“Green” buildings are certified by the US Green Building Council’s LEED program. They are rated in three categories: Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

Section 3.13 of the Miami 21 Zoning Code sets forth standards for sustainable development for the City. As stated, all new Buildings of more than 50,000 square feet of Habitable Rooms or Habitable space in the T5, T6, CI and CS zones shall be at a minimum certified as Silver by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards or equivalent standards adopted or approved by the City.

Equivalent standards to the LEED Silver Category certification are listed below: 
 - National Green Building Standards (NGBS) Silver for Zone 1
- Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) green
high-rise residential standard version 2 .0

How it Works
At the time of permit application, the owner of the property shall be required to post a performance bond to be calculated as follows:
- 2% of the total cost of construction for a
50,000 - 100,000 sq. ft. building
- 3% of the total cost of construction for a
100,001 - 200,000 sq. ft. building
- 4% of the total cost of construction for any building greater than 200,000 sq. ft.

Shortfall penalty: In the event that the building does not meet the requirements for LEED Silver certification (if not obtained one year after Certificate of Occupancy), funds contributed to the performance bond shall be forfeited to the City of Miami. The funds will then be placed in the Miami 21 Public Benefits Trust Fund.  

In a T6 zone, additional capacity shall be allowed for buildings certified by the US Green Buildings Council as follows:
- Silver LEED Certified buildings under 50,000 sq. ft. will be allowed to bonus 2.0% of the FLR (Floor Lot Ratio)
- Gold LEED Certified buildings will be allowed to bonus 4.0% of the FLR
- Platinum LEED Certified buildings will be allowed to bonus 13.0% of the FLR