ProGov21 Policy Library

Taking Action: A Guide for Cities + Towns

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2014

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Center for Neighborhood Technology

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

Communities can improve their climate resilience by improving water management among homes, schools, and businesses. This factsheet shares ten small-scale actions that local policymakers can take to improve water management, including outreach strategies, grant programs, dedicated...

A Rain Ready Nation: Protecting American Homes and Businesses in a Changing Climate

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Center for Neighborhood Technology

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

As ever more destructive storms pummel our towns and cities, we are increasingly confronted by flooded homes and businesses, disruption of municipal services, overflowing streams and rivers, and compromised drinking water. Destructive weather events cost tens of billions of dollars...

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...

The City Upstream and Down: How Integrated Water Management Can Help Cities Thrive

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source American Rivers

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

Current strategies of managing water are outdated and ineffective at addressing aging water systems and climate change. In response, this report urges cities to adopt integrated water management, an approach to managing water that encourages coordination between all water systems...

Climate Projections and Scenario Development: Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the District of Columbia

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town

State(s) -

Source The District Of Columbia City Council

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

This report outlines potential climate change scenarios in Washington D.C., including projected temperature increases, heatwaves, extreme precipitation events, and rising sea levels. The report calls for additional studies to enhance the accuracy of these projections....

Clean Water, Good Jobs: BlueGreen Alliance Joint Policy on Water Issues

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level City or Town, County, National

State(s) All States

Source BlueGreen Alliance

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Environment & Natural Resources, Health, Public Safety

Crucial updates to water system infrastructure are needed in many cities across the country. This policy brief outlines how updating aging facilities, installing green infrastructure, and manufacturing new equipment creates green jobs, and promotes local economic development. It recommends...

City of Fort Worth Stormwater Management Program

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level City or Town

State(s) Texas

Source City Of For Worth

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

This presentation outlines key features and outcomes of the Fort Work Stormwater Management Program....

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...

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,...

City of Philadelphia Green Streets Design Manual

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level City or Town

State(s) Pennsylvania

Source The City Of Philadelphia

Policy Areas Energy, Finance & Procurement, Community Development, Public Spaces, Environment & Natural Resources, Transportation & Mobility

This report details the objectives, strategies, and implementation of Philadelphia's Green City, Clean Water program. This program focuses on enhancing the city's ability to handle stormwater, improving water quality, and encouraging the development of green infrastructure. The report...

2020 Madison Ordinance 60943 Suspension of Stormwater Utility Late Charges

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) Wisconsin

Source The Common Council of the City of Madison

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

To help mitigate the financial impacts of the COVID-19 virus on businesses and residents of Madison, this resolution authorizes the Common Council to suspend stormwater utility late charges....

The Invisible Crisis: Water Unaffordability in the United States

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

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

In many communities across the U.S., water is neither safe nor affordable. This report provides best practices for improving water utility safety and affordability, including programs that keep water costs below 2.5% of household income, banning water shutoffs for nonpayment, prioritizing...

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...

Navigating Legal Pathways to Rate-Funded Customer Assistance Programs

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2017

Level City or Town, State

State(s) All States

Source University of North Carolina Environmental Finance Center

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement

Low-income families are significantly burdened by rising water utility rates. This guide explains how water and wastewater utilities can establish payment assistance programs even when facing state-level regulatory restrictions. It also features utility-level case studies that exemplify...

Wenatchee Stormwater Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2024

Level City or Town

State(s) Washington

Source Wenatchee City Council

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

This ordinance establishes methods for controlling the introduction of pollutants into the municipal separate storm sewer system. It prohibits discharge of pollutants and illicit connections, and provides the director with the right to inspect premises where a discharge may have occurred....

Using Water Policy, Science, Dialogue & Partnerships to Create a Sustainable City

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level City or Town

State(s) Pennsylvania

Source Philadelphia Water

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

This powerpoint outlines the city of Philadelphia's approach to adapting to modern water policies and actions to encourage innovation and sustainable growth....

Report for the Urban Flooding Awareness Act State of Illinois

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level County

State(s) Illinois

Source Illinois Department Of Natural Resources

Policy Areas Public Spaces, Environment & Natural Resources

This report outlines key findings on the extent and cost of urban flooding and the contributing factors in Illinois. It provides recommendations for various levels of responsibility, including legislative action, state agency engagement, community involvement, and public awareness....

Syracuse, New York: A Case Study of How Green Infrastructure is Helping Manage Urban Stormwater Challenges

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2011

Level City or Town, County

State(s) New York

Source City of Syracuse

Policy Areas Public Spaces, Environment & Natural Resources, Economic Justice

This report outlines how Syracuse, NY has improved sewage and wastewater control as well as facilitated job training programs through the use of green infrastructure development. It also highlights county-level investment in extensive urban forestry, infiltration boxes, rain gardens,...

Integrating Valuation Methods to Recognize Green Infrastructure's Multiple Benefits

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2010

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Center for Neighborhood Technology

Policy Areas Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

This report outlines the environmental and economic benefits associated with different types of green infrastructure, including urban forests, permeable pavement, water harvesting technology, green roofs, and infiltration practices like rain gardens, bioswales, and constructed wetlands....

City of Milwaukee Green Infrastructure Plan

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) Wisconsin

Source City of Milwaukee

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

By 2030, Milwaukee will add approximately 36 million gallons of stormwater storage by implementing green infrastructure constructed by an inclusive workforce that is representative of the City's Diversity. This report outlines successful green infrastructure implementation practices,...

Basic Water Utility Management: A Guide for Local Leaders

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Mayors Innovation Project

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

Part of a mayor’s job is to understand vital operations of a city, including water utilities and infrastructure. This report presents tools to help mayors understand their water systems and utilities better. In particular, it summarizes the elements of a successful water system, including...

Climate Adaptation & Resilience: A Resource Guide for Local Leaders

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2012

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Institute For Sustainable Communities

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

The growing impact of climate change on local communities necessitates policies that promote climate change adaptation in addition to climate change mitigation. This report examines climate change adaptation efforts at different levels of government and identifies key challenges they...

2015 Chicago Ordinance 1741015 Providing Zoning Incentives for Green Roofs

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2015

Level City or Town

State(s) Illinois

Source City of Chicago

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

Chicago's zoning code awards a Floor-Area Ratio (FAR) bonus for green roofs that cover more than 50 percent of the roof area in downtown mixed-use districts. Developments with larger green roof plots can earn higher bonuses which incentivizes more green roof development without large...

Cambridge Green Roofs Zoning Ordinance

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2023

Level City or Town

State(s) Massachusetts

Source City of Cambridge

Policy Areas Energy, Environment & Natural Resources, Public Spaces

Cities can use their zoning codes to mandate sustainable development practices. This zoning ordinance establishes green roof development standards for stormwater management, heat mitigation, and recreation. It also requires new buildings of substantial size to include vegetation and...

Lean Urbanism for Greenfield Development: Seaside Case Study

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level City or Town

State(s) All States, Florida

Source The Project For Lean Urbanism

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

Seaside, the resort town in the Florida Panhandle, is best known for being a compact, walkable and diverse community, but it has also become known as one of the first environmentally designed new towns. It is now time for it to be recognized as a model for Lean Urbanism, particularly...

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