Urban Sustainability Bulletin

August 2015 Urban Sustainability Innovation Report

A Tale of Two Cities: Establishing Community Grant Programs - The Partners for Places grant program is designed to deepen connections between urban sustainability and place-based funders. In Cleveland and Indianapolis, this took on the form of creating local funds for sustainability. MORE>>

Achieving Urban Sustainability through Collaboration: Five Projects Advance to Final Round of the 2015 USDN Innovation Fund General RFP - The proposals focus on how to address equity in energy efficiency programming, testing planning processes for climate preparedness that engage the community in an equitable way, working with Investor Owned Utilities, innovative financing for sustainability projects, and biodiversity. MORE>>

Scaling USDN Member Innovations through Regional Networks - Multiple regional networks are exploring innovations in their regions, including community-based social marketing, the role of local government in urban agriculture, and climate preparedness and adaption. MORE>>

Innovation Fund Experimentations: Quick Funds - The USDN Innovation Fund values experimentation and is testing a new investment model through the 2015 Quick Funds Grant Program. The grants will focus on a scenario-based climate preparedness pilot in Seattle, engaging the private sector in community greenhouse gas reductions through a standardized Request for Information document and outreach toolkit, and a multi-city charrette program to engage New England communities in resiliency planning. MORE>>

How Do Communities Reach Carbon Neutrality? These 8 Projects Begin to Answer this Question - The Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance Innovation Fund has made awards for cities to explore net-zero energy, district heating systems, hydrogen re-fueling stations, and other tools to achieve deep carbon reductions. MORE>>

INNOVATOR PROFILE: This month, we check in with Dave Norwood, the Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Dearborn MI, to hear how the LED Streetlight Convening Project has taken a life of its own after the grant was complete. MORE>>

USDN now helps partners, sustainability professionals, and our followers stay up to date with USDN members' innovations through the Urban Sustainability Innovation Report. This newsletter highlights our members' work on the cutting edge of urban sustainability innovation.