Clean Energy Resource Teams

Sustainability Best Practices for Minnesota Cities

 
The full set of draft best practices is now available for comment through May 31st, 2010. We really appreciate your feedback to help us make the program as good as it can be! Comments can be submitted via email to Philipp Muessig at Philipp.Muessig@state.mn.us.
 

Getting Started

• Best Practices Summary
• Worksheet for determining your city category
• Best Practice Requirements by City Type
• Sample GreenStep Resolution
• Effectiveness, cost & ROI
   

Buildings & Lighting

• Buildings & Lighting Actions Overview
• 1. Efficient Existing Public Buildings
• 2. Efficient Existing Private Buildings
• 3. New Green Buildings
• 4. Efficient Lighting & Signals
• 5. Building Reuse
   

Land Use

• Land Use Actions Overview
• 6. Comprehensive Planning & Implementation – coming soon
• 7. Higher Density
• 8. Efficient & Healthy Development Patterns
• 9. Efficient Highway-Oriented Development
• 10. Conservation Design
   

Transportation

• Transportation Actions Overview
• 11. Complete Green Streets
• 12. Mobility Options
• 13. Efficiency City Fleets
• 14. Demand-Side Travel Planning
   

Environmental Management

• Environmental Management Actions Overview
• 15. Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
• 16. Urban Forests
• 17. Efficient Stormwater Management
• 18. Green Infrastructure
• 19. Surface Water Quality
• 20. Efficient Water and Wastewater Facilities
• 21. Septic Systems
• 22. Solid Waste Reductions
• 23. Local Air Quality
   

Community & Economic Development

• Community & Economic Development Actions Overview
• 24. Benchmarks & Community Engagement
• 25. Green Business Development
• 26. Renewable Energy
• 27. Local Food
• 28. Business Synergies
   

GreenStep Cities is a public/private partnership administered by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Prevention and Assistance Division. Other partners are the Clean Energy Resource Teams, the League of Minnesota Cities, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Office of Energy Security, the University of MN Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, Center for Energy and the Environment, Great Plains Institute, Green Institute, The Minnesota Project, and the Urban Land Institute MN.