Translating sustainability goals into action

Scott Turner, AICP, PE Nitsch Engineering

Thomas Bott, AICP Kingston, Massachusetts

George C. Homsy, PhD, AICP Binghamton University

Worcester, MassachusettsOctober 20, 2016

Translating Sustainability Goals into Action

• Sustainable Communities Division

• Translating a Goal into Action

• Sustainability Survey & Discussion

Agenda

Sustainable Communities Division

“The APA Sustainable Communities Division (APA-SCD) supports planners who are committed to planning for sustainable communities by integrating all aspects of sustainability into our work through the combined economic, social, and ecological factors that shape our communities.”

SCD Leadership is Building the Division

Add Value to Members Planning Efforts


DIVISIONS

VS.

CHAPTERS


Executive Committee: Chair: Scott Turner Secretary-Treasurer: Jennifer Koch Incoming Treasurer: Merrill St. Leger Demain Past Chair: Rob Kerns Communications & Outreach Ctte Chair: Beth Otto Policy & Leadership Ctte Chair: Anne Miller Education & Practice Ctte Chair: Jennifer Koch

Coordinators: E-Bulletin: Stephanie Weigel Website & Publications Design: Andrew Parish Newsletter: Beth Otto, Andrew Parish Social Media: Kevin Cook APA Conference Coordinator: Open Sustainability Champions: Anne Miller Smart Cities & Sustainability: Rob Kerns Sustainability Policy Guide: Rob Kerns


Sustainability Champions: Scott Edmondson – California Waverly Klaw – Colorado Kevin Coyle – Delaware Rebecca Keifer – Georgia Malika Hainer & Andrew Meindl – Illinois B. Scott Southall – Kentucky Angie Vincent - Massachusetts John Hoal – Missouri Marco Velotta – Nevada Joanna Nadeau – New York John Zeanah - Tennessee


• Newsletter Published Twice a Year

• Website

• Over 4200 LinkedIn Members

• Twitter – Up to 1,011

• 1400+ E-bulletin Subscribers

Members – Add your voice online, writing articles & passing on news

LinkedIn

Communicating…to Inform & Promote Dialogue

Sustainable Communities DivisionLeading…with Local & National Initiatives

• Sustainability Champions

• APA Sustainability Policy Guide Update

• APA Smart Cities & Sustainability Initiative

Members – New leaders wanted to advocate for sustainability

“We want representation and action across the Country and in each APA

chapter”

Sustainable Communities DivisionEducating…by supporting research and practice-building

• 3rd Annual Awards for Excellence in Sustainability

• Webinars

• LEED ND Case Studies in Fall Newsletter• 2015 IUCMA Local Government Sustainability

Survey

Members – Access the latest research & best practices for sustainability

[caption]

Sustainable Communities DivisionWe’re Growing…

• Over 560 SCD Members – Up from 450 in 2015

• 12 Sustainability Champions• Widening Membership Through Action – New

Volunteers

Sustainable Communities DivisionWhere are we headed…

Continue Growth

Expand Membership

Increase Volunteer Base

More Webinars

Increase Sponsorship Prgram

Sustainable Communities DivisionWhy get involved…

Network with professionals across the country who share the same passion for sustainability issues

Volunteer and become highly involved in the Division at either the state or national level.

Opportunities include:• Help with the newsletter• Help with annual awards• Assist with communications• Become involved with the Sustainability Champions program• Assisting with the national conference• Opportunities to propose by-right conference session and

facilitated discussions.

Sustainable Communities DivisionWhy get involved…

Divisions provides opportunities for those who want to get involved.

If you have a great passion or idea and have the time and desire to Champion that idea, we are all for it and welcome your ideas.

ICMA Sustainability Survey 2015

Figuring out what’s happening….

ICMA Sustainability Survey 2015

• n = 1,899

• Surveyed all counties, all municipalities and towns >25,000, and a 1 in 2.5 sample of small municipalities

• 22% response rate

• Follow up to 2010 Sustainability Survey

• Funded by USDA

Putting it together…Sustainability Survey 2015

• Some continuity to 2010 Survey

• Focus groups: ICMA, American Planning Association

• Practitioner interviews

• APA Division input

Urban Suburban RuralN= 1,899

County Municipality

60% council manager governments

Who Answered the 2015 Survey?

Suburban54%

Rural31%

Urban15%

County22%

Municipality78%

49% Metro core28% Suburbs28% Rural

Sustainability PlansHas your jurisdiction adopted a sustainability plan?

Yes31%

No69%

2010 20150%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

19%

31%

2010 to 2015 Changes in Planning Has your jurisdiction adopted a sustainability plan?

Priorities more balanced with a sustainability plan.

Community Priorities

Over 1,000,000

500,000-1,000,000

250,000-499,999

100,000-249,999

50,000-99,999

25,000-49,999

10,000-24,999

5,000-9,999

2,500-4,999

Under 2,500

Overall0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

77%

50%56%

46%43%

36%

25% 25% 25% 27%31%

Population group

Perc

enta

ge o

f res

pond

ents

with

a s

usta

inab

ility

pla

n

Larger Communities are more likely to have a sustainability plan

Sustainability Plans

• Do you have a sustainability plan?

• What form does it take? (Stand alone, in comp plan, etc.)

• What challenges did you face drafting and adopting it? How did you overcome them?

Discussion 1

Sustainability plans

Action Groups Items Percent of communities Tracked? Positive

results

Recycling / Waste mgmt. 10 5% to 66% 45% 85%

Govt. Energy Cons. 15 6% to 64% 29% 91%

Transit / Alt. transport 8 5% to 64% -- --

Land Use 8 1% to 46% -- --

Social Equity 6 12% to 30% 27% --

Water Conservation 5 8% to 27% 22% 72%

Comm. Energy Cons. 10 6% to 24% 8% 59%

Sustainability Actions

• A few others as well• Total of 80 actions

Average Adoption Rate - 2015

80 items2015

AverageAdoption Rate

80 items

Average Adoption Rate - 2015

2015

2010109 items



Sustainability plan

Require govt renovation projects be certified green

Generate electricity through waste

Install a geo-thermal system

Require govt construction proj. be certified green

Establish a fuel efficiency target for govt vehicles

Purchase energy star equipment

Install charging stations for electric vehicles

Install solar equipment

More efficient pumps in water or sewer systems

Upgrade traffic signals

Upgrade streetlights or other exterior lighting

Upgrade HVAC

Conduct energy audits

Purchase energy efficient appliances

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

6%

8%

8%

9%

14%

14%

17%

18%

28%

35%

45%

49%

63%

64%

Energy Projects undertaken by government

Percent of communities

Adopted a climate mitigation plan 6%

Adopted a climate adaptation plan 3%

Local government GHG inventory 14%

Community wide GHG inventory 9%

Local government GHG targets 11%

Community GHG targets 7%

Climate Change Policy

• Have you planned (in any document) for a changing climate?

• What kinds of things are in the plan?

• What challenges did you face drafting and adopting a climate plan? How did you overcome them?

Discussion 2

Planning for Climate Change

CEO/CAO office7%

Multiple departments9%

Within one department9%

Task force9%

No dedicated staffing, but have goals

24%

No staffing or goals42%

24%This is down a bit from 2010. When 27% had dedicated staffing

What are the staff for sustainability?

of local governments dedicate no human resources to sustainability

66%

• Do you have staff dedicated to sustainability?

• Where are they stationed? What department do you think they should be in? Why?

Discussion 3

Sustainability Staffing

Climate change adaptation

Climate change mitigation

Provision of affordable housing

Open space/farmland preservation

Environmental protection

Storm water management

Hazard mitigation/evacuation planning

Seeking funding and grants

Economic development

Land use planning/permitting

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

16%

20%

53%

48%

61%

68%

80%

68%

82%

73%

9%

12%

50%

55%

65%

82%

84%

85%

85%

91%

Departments Coordination Regional Coordination

Breaking through Silos

Factors Motivating Sustainability

Threat of lawsuitsPressure from advocacy groupsDesire to promote social equity

Pressure from business/industryPressure from residentsFederal or state policies

Leadership of regional/state officialsDesire/expertise of municipal staff

Potential to attract development projectsConcern over the environment

Federal or state funding opportunitiesLeadership of local elected officials

Potential for fiscal savings

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%6%

6%

8%

10%

14%

23%

18%

15%

31%

20%

37%

46%

46%

19%

25%

31%

32%

37%

40%

42%

47%

41%

48%

38%

36%

38%

34%

49%

42%

39%

33%

26%

31%

28%

18%

24%

17%

12%

10%

42%

20%

20%

19%

15%

12%

10%

10%

11%

8%

8%

6%

6%

Very Significant Significant Limited significance Not significant







0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%6%

6%

8%

10%

14%

23%

18%

15%

31%

20%

37%

46%

46%

19%

25%

31%

32%

37%

40%

42%

47%

41%

48%

38%

36%

38%

34%

49%

42%

39%

33%

26%

31%

28%

18%

24%

17%

12%

10%

42%

20%

20%

19%

15%

12%

10%

10%

11%

8%

8%

6%

6%



Economic factors help drive environmental sustainability







0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%6%

6%

8%

10%

14%

23%

18%

15%

31%

20%

37%

46%

46%

19%

25%

31%

32%

37%

40%

42%

47%

41%

48%

38%

36%

38%

34%

49%

42%

39%

33%

26%

31%

28%

18%

24%

17%

12%

10%

42%

20%

20%

19%

15%

12%

10%

10%

11%

8%

8%

6%

6%



Local leadership important







0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%6%

6%

8%

10%

14%

23%

18%

15%

31%

20%

37%

46%

46%

19%

25%

31%

32%

37%

40%

42%

47%

41%

48%

38%

36%

38%

34%

49%

42%

39%

33%

26%

31%

28%

18%

24%

17%

12%

10%

42%

20%

20%

19%

15%

12%

10%

10%

11%

8%

8%

6%

6%



Community pressure is not a big motivator


Threat of lawsuits

Pressure from advocacy groups

Desire to promote social equity

Pressure from business/industry

Pressure from residents

Federal or state policies

Leadership of regional/state officials

Desire/expertise of municipal staff

Potential to attract development projects

Concern over the environment

Federal or state funding opportunities

Leadership of local elected officials


0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%6%

6%

8%

10%

14%

23%

18%

15%

31%

20%

37%

46%

46%

19%

25%

31%

32%

37%

40%

42%

47%

41%

48%

38%

36%

38%

34%

49%

42%

39%

33%

26%

31%

28%

18%

24%

17%

12%

10%

42%

20%

20%

19%

15%

12%

10%

10%

11%

8%

8%

6%

6%


Economy

Environment

Equity

What is sustainability?

Economy

Environment

Equity

What is sustainability?

Sustainability

Social Equity Still Not on the Radar

Social Equity and Sustainability

• Do your written plans refer to social equity?

• If yes, in what way is the concept mentioned?

• What drove you to include it? Or what slows you from considering the concept?

Discussion 2

Planning for Climate Change

George HomsyDepartment of Public AdministrationBinghamton [email protected]

Masters Degree• Public Administration• Geography• Environmental Studies

Master of Sustainable Communities

Translating Sustainability Goals into Action

Scott Turner, AICP, PE Nitsch [email protected]

Thomas Bott, AICP Kingston, [email protected]

George C. Homsy, PhD, AICP Binghamton [email protected]

Worcester, MassachusettsOctober 20, 2016

Translating sustainability goals into action

Government & Nonprofit

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