision of green housing for a range of income level.

Visit usgbc.org/nd to learn more about LEED for Neighborhood Development.