As one of the leading paradigms of our time, the concept of sustainability has in recent years become increasingly popular within the mainstream – from business communities, to households, and of particular note, cities.   Given its nebulous charge, however -- to strategically balance economic prosperity, social equity, and environmental protection in such a manner that each enhances the other-- it is no surprise that too often, the path leading from the conceptual to the actual can quickly become a bewildering process at best (an abstract ideology, prone to misinterpretations at worst). For cities interested in learning more about the issues or implementing direct actions that will have long-term impacts on their communities, the need for practical, timely, and trusted resources is critical.  The challenge therefore for city sustainability leaders often becomes not one of finding information, but rather in sorting through it to identify the tools, ideas, and strategies that they can take back to their communities. 

The National League of Cities’ Sustainability Program was developed in part to help cities navigate through the important (but increasingly ‘loud’) landscape of sustainability and is thrilled to now be the home of the Sustainable Cities Institute (SCI). A dynamic online platform, SCI offers a convenient “one-stop shop” of practical and reliable resources to help cities and city leaders get started with and continually advance sustainability initiatives. The comprehensive nature of the site presents us with a unique opportunity to demonstrate important linkages across various sustainability topic areas, while also delving into greater depth on each.  The SCI site and the range of carefully vetted resources on it-- including city profiles, case studies, model legislation, and reports-- offers something for all users interested in promoting locally-led sustainability, from a leader who wants a better understanding of what it means for a city to be sustainable, to a sustainability officer looking to learn from peers, address new issue areas and continually strengthen their efforts.

Since 2009, NLC has witnessed this tool develop into a carefully vetted “go- to” resource on city sustainability.  Our hope is that moving forward, its reputation will only grow as an increasing number of elected leaders, city staff, and sustainability professionals turn to SCI as a means to boost the sustainability work that their own city is doing; to learn from best practices around the country; and to network with their peers.

In the coming months, NLC staff will work closely with city leaders and staff engaged in sustainability, partners that have been critical to the ongoing development of the site, and site users to conduct an in-depth assessment of current resources and identify ways to further develop this exciting resource.

As an SCI user, we value your feedback.  Please email us at sustainability@nlc.org if you would like to be involved in this assessment process; if you have a sustainability story from your city that you would like to share; or if you have any questions or feedback about the site itself. We look forward to continuing this journey with you! 

-NLC’s Sustainability Team

By Edward T. McMahon

Nothing demonstrates the disconnect between politicians and the marketplace more than the current debate about climate change and U.S. energy policy.

Before Christmas, Congress passed a measure barring the U.S. Department of Energy from enforcing a ban on incandescent lightbulbs. The original measure, passed in 2007 with bipartisan support and signed into law by President George W. Bush, required a switch to more energy-efficient bulbs beginning in January 2012. Following this directive, the U.S. lighting industry began to produce a wide array of new energy-efficient lightbulbs that save consumers money (almost $90 per year) and have gained market share.

But in late 2011, when Rush Limbaugh and other conservative commentators attacked the ban on incandescent lightbulbs as an infringement on individual rights, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives rushed to overturn the Bush-era measure.

Ironically, the leading opponent of the House action was not the environmental community, but rather the lighting industry, which had spent years shifting its research and production from incandescent bulbs to more efficient halogen, compact fluorescent, and LED bulbs.

"American manufacturers have invested millions of dollars in transitioning to energy-efficient lighting," says Joseph Higbee, spokesman for theNational Electrical Manufacturers Association, an industry group. "Delay in enforcement undermines these investments and creates regulatory uncertainty."

Enjoy more of this article at Urban Land.

Ed McMahon is a Senior Resident Fellow and the Charles E. Fraser Chair on Sustainable Development at the Urban Land Institute. Mr. McMahon also serves on the Sustainable Cities Institute Advisory Board.

SCI is seeking your valuable input on how it can better serve its growing community. Would you please take a few minutes to complete a brief survey?

Clicking on the link below will take you to the questionnaire. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes of your time. However, if you are unable to complete the questionnaire in one sitting, exit and use the link to return to it at a later time. Your responses will be saved for you, and will be kept confidential. 

Click here to being the survey.

Thanks in advance for your input,

The SCI Team

The Fisk Generating Station in Pilsen is the second biggest greenhouse gas emitter in Chicago, after the Crawford power plant. Photo credit: Flickr (Swanksalot), Creative Commons Attribution.

By Center for Neighborhood Technology

Communities in the United States have a useful new data resource to help them with climate and sustainability planning. The U.S. EPA requires facilities emitting over 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually to report emissions, and it has just released 2010 reported data to the public.

The maps and charts at http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgdata/index.html can help a community identify large sources of emissions in their area. This is especially important in small communities, where a large emitter, such as a power plant or landfill that supplies the region, might make up the majority of the community’s greenhouse gas footprint.

Public access to these data is important for all stakeholders working to improve the sustainability of their communities. CNT plans to make use of these new data in its work supporting sustainable economic development in communities and supports the further public release of place-based data like this by government agencies.

2011 has been an amazing year for the Sustainable Cities Institute--we've expanded resources provided on the website, seen great success in the City Program, and found an exciting new home with the National League of Cities.

We would not have realized half of this success without support from The Home Depot Foundation, the SCI Advisory Board, Urban Sustainability Directors Network, Center for Neighborhood Technology, ICLEI, a host of incredible content partners, and you, our valued members. Thanks to all for your guidance and invaluable input!

As proud as we are of this year's accomplishments, we're just as excited about 2012 as we strive to strengthen our support for sustainable cities. That said, keep your eyes open for the SCI 2011 Survey--we are anxious to hear from you so that we can better serve our growing community in 2012.

Until then, may your cities be increasingly green.

Happy New Year,

The SCI Team

The magazine of the American Institute of Architects recently honored me with a feature in their Voices section.  Voices has been loaded lately with stories like mine in which members are taking non-traditional career paths.  As Program Manager, I was responsible for managing the creative process of building the virtual Sustainable Cities Institute---that much I knew.  Managing websites, not so much.

I have received kudos for my comments in this feature:  “..there are missed opportunities in sustainable design such as responses to the natural forces of sun, wind and rain…if we find our forms inside those systems we would have a more meaningful architecture”.  In the world of sustainable building, there are many examples of certified buildings which use no less energy than their uncertified counterparts.  This is a trap we need to avoid. 

Metrics are of course an integral part of the Urban Sustainability movement, but measurement for measurement's sake gets us nowhere. Alternately, we need to get to “know-where”, and fast.  Cities with robust sustainability movements are the gold rush cities of the future.  They feel different.  In selecting our pilots for the SCI City Program we reviewed applications from 34 cities, and thoroughly fact-checked the finalists.  They are amazingly ahead of the game.  Places not known for sustainability impressed us most.  Charleston, South Carolina and Fayetteville, Arkansas ultimately received the coverted grants, but SCI was so impressed with Ann Arbor, Michigan and Salt Lake City, Utah's applications that we decided to partially funded their proposed projects.  Likewise, the SCI Pilot City semi-finalists should not be overlooked.  Cities such as Dubuque Iowa, Columbia, Missouri, and Savannah, Georgia all are making great strides, and their economies are showing the benefits of thinking sustainably.

These cities are responding to their unique challenges in creative ways, and as many sustainability professionals and organizations have found, there are few comparable benchmarks for cities.  Like architecture that finds its meaning in its genius loci (spirit of place), meaningful sustainability is found in its response to unique conditions. 

The amount of diverted waste, tons co2 equivalent saved, or gallons of water re-used are all important measures, but the most important is the measdure by which citizens step up and say “we can be better”.