Philadelphia’s Navy Yard redevelopment has won a gold star, thanks to its energy-efficient, sustainable, and walkable design, writes Sophia Schmidt for WHYY.
About a quarter of the former naval shipyard received the LEED Gold for Neighborhood Development certification. According to developers, it is the largest project nationwide to receive the designation.
“Philadelphia deserves to be first,” said Mayor Cherelle Parker, adding that the development advances her goals to make Philadelphia the “safest, cleanest, greenest big city in the nation with access to economic opportunity for all.”
The LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certification recognizes green design within the building industry. To achieve certification, a development earns points by implementing practices and features that reflect environmental sustainability and quality of life.
The Navy Yard already includes several LEED-certified buildings, but the new certification covers 39 existing and 38 planned buildings, making it the first in Philadelphia to achieve recognition at a neighborhood scale.
The Navy Yard earned its certification by restoring old buildings, using native plants in landscaping, managing stormwater, and implementing additional sustainability measures.
Monique Owens, regional director for market transformation and development activities at the U.S. Green Building Council, highlighted that those strategies “increase the efficiency, resilience, and livability of the entire community.”
See how Philly’s Navy Yard is setting a gold standard for the future — catch the full story over at WHYY.
_____
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA Today in April 2025.
