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Foreword ix<br /> <i>Michael Van Valkenburgh</i> <p>Letter from SITES Partners xi</p> <p><b>Chapter 1 - Introduction 1</b><br /> <i>Meg Calkins</i><br /> Sustainable Site Design Defined 2<br /> The Contents and Structure of This Book 27</p> <p><b>Chapter 2 - Predesign: Site Selection, Assessment, and Planning 33</b><br /> <i>Heather Venhaus</i><br /> Site Selection 33<br /> Understanding the Site 41<br /> Team Development and Planning Strategies 54<br /> Developing Project Direction: Principles, Goals, and Performance Targets 58</p> <p><b>Chapter 3 - Site Design: Water 65</b><br /> <i>Alfred Vick, John Calabria, Stuart Echols, Michael Ogden, and David Yocca</i><br /> Sustainable Stormwater Management 72<br /> Stormwater Design Approaches 104<br /> Water Conservation 148<br /> Onsite Wastewater Treatment, Disposal, and Reuse 166</p> <p><b>Chapter 4 - Site Design: Vegetation 197</b><br /> <i>Steve Windhager, Mark Simm ons, and Jacob Blue</i><br /> Vegetation and Ecosystem Services 202<br /> Vegetation Protection Techniques 213<br /> Sustainable Planting Design and Management 216</p> <p><b>Chapter 5 - Site Design: Soils 247</b><br /> <i>Nina Bassuk and Susan Day</i><br /> Integrating Soil into the Design Process 249<br /> Soils in the Site Assessment 251<br /> Soil Characteristics and Associated Tests 265<br /> Managing Soils for a Sustainable Site 295<br /> Soil Replacement and Specialized Soils 310<br /> The Soil Management Plan 316</p> <p><b>Chapter 6 - Site Design: Materials and R esources 323</b><br /> <i>Meg Calkins</i><br /> The Lifecycle of Construction Materials and Products 327<br /> Environmental Impacts of Materials and Products 331<br /> Human Health Impacts of Materials 344<br /> Evaluating Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Materials 348<br /> Inventory and Analysis for Materials 358<br /> Resource Efficiency 360<br /> Low-VOC Materials and Products 390<br /> Materials to Minimize Heat Island Impacts 390<br /> Concrete 396<br /> Aggregates and Stone 398<br /> Asphalt 401<br /> Brick Masonry 403<br /> Earthen Materials 404<br /> Plastics 407<br /> Metals 409<br /> Bio-Based Materials 413<br /> Wood 416<br /> Site Lighting 421</p> <p><b>Chapter 7 - Human Health and Well-Being for Sustainable Sites 429</b><br /> <i>Robert Ryan</i><br /> Assessing the Site’s Social Setting 432<br /> Sustainability Awareness and Education 436<br /> Social Equality in Site Development, Construction, and Use 440<br /> Site Accessibility 445<br /> Site Wayfinding 449<br /> Site Safety 454<br /> Design for Physical Activity 458<br /> Restorative Settings 462<br /> Design for Social Interaction and Community Building 466<br /> Preserving Historic and Cultural Features 470</p> <p><b>Chapter 8 - Operations, Maintenance, Monitoring, and Stewardship 479</b><br /> <i>Amy Belaire and David Yocca</i><br /> Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Sustainable Site Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring 480<br /> Incorporating Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring Considerations into Site Design 482<br /> Monitoring to Inform Active and Adaptive Stewardship 519</p> <p>Resources 521</p> <p>Index 535</p>

"Calkins and other experts cover all of the primary elements of site design in detail, from site assessment to soils, vegetation, and water.... landscape architects looking for a single resource to expand their technical knowledge base on sustainable site design would be hard pressed to find a better place to start." (Examiner.com, August 2012) <p>"<i>The Sustainable Sites Handbook</i> is indeed a major useful expansion of the LEEDS Green Building Rating System by bringing both rural open space and the social landscapes into determined sustainable design standards and appropriate maintenance criteria for use by all professional site planners. Soil mechanics and agricultural/horticultural soil systems are beautifully woven into this comprehensive evaluation of appropriate management of sites planning." (<i>InSitu (International Institute of Site Planning)</i>, April 2012)</p> <p>"The Book provides a thorough introduction to sustainable design, explaining sustainability and its integration into site design." (<i>Garden Design Journal</i>, July 2012)</p>

<b>MEG CALKINS, ASLA, LEED AP</b>, is an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at Ball State University. As an officer of ASLA's Sustainable Development Professional Practice Network, Meg was part of a small team that approached ASLA about forming the effort that eventually grew into the Sustainable Sites Initiative. Today, Meg is a member of the SITES Technical Core Committee. She served for many years on the LEED Sustainable Sites Technical Advisory Group. Meg is the author of Materials for Sustainable Sites and is an editorial advisory board member of and contributor to Landscape Architecture Graphic Standards, both published by Wiley. She holds master's degrees in both landscape architecture and architecture from the University of California at Berkeley.

<b>The definitive resource guide for sustainable site design, construction, and management</b> <p>The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) is transforming land design, development, and management practices across the United States with the first national rating system for sustainable landscapes. <i>The Sustainable Sites Handbook</i> features comprehensive and detailed information on principles, strategies, technologies, tools, and best practices for sustainable site design. Contributors to this book are some of the same experts that carefully shaped the SITES rating tool, ensuring thorough coverage of the broad range of topics related to sustainable site design.</p> <p><i>The Sustainable Sites Handbook</i> offers in-depth coverage of design, construction, and management for systems of hydrology, vegetation, soils, materials, and human health and well-being. Focusing primarily on environmental site design and ecosystem services, this wide-ranging guide also covers issues of social equity, economic feasibility, and stewardship, which are crucial to the success of any sustainable site.</p> <p>Equally useful as a handbook for obtaining SITES credits or for the independent development of sustainable sites, <i>The Sustainable Sites Handbook</i> is an indispensible resource for practicing professionals in landscape architecture, landscape design, architecture, civil engineering, land planning, horticulture, ecology, environmental engineering, landscape contracting, and parks and recreation management.</p>

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