New York City has fewer LEED-certified buildings than other cities, according to a study published today by New York City-based think tank Center for an Urban Future. New York City has 41 completed buildings with LEED ratings, fewer than Chicago, with 70 LEED buildings, Portland, with 63, Seattle, with 55, and Washington DC, with 47. The city has 455 projects that have applied for LEED certification, so the total number of certified buildings in the city may increase in the next several years, but some may never be completed due to the financial downturn, the report said. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been an advocate of environmentally-friendly development. New York City is still ahead of several other big cities, including Boston, which has 33 LEED certified buildings, and Los Angeles, which has 32. Of the New York City boroughs, Manhattan has the largest number of LEED certified buildings, with 31. TRD [more]