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Volume 3 · Number 1 · 2011 29 U.S. Cities Get Serious About Sustainability Steve Attinger Environmental Sustainability Coordinator — City of Mountain View, CA. Mountain View, California, U.S.A. ABSTRACT In a time of global climate change, thousands of cities across the United States are taking action to become more sustainable by forging alliances, collaborating on innovative projects, and developing programs to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In spite of significant challenges, such as decreased revenues, reduced organizational capacity, or lack of a formalized long-term sustainability vision, U.S. cities in many cases are leading the charge in the governmental arena. Due to a city’s inherent ability to influence people’s actions through leading by example, city sustainability efforts are already having a substantial impact in the areas of natural resource conservation and social equity. This article examines how a number of cities in the San Francisco Bay Area are heeding the call to action by reducing their carbon footprints, conserving precious natural resources, and creating more livable, sustainable cities for current and future generations to enjoy. 1. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 1.1 Environmental Sustainability Task Force The City of Mountain View (population ~76,000) convened a group of Mayor-appointed citizens in February 2008 to help it shape its sustainability goals. This Environmental Sustainability Task Force (ESTF), comprised of more than 65 residents and local business people, formed 11 working groups and held dozens of meetings. After seven months of work, the ESTF delivered its Final Report to the City Council in September 2008, outlining 89 recommendations in areas such as Land Use, the Built Environment, Transportation, Water Availability and Use, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Waste Reduction, Suburban Ecosystems, Community Outreach, and Adaptation to Climate Change. After receiving the Environmental Sustainability Task Force recommendations, the City Council created the Council Environmental Sustainability Committee (CESC) to analyze and prioritize the recommendations. After a series of meetings in late 2008 and early 2009, the Council approved the CESC’s “Environmental Sustainability Action Plan,” which prioritized 25 of the recommendations for action between 2008 and 2011, and serves as the city’s sustainability roadmap. 2. GENERAL PLANS AND CLIMATE ACTION PLANS 2.1 Climate Action Plans The City of Sunnyvale (population ~134,000) has taken an unusual approach to developing a Climate Action Plan (http://www.pmcworld.com/client/sunnyvale/glossary.html#cap) (CAP) that addresses land use, transportation, and climate action planning concurrently. The Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE) of the City’s General Plan focuses on land use, transportation, and related impacts within Sunnyvale, while the CAP will be an overarching document focusing on elements of sustainable development in addition to transportation and land use. To provide context, a General Plan serves as a City’s “blueprint” for the future and often spans about 20 years. The transportation and land use portion of the Climate Action Plan will include the applicable goals and policies of the LUTE that affect the CAP. The LUTE will include policies from the CAP that affect land use and transportation. The Climate Action Plan will have chapters on energy use, renewable energy, waste reduction, and water conservation in addition to transportation and land use. The CAP will also include a quantitative analysis of the GHG reduction benefit and estimated financial cost of each goal and policy. City staff is maintaining communication with the California Attorney General’s office to ensure the plan is consistent with AB 32, SB 375, and other relevant legislation, and is legally defensible. (AB 32, known as the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, establishes a first-in-the-world, comprehensive program of regulatory and market mechanisms for California to achieve quantifiable, cost-effective GHG reductions, and requires California to reduce its emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. SB 375, the anti-sprawl law, enhances

U.S. Cities Get Serious About Sustainability- Steve Attinger 2011

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ABSTRACTIn a time of global climate change, thousands of cities across the United States are taking action to become more sustainable by forging alliances, collaborating on innovative projects, and developing programs to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In spite of significant challenges, such as decreased revenues, reduced organizational capacity, or lack of a formalized long-term sustainability vision, U.S. cities in many cases are leading the charge in the governmental arena. Due to a city’s inherent ability to influence people’s actions through leading by example, city sustainability efforts are already having a substantial impact in the areas of natural resource conservation and social equity. This article examines how a number of cities in the San Francisco Bay Area are heeding the call to action by reducing their carbon footprints, conserving precious natural resources, and creating more livable, sustainable cities for current and future generations to enjoy.Steve AttingerEnvironmental Sustainability Coordinator — City of Mountain View, CA.Mountain View, California, U.S.A.

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Page 1: U.S. Cities Get Serious About Sustainability- Steve Attinger 2011

Volume 3 · Number 1 · 2011

29

U.S. Cities Get Serious About SustainabilitySteve Attinger

Environmental Sustainability Coordinator — City of Mountain View, CA.Mountain View, California, U.S.A.

ABSTRACTIn a time of global climate change, thousands of cities across the United States are takingaction to become more sustainable by forging alliances, collaborating on innovativeprojects, and developing programs to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In spiteof significant challenges, such as decreased revenues, reduced organizational capacity, orlack of a formalized long-term sustainability vision, U.S. cities in many cases are leadingthe charge in the governmental arena. Due to a city’s inherent ability to influencepeople’s actions through leading by example, city sustainability efforts are alreadyhaving a substantial impact in the areas of natural resource conservation and socialequity. This article examines how a number of cities in the San Francisco Bay Area areheeding the call to action by reducing their carbon footprints, conserving precious naturalresources, and creating more livable, sustainable cities for current and future generationsto enjoy.

1. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT1.1 Environmental Sustainability Task Force The City of Mountain View (population ~76,000) convened a group of Mayor-appointed citizens inFebruary 2008 to help it shape its sustainability goals. This Environmental Sustainability Task Force(ESTF), comprised of more than 65 residents and local business people, formed 11 working groups andheld dozens of meetings. After seven months of work, the ESTF delivered its Final Report to the CityCouncil in September 2008, outlining 89 recommendations in areas such as Land Use, the BuiltEnvironment, Transportation, Water Availability and Use, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy,Waste Reduction, Suburban Ecosystems, Community Outreach, and Adaptation to Climate Change.

After receiving the Environmental Sustainability Task Force recommendations, the City Councilcreated the Council Environmental Sustainability Committee (CESC) to analyze and prioritize therecommendations. After a series of meetings in late 2008 and early 2009, the Council approved theCESC’s “Environmental Sustainability Action Plan,” which prioritized 25 of the recommendations foraction between 2008 and 2011, and serves as the city’s sustainability roadmap.

2. GENERAL PLANS AND CLIMATE ACTION PLANS2.1 Climate Action Plans The City of Sunnyvale (population ~134,000) has taken an unusual approach to developing a ClimateAction Plan (http://www.pmcworld.com/client/sunnyvale/glossary.html#cap) (CAP) that addresses landuse, transportation, and climate action planning concurrently. The Land Use and Transportation Element(LUTE) of the City’s General Plan focuses on land use, transportation, and related impacts withinSunnyvale, while the CAP will be an overarching document focusing on elements of sustainabledevelopment in addition to transportation and land use. To provide context, a General Plan serves as aCity’s “blueprint” for the future and often spans about 20 years. The transportation and land use portionof the Climate Action Plan will include the applicable goals and policies of the LUTE that affect theCAP. The LUTE will include policies from the CAP that affect land use and transportation. The ClimateAction Plan will have chapters on energy use, renewable energy, waste reduction, and water conservationin addition to transportation and land use. The CAP will also include a quantitative analysis of the GHGreduction benefit and estimated financial cost of each goal and policy. City staff is maintainingcommunication with the California Attorney General’s office to ensure the plan is consistent with AB32, SB 375, and other relevant legislation, and is legally defensible. (AB 32, known as the GlobalWarming Solutions Act of 2006, establishes a first-in-the-world, comprehensive program of regulatoryand market mechanisms for California to achieve quantifiable, cost-effective GHG reductions, andrequires California to reduce its emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. SB 375, the anti-sprawl law, enhances

Page 2: U.S. Cities Get Serious About Sustainability- Steve Attinger 2011

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