The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has selected College Park as one of 17 local governments across the country to join a highly competitive sustainability initiative called the 2026 LEED for Cities Certification Cohort.
The designation is a major step toward earning LEED for Cities status, which is based on an audit of how sustainable the city is when it comes to energy and water efficiency, emissions, transportation, waste and quality of life.
Approximately 120 local jurisdictions nationwide have earned LEED for Cities status, including six in Maryland, according to USGBC.
“The city of College Park, if we’re successful, will be the first one in Prince George’s County to be designated as a LEED city, which is big news,” Deputy City Manager Michelle Bailey Hedgepeth said at a June 2 College Park City Council meeting.
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It is the world’s most widely used green rating system, known for scoring individual commercial and residential buildings on their energy efficiency, water use and environmental footprint.
College Park is home to multiple buildings with LEED designations, including City Hall and The Hotel at the University of Maryland. The University of Maryland (UMD) campus also has a concentration of LEED-certified buildings, largely because of a 2008 state law requiring all new major university buildings to meet green standards.
The LEED for Cities program is different. Instead of rating the environmental virtues of buildings, it considers the sustainability of an entire jurisdiction.
Local governments that carry the label can leverage it by branding their cities as green or sustainable, which could attract businesses and visitors, according to USGBC.
According to USGBC, the program is designed to help local leaders “set goals, collect data and validate performance against sustainability and quality-of-life metrics using the LEED for Cities rating system.”
College Park senior planner Carlos Nunes said the municipality’s application to become a LEED-certified city is an effort “to recognize our commitment to safeguarding the environment.”
As part of the 2026 cohort, College Park qualifies for technical support and discounts on fees and becomes part of a network of like-minded city officials across the country.
“Local governments are a driving force behind creating more sustainable, healthier communities for all residents,” Peter Templeton, president and CEO of USGBC, said in a statement.
“These forward-thinking municipalities are setting ambitious goals, measuring their progress and demonstrating leadership in improving community health, efficiency, resilience and livability,” Templeton added. “The 2026 cohort represents a diverse set of cities united in their commitment to creating a better future.”
College Park is initially targeting a silver-level certification; levels range from bronze to platinum. Nunes noted the target is ambitious but achievable, adding that the city could eventually “up the ante up to gold.”
The project, which is in the data-collection phase and could take up to two years, involves city staff with expertise in planning, engineering and public works, along with UMD sustainability staff, Nunes said.
Council members expressed pride in the achievement, noting that local discussions about pushing for LEED standards date back more than a decade.
“We’ve been talking about this since 2013 and this is truly tonight [a] reason to celebrate,” Councilmember Denise Mitchell (District 4) said.
City Manager Kenny Young said the data gathered during the LEED application process will help the council as it begins work on a five-year strategic plan.
“Those are some of the things that we’re going to be looking at, and how can we align those with the different committees that we have, the initiatives that we have,” Young said.