ProGov21 Policy Library

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Mayors Innovation Project

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement

Water systems across the nation need major infrastructure updates, but financing these projects by raising rates for residential users shifts costs onto those least able to bear them. This policy memo provides strategies for local officials to fund water infrastructure equitably....

A Guide for Public-Sector Resilience Bond Sponsorship

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2017

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Re:Focus Partners

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Community Development

Governments are typically “insurers of last resort.” When disaster strikes, vulnerable communities turn to government agencies for support and recovery assistance. More recently, as the frequency and severity of different types of disasters have grown, the gap between insured losses...

Actionable Solutions for Public Water Systems

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Mayors Innovation Project

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Health, Finance & Procurement, Data & Technology

Cities face a host of challenges in maintaining their water systems and supplying their communities with clean drinking water, and protecting environmental and human health through effective wastewater and stormwater management. This report is is a comprehensive guide outlining best...

Sonoma County Green Purchasing Policy

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year -

Level County

State(s) California

Source Sonoma County

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement

Local governments can promote sustainability in their communities by pursuing environmentally friendly and sustainable purchasing practices. Sonoma County's green purchasing policy requires the county purchasing department to promote the purchase of environmentally preferable or recycled...

2004 Matanuska-Susitna Borough Ordinance 04-175 Regulating Use of Coal Bed Methane

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2004

Level County

State(s) Alaska

Source Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

This ordinance establishes an areawide conditional use permit for coal bed methane exploration and development. An entity that wants to install and operate coal bed methane facilities must have its permit application approved. This ordinance outlines the permit application process...

Green Zones

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Sustainable Development Code

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Health, Housing, Public Spaces

Green zones are special districts created by a local government to drive sustainable economic development, reduce pollution, and promote healthy lifestyles. This memo recommends granting priority permits for green zones and encouraging community involvement in their development. It...

Staying Green: Strategies to Improve Operations and Maintenance of Green Infrastructure in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source American Rivers

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

Polluted stormwater runoff is one of the largest growing sources of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. To mitigate this problem, green infrastructure practices can be used to manage urban runoff by capturing and infiltrating rainwater where it falls. One of the major challenges to the...

Temporary Farm Stands

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Sustainable Development Code

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Food, Health, Public Spaces

Localities can promote farm stands by allowing them as by-right uses across zoning districts and streamlining permitting processes. This memo outlines how farm stand-friendly ordinances expand economic opportunities for small producers and increase the availability of fresh produce....

Community Gardens on Private Property as a By-Right or Permitted Use

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Sustainable Development Code

Policy Areas Community Development, Democracy & Governance, Environment & Natural Resources, Public Spaces

Local governments can facilitate community gardens by passing ordinances that classify them as permitted or by-right uses on private property. This memo explains how permitting community gardens on private land can promote healthy lifestyles, improve access to fresh produce, encourage...

Transition roadmaps for sustainable and resilient cities

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year -

Level -

State(s) All States

Source Sustainable Justice EU

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Environment & Natural Resources

This database contains a compilation of guides to green energy transitions and climate mitigation and adaptation policies from cities around the world making transitions to green energy and implementing climate mitigative and adaptive policies. Policies included come from Rotterdam,...

Minimum Width and Buffer Requirements for Sidewalks

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Sustainable Development Code

Policy Areas Community Development, Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Environment & Natural Resources, Public Spaces, Transportation & Mobility

Local governments should update zoning codes to mandate sidewalk vegetation buffer zones that separate pedestrians from vehicles. This policy memo highlights how these buffers improve pedestrian mobility and safety, reduce stormwater management costs, increase access to public transportation,...

County of Sacramento Climate Action Plan

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2024

Level County

State(s) California

Source County of Sacramento

Policy Areas Community Development, Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Education, Energy, Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement, Public Safety

Cities must develop strategic planning frameworks to mitigate emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change. This climate action plan outlines carbon emission inventories, mitigation approaches, and reduction targets for Sacramento County. It provides an overview of the...

Green Roofing

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Sustainable Development Code

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Environment & Natural Resources, Public Spaces

Cities can use their zoning codes to mandate sustainable development practices like green roofing, which promotes heat absorption, increases stormwater filtration, and provides recreational opportunities. This policy brief outlines how municipalities have leveraged incentives like...

Demanding Better Energy Information: Cities address market failure for energy upgrades

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2012

Level City or Town, City or Town

State(s) Ohio

Source Policy Matters Ohio

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Economic Justice, Energy, Democracy & Governance

This report emphasizes the importance of providing better energy information to renters, buyers, owners, and operators of buildings. By arming them with this information, they can make more informed choices, differentiate between properties, and determine whether energy upgrades are...

Public Water Energy Efficiency

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Journal of Science Policy & Governance

Policy Areas Energy, Community Development, Public Spaces, Environment & Natural Resources

There is significant potential for gains in energy efficiency (EE) in the U.S. water sector that, if realized, would support the security of water supply for its various uses at a lower cost over the long run than business as usual. This paper specifically examines the potential benefits...

A Short Guide to Setting Up a City-Scale Retrofit Program

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2009

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Green for All

Policy Areas Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

This policy brief explains how local governments can design and implement retrofitting and/or renovation programs that make homes more energy efficient. It also presents strategies for capturing financial savings from retrofits, creating high-quality green jobs, and ensuring that...

2021 New York City Local Law Int. No. 2478 Office of Climate Resiliency

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2021

Level City or Town

State(s) New York

Source New York City Council

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

This local law would establish an Office of Climate Resiliency, headed by a Director of Climate Resiliency. The Director would be responsible for developing policies and programs relating to climate resiliency measures in the City, educating the public about such climate resiliency...

A Survey of Energy Use in Water Companies

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

Policy Areas Energy, Community Development, Public Spaces, Environment & Natural Resources

The relationship between water and energy is a close one. Water requires a tremendous amount of energy to move from a reservoir or well, through the treatment process, and out into a distribution system. In addition, energy is required to process wastewater and recycle or discharge...

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level City or Town

State(s) North Carolina

Source City of Raleigh

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

This report outlines total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from all activities within city limits and includes a separate inventory of all emissions generated by local government operations to help develop effective GHG reduction strategies. It analyzes emissions from vehicles, municipal...

Case Study - Sheboygan, WI: Energy Efficiency in Wastewater Treatment Plant

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2011

Level City or Town

State(s) Wisconsin

Source American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

Policy Areas Energy, Community Development, Environment & Natural Resources

This brief provides an overview of the Sheboygan Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), a nationwide leader in energy efficiency in the water and wastewater treatment sector. Sheboygan WWTP has implemented numerous energy-saving measures, mostly by replacing aging equipment with energy-efficient...

Building Resiliency Through Green Infrastructure: A Community Wealth Building Approach

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source The Democracy Collaborative

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Community Development

Those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change are those without living wages or access to political power. As a result, it is necessary for climate resiliency strategies to adopt a framework of community wealth building. Cities have recently integrated more green infrastructure...

How Circular Economies Will Drive a New Urban Metabolism

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Meeting Of The Minds

Policy Areas Energy, Transportation & Mobility, Finance & Procurement

Although the traditional linear economy brought much prosperity, it has functioned by taking primary resources, turning them into products, and disposing of the waste. In the face of the global climate change crisis, cities need to transit to circular economy. In a city with a circular...

The Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) Approach

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2023

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Environmental Protection Agency

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement, Public Spaces

The Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) Initiative provides support to communities in urbanized watersheds looking to reduce stormwater runoff using green infrastructure. This brief outlines how communities can incorporate green technology into roadway and utility upgrades....

Managing Urban Stormwater with Green Infrastructure: Case Studies of Five U.S. Local Governments

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2007

Level City or Town, County, Other Boards and Agencies

State(s) All States, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin

Source Center for Neighborhood Technology

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

This report examines the resources that several U.S. cities are devoting to “green infrastructure” and analyzes their early experiences with alternative stormwater management. This report defines and describes green infrastructure; discusses barriers to green infrastructure implementation...

Expanding Access to Electric Vehicles in California’s Low-Income Communities

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level State

State(s) California

Source Journal of Science Policy & Governance

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Energy, Transportation & Mobility

Following the 2020 executive order from California to have all new passenger vehicles be zero-emission by 2035, the paper outlines the ways to expand access to electric vehicles (EV) to low-income Californians. For the state to meet its clean energy goals, it must include these communities...

ProGov21 Policy Library

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