US Green Building Council LEED-AP-BD+C Exam - Topic 3 Question 18 Discussion

Actual exam question for US Green Building Council's LEED-AP-BD+C exam

Question #: 18
Topic #: 3

Location and Transportation Credit, Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses, Option 1. Surrounding Density requires project teams to exclude what type of land area from the calculations?

ABuildable land within 1/4 mi. (0.40 km) of the project boundary

BPublic right-of-way areas within 1/4 mi. (0.40 km) of the project boundary

CSurface parking areas within 1/2 mi. (0.80 km) of the project boundary

DUniversity campus land areas within 1/2 mi. (0.80 km) of the project boundary

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: B

This option requires the project team to exclude public right-of-way areas, such as streets, sidewalks, and alleys, from the calculations of the surrounding existing density1. This option ensures that the density is measured based on the buildable land area, which is the area available for development or construction2.

by Renato at Jul 30, 2025, 05:10 AM

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Laurena

2 months ago

Surprised to see university land excluded, that seems odd.

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Gladys

3 months ago

No way, it's surface parking areas for sure!

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Ona

3 months ago

I thought it was buildable land, but I could be wrong.

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Lorrine

3 months ago

Are we sure about this? Feels like there's more to it.

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Alyce

3 months ago

It's definitely public right-of-way areas!

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Cyril

4 months ago

I have a vague memory of university campus land being a tricky topic. I think it might be excluded, but I can't remember the distance.

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Glennis

4 months ago

Wasn't there a focus on surface parking areas in our last review session? I can't recall if they were included or excluded.

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Elina

4 months ago

I remember practicing a similar question, and I feel like buildable land was mentioned as something to exclude.

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Mica

4 months ago

I think we discussed something about excluding public right-of-way areas, but I'm not completely sure if it's within 1/4 mile or 1/2 mile.

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Kristeen

4 months ago

Okay, I think I've got it. Surrounding Density is all about the density of the area around the project, so we want to exclude things that aren't really part of that built environment, like public roads and parking lots. I'm going with B on this one.

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Bettina

5 months ago

The key here is understanding what "Surrounding Density" is measuring. It's looking at the built environment around the project, so I think the answer is likely excluding areas that aren't really part of that, like public rights-of-way or surface parking. I'll double-check, but I'm leaning towards B.

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Royal

5 months ago

Hmm, I'm a bit confused on this one. I know the Surrounding Density credit is looking at the density around the project, but I can't quite remember what specific areas are excluded. I'll have to re-read the credit requirements to be sure.

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Cherrie

5 months ago

I'm pretty sure the answer is B - public right-of-way areas within 1/4 mi. of the project boundary. The question is asking about what type of land area is excluded from the Surrounding Density calculations, and that seems to be the most relevant option.

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Cheryll

5 months ago

I believe the correct answer is A) Buildable land within 1/4 mi. (0.40 km) of the project boundary, because it makes sense to exclude non-buildable areas.

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