F. Kaid Benfield is one of the nation’s foremost authorities on smart growth, sustainable communities, and green urbanism. He is special counsel for urban solutions at the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, DC, where he works on positive, forward-thinking approaches to environmental challenges in the places where Americans live, work, and play. Kaid also teaches regional planning and sustainable development practices at the George Washington University School of Law.
A longtime leader of the smart growth movement, Kaid co-founded LEED for Neighborhood Development, a national process for defining and certifying smart, green land development under the auspices of the US Green Building Council. He is also a founder and board member of Smart Growth America, a nationwide coalition working on revitalizing cities, building better neighborhoods, and stopping the spread of suburban sprawl. In 2013 Kaid was named “one of the top 100 city innovators worldwide” by Future Cities, and in 2009 he was elected one of “the top urban thinkers” in an online poll conducted by the popular city planning site Planetizen.
Prior to holding his current position, Kaid served as NRDC’s director of sustainable communities, director of its Land Program, and legal affairs coordinator. He has represented NRDC in some of its most important litigation. Prior to coming to NRDC, Kaid served in the US Department of Justice and worked in private legal practice in Washington, DC.
Kaid is a prolific writer whose portfolio spans several books and frequent articles for The Atlantic Cities, Sustainable Cities, The Atlantic, Rooflines, and NRDC websites. His previous books include Solving Sprawl (Island Press, 2001), Once There Were Greenfields (NRDC, 1999), Smart Growth in a Changing World (American Planning Association, 2007; contributing author), Green Community (American Planning Association, 2009; contributing author), and Reaping the Revenue Code (NRDC, 1987).
Follow Kaid’s blog on sustainable communities at www.kaidbenfield.com. Follow Kaid on Twitter: @Kaid_at_NRDC.