HUD DDA Designation

After re-reading Option 2, it seems that yes, any of the project types within the BC+C standard family within a DDA can earn these points. Notice that it is only 2 points for CS and 1 point for all other options; thus, even though it seems easy to obtain due to tis broadness, it is not the best means by which to maximize your project's LEED score. This is not so drastically different from v3 where essentially building in any urban environment would maximize your LEED score. We have to remember that while LEED is trying to raise the bar (and do social good as you pointed out), they are still staying true to their philosophy of promoting urban infill (regardless of project type) and reducing the footprints of urban environments. The points scales for this credit reflect this, while this earns the least points, the most can be obtained via brownfield remediation, which is a "greater" act in terms of its sustainability impact. I agree that it misses the point somewhat (actually exacerbating the problem by not prioritizing low-moderate income housing) by further raising land value/density through ; however, LEED is trying to build diverse communities, so, it is a balancing act.

I agree with Blake. Also note, LEED v4 raised the bar a bit on what it takes to earn mass transit points. So while this may seem like a gimme for some projects, it is a balancing act, and those are locations that LEED fundamentally does want to incentivize.