Resources

• Resource Guide

  Creating, Leading, & Managing Change 2.0

  A complement to the Urban Sustainability Leadership Academy, this guide is meant to strengthen the leadership of sustainability directors so that they can better institutionalize their programs and their roles as change agents. Toward this end, the guide is focused on showcasing effective leadership tools, frameworks, and strategies, and sharing the stories of successful leaders. Produced with support from our founding partner Siemens, Surdna and the Kresge Foundation.

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  Chicago, IL

• Toolkit

  Leadership Toolkit

  A select collection of tools, advice from practitioners, and books that we have found to be useful for local government sustainability leaders in catalyzing, leading and managing sustainability offices, programs, and initiatives.

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  Chicago, IL

• Video

  Changing Organizational Culture Through Sustainable Acting & Thinking

  Bob Doppelt, Executive Director of The Resource Innovation Group, presents strategies for moving local governments toward a culture of sustainability.

  Play
  Nov 16, 2011
  Chicago, IL

• Case Study

  Taking Small Steps Towards Regional Collaboration

  In 2009, sustainability leaders in Bellevue, WA, a city of 120,000 just east of Seattle, began collaborating with neighboring communities on sustainability issues. The cities had similar demographics, local cultures and economic assets, and leaders believed that cooperative efforts would promote sustainability better than individual efforts. The so–called C7 New Energy Partnership focused on clean mobility, residential energy efficiency and commercial emissions reductions.

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  Bellevue, WA

• Case Study

  The Evolution of Asheville's Office of Sustainability

  In the spring of 2007, the City Council of Asheville, NC, passed two resolutions aimed at improving energy efficiency. The resolutions led to the hiring of the city's first Energy Coordinator and the creation of an Office of Sustainability. The Office recently won approval to launch a "Green Capital Improvement Program" to fund energy efficiency and retrofitting projects for municipal buildings.

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  Asheville, NC

• Case Study

  Portland's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

  The City of Portland, OR, a well-recognized leader on urban sustainability, in 2009 became the first U.S. city to merge its planning and sustainability functions. The creation of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability formed what is arguably the largest and most influential local government sustainability department in the country.

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  Portland, OR

• Case Study

  Renew Boston Residential Program

  Launched by Mayor Thomas Menino in 2009, the Renew Boston Residential Program provides building energy retrofits and renewable energy installations for low– to middle–income residents in Boston.

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  Boston, MA

• Case Study

  10 Tips to Increase Support for Your Sustainability Program

  Cindy Tatham, Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Beaverton, OR presents some great lessons learned for sustainability practitioners. Tatham's role was to make Beaverton a progressive sustainability leader by implementing programs that reached residents in their homes.

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  Beaverton, OR

• Case Study

  Building Relationships around Sustainability

  John Coleman became the first Sustainability Director in the City of Fayetteville, AR in May 2007. Fayetteville has a strong history of environmental awareness, but sustainability was not well understood at the time of Coleman's hiring. By working with all mayoral departments on projects, however, Coleman proved the viability of a sustainability office and turned Fayetteville into a regional leader in sustainability.

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  Fayetteville, AR

• Case Study

  Sustainable Cleveland 2019

  The Sustainable Cleveland 2019 summit, which began in 2009, represents a community-based approach to designing a local, sustainable economy. Approximately 700 people attend the annual summit, and 350 people participate in year–round working groups. The summit has the support of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, who recognizes the potential for sustainability efforts to reduce city budgets and drive business innovation.

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  Cleveland, OH

• Case Study

  Burlington Legacy Project

  Developed in 1998, Burlington, VT's The Legacy Project: Burlington's 2030 Vision aimed to transform the city into a model for urban sustainability by addressing the "four E's" of sustainability. The city engaged a diverse set of stakeholders in conversations about how to make Burlington a more sustainable place to live. Adopted in 2000, the Legacy Action Plan continues to receive accolades. In 2011, the Project was replicated for a regional visioning process for greater Burlington.

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  Burlington, VT

• Case Study

  Reinventing a Sustainability Team for New Challenges

  Over nearly a decade, the Canadian city of Vancouver, BC, has assembled an impressive portfolio of sustainability accomplishments by changing city policies and operations, by investing in sustainable energy infrastructure, and through the efforts of residents to adopt lifestyles that reduce the city's carbon footprint. Since its establishment in 2003, the city's sustainability team has been centrally involved in reaching these milestones.

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  Vancouver, BC

• Case Study

  PlaNYC: Using Data to Identify Leverage Points

  New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg updated the city's comprehensive sustainability plan, PlaNYC, in April 2011. The update included 132 new or expanded initiatives to help improve the city's infrastructure, environment and quality of life. To decide which sustainable actions to pursue, New York City's Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability uses empirical evidence to determine priorities.

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  New York, NY

• Case Study

  Measuring Sustainability in Minneapolis

  A supportive Mayor and City Council, as well as engaged citizens, have allowed sustainability initiatives to flourish in the City of Minneapolis. In 2005, the Council began using indicators to define and measure sustainability. The indicators have since been incorporated into the city's most fundamental policy documents and are used in each year's Sustainability Annual Report to track progress and analyze trends.

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  Minneapolis, MN

• Case Study

  Chicago's Climate Action Plan

  Chicago Mayor Richard Daley signed the Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement in 2006. Two years later, Daley unveiled Chicago's Climate Action Plan, which outlined a broad set of actions to meet specific goals for reducing the city's greenhouse gas emissions. The Plan has become a model for other sustainability leaders who aspire to catalyze a coordinated climate planning process in their cities

  Download
  Nov 14, 2011
  Chicago, IL

Success Story

Success Story Header

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