A Dozen Tools for Accelerating Local Sustainability Leadership  

Over half of the world’s population now lives in cities, where built environment decisions endure for decades, impacting social and economic prospects for generations. In response, a new class of sustainability appraisal tools has emerged that gauge equity, resiliency, and resource efficiency at neighborhood, city, and urban component scales. These tools can provide stakeholders with inclusive and transparent systems that support and accelerate local leadership on critical issues of sustainability. In the face of a faltering national commitment, the use and advocacy of these tools by communities takes on even greater significance and urgency. The webinar will examine major U.S. tools for assessing the sustainability of neighborhoods, cities, and their components, including: 2030 Districts, APA Sustaining Places, EcoDistricts Protocol, Enterprise Green Communities, Envision for infrastructure, LEED for Neighborhoods, LEED for Cities & Communities, Living Community Challenge, STAR Community, Sustainable SITES, and WELL District. Each tool will be reviewed in terms of assessment scope, intended users, rating procedure, costs, and output. And a set of evaluation criteria will be presented for judging and selecting the best tools for community and neighborhood needs. Webinar learning objectives include: understanding the value of urban sustainability assessment, recognizing the qualities of an appraisal tool, learning the range of available tools, and knowing how to select a tool. 

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