City of Boston - Green Building Guidelines

If you're building a new residential project of 50,000 sq ft or larger in Boston, you must achieve LEED certification and complete a carbon-neutral building assessment and climate resiliency checklist as part of permitting—these requirements increase upfront design and construction costs but enhance energy efficiency and resilience to climate impacts.

Projects over 50,000 sq ft must meet LEED certification standards and complete both a carbon-neutral building assessment and climate resiliency checklist before approval; you'll need to integrate these requirements into project planning and coordinate with third-party LEED verifiers.

Boston's Article 37 mandate applies to all new developments exceeding 50,000 sq ft across residential, commercial, industrial, nonprofit, school, agricultural, and multifamily sectors; it requires LEED certification plus two additional assessments (carbon-neutral and climate resiliency) as mandatory compliance mechanisms, with enforcement through the permitting process.