green cities report

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About Living CitiesFounded in 1991, Living Cities is an innovative philanthropic collaborative of 21 of the worlds largestfoundations and financial institutions. Our members are not simply funders. They participate at thesenior management level on the Living Cities Board of Directors and contribute the time of 80+ expertstaff toward crafting and implementing our agenda, which is focused on improving the lives of low-income people and the urban areas in which they live.

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to harnessing federal stimulusdollars to this end. To address thecritical issues of transportation,

we are actively participatingin important transit-orienteddevelopment collaboratives inthe Twin Cities and the Bay Area.

We are also supporting someof the first large-scale attemptsto develop green jobs trainingprograms for low-income andlow-skilled populations byextending grants and planningsupport to six cities. Finally, weare working with Green for All toraise capital for a national socialinvestment fund that will supportgreen economy businesses andprojects companies creating

green-collar jobs in energyefficiency, urban deconstruction,recycling and other services, as

well as financing vehicles forsmall business expansion andemerging energy intermediaries.

Living Cities makes theseinvestments on the shouldersof the extraordinary nonprofits,

foundations and public and privatesector leaders who blazed a greenpath when it was not popular. Weare exploring new partnerships

with the Obama administrationand with mayors and governorsto catalyze and accelerate a

green-driven economic recoverythrough what Living Cities doesbest creating innovative andintegrative uses of public, privateand philanthropic capital.

We and our members lookforward to contributing to thecreation of a green economythat works for all of us.

Ben HechtPresident & CEO

Living Cities

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ver the past decade, climate

change has moved from ascientific theory to a reality.Governments and communitiesaround the globe are movingquickly to cut greenhouse gasemissions, in hopes of warding offthe most devastating impacts of adramatically altered climate.

In the United States, in theabsence of strong federal action,local governments have been takingthe lead on addressing climate

change. Until now.President Barack Obama hasmade reducing greenhouse gasesa cornerstone of his plans. Thenew president is investing billionsto green the U.S. economy. Theadministration is aiming for atriple win with these investments:quickly creating jobs, improvingthe environment and includingtraditionally isolated and low-income residents in the new

green economy.In an effort to inform and shapethe coming wave of investmentin sustainability, Living Citiesconducted a thorough survey ofprograms and policies in 40 ofthe nations largest cities, spoke todozens of experts in the field andstudied a series of initiatives at the

Introduction:Green and Cities

local level. Its one of the first-ever

assessments of exactly how cities areaddressing climate change andwhat they need in order to takethese efforts to the next level. (Seethe Survey Results at the end of thereport, for complete findings.)

What we found is that citiesdid not wait for action fromthe federal government or eventheir state governments to beginto turn themselves into greenlaboratories, testing ways to

lower greenhouse gas emissions,and to build healthier, cleaner,more sustainable environments.For example the Living Citiessurvey found that fully four out offive cities report that sustainabilityis among their top five prioritiesas articulated by the mayor. Over75 percent of cities have, or willsoon have, detailed plans on howthey will reduce greenhousegasses; nearly all are calling for an

emissions cut of between 10 and 20percent in the next five to 10 years.Cities, it seems, have seen the

future, and they are embracingit. In the Living Cities survey,four in five cities reported thatsustainability is among their topfive priorities. More than half ofcities are either currently creating


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precisely in low-income areasthat sustainability plans can have

the most dramatic impacts: Thehousing stock is the least energyefficient, and the job seekershave the skills and motivation toplug into the expected growthin construction and retrofit

jobs. Finally, focusing on issuesof equity in the coming green

wave present an opportunity touse green as a lever to reformthe long dysfunctional anduncoordinated workforce,

housing and transportationsystems that serve not just thepoor but all city residents.

Now is the time to addressthese core gaps. We need to bothscale up city green efforts andensure they are connected to allresidents, including the poorest. Itis no longer a question of if thenation will begin the challengingtransition to a greener economybut how we will get there. As

this report reveals, the answerto that question lies in large partin Americas cities. They areon the vanguard of developing

CALIFORNIA GREEN INNOVATIONINDEX)''/)''0

Doug Henton

A sharp, engaging analysis of key

economic and environmental indicators

and the role that innovation plays in

reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

HOW GREEN IS YOUR CITY? THESUSTAINLANE US CITY RANKINGS)''/

Warren Karlenzig

The first systemic report card ranking

the sustainability of the 50 largest US

cities. It provides analysis of each major

citys management policies, strengths and

challenges, as well as a survey of where

clean technologies might break new

ground to expand job-markets and tax-

bases across the country.

THE ECONOMICS OF CLIMATECHANGE IMPACTS AND POLICYBENEFITS AT CITY SCALE: ACONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK -ENVIRONMENT WORKING PAPER

NO. 4)''/

Organization for Economic Cooperationand Development

A conceptual framework for

understanding and addressing the

vulnerability of cities to climate change.

It also assesses the potential economic

impact of rising temperatures.

DESIGNING A CLEAN ENERGYFUTURE: A RESOURCE MANUAL)''*

The Minnesota Project, University ofMinnesotas Regional SustainableDevelopment Partnerships, MinnesotaDepartment of Commerce

A practical, comprehensive resource on

community-based clean energy solutions

with reference materials and detailed case

studies of successful projects.

climate change solutions. Theywill undoubtedly remain at the

center of any serious bid to cutgreenhouse gas emissions, becauseof their sheer scale, centrality tothe U.S. economy and key role asthe center of American expertiseand innovation.

In the subsequent threechapters, we will examine citiesin terms of buildings, jobs andtransportation. We considercities achievements, whilealso scrutinizing the troubling

gaps that plague those efforts.In the fifth and final chapter,we offer conclusions andrecommendations: the next stepsfor making the most effective andproductive investments in helpinggreening cities and the nation.It is no small concern, as theObama administration takes itsfirst, key steps.

read this.recommended reading


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Green BuildingsCities have made green building a priority among their early sustainability

eorts. But cities need help with the next big step: retrofitting current structures.

:ities are are not just wherethe people are theyre

where the buildings are,a critical fact for battling climatechange. Roughly half of allgreenhouse gases emitted in theU.S. are produced in order to build,heat, cool and power the structuresin which we live, work, shop andplay, according to the U.S. EnergyInformation Administration. It isno surprise, therefore, that many

cities have devoted considerableresources to trying to makebuildings more efficient.

Green building techniqueshave progressed by leaps andbounds in the last 20 years. Becauseof the growth of the green buildingindustry, the rising cost of energyand the fact that cities have controlover both their own municipalbuildings and local building codes,green building tends to be the first

step for city officials looking togreen their cities.Many cities have made

considerable progress with greenbuildings and put tough newcodes into place, particularly whenit comes to new city structuresand commercial projects. Its asignificant accomplishment, butLiving Cities research suggests its

reach is inherently limited. Thetrue Holy Grail for cities seekingto make a serious dent in building-related emissions is mass retrofits:a systematic effort to upgradecurrent structures, which make upthe vast majority of buildings.

Those efforts must target notonly commercial and institutionalbuildings but also the residential

sector, particularly low-incomerenters and homeowners helping them insulate, replace

appliances and make their homessafer and more comfortable. Suchefforts can build on the experienceof federal agencies and their localpartners, which for decades haverun modest programs helping thepoor weatherize homes.

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Building Codes Go GreenCities are working to make new buildings, especially those built

with city money, more ecient.

Khe most common greenbuildings strategy forcities, by far, is to mandate

that new city buildings be builtto efficient standards. Mostcities are basing their codeson the Leadership in Energyand Environmental Design(LEED) standards from theU.S. Green Building Council.

About two-thirds surveyedby Living Cities have chosento mandate LEED silverstandards for new city-ownedor city-funded construction.

Although such a step iseasy to take and sends a strongmessage that a city is investingin green, the net benefitof such strategies in terms ofemissions reductions is relativelylow, given that most cities dont

add that many new buildings.Take Memphis an extremebut not singular example. Thecity isnt adding much population,

with only about 4,000 newresidents between 1980 and2000.iii Officials there said theyprobably construct a new citybuilding every five or 10 years.Overall, most cities reported toLiving Cities they build relativelyfew structures each year.

About one in four cities inthe Living Cities survey said theyhave green building mandatesthat go beyond city buildings andapply to private construction:usually commercial and, in afew cases, residential. Mostcities begin regulating privateconstruction by revising codes to

mandate green building for largernew buildings, typically 10,000square feet in size or larger.

There are a few citiesmandating green standards forall construction, whether city-funded or not. In San Francisco,new green standards for all newbuildings, whether residential,private or commercial, will be

phased in over the next fiveyears. Dallas and Washington,D.C., have also just passednew codes. Theirs require all

new buildings to be built tomodestly efficient standards by2011 and 2012, respectively.

Such broad and ambitiouscodes are the exception ratherthan the rule. But despite the lackof widespread mandates, greenbuilding is catching on, especiallyamong large commercial projects.Houston officials report, for

example, that 80 percent of theirnew commercial office spacedowntown meets LEED standards.

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Greening Existing Buildings:

Cities Biggest ChallengeThe biggest and quickest cut that cities can make in carbon is fromgreening current structures. Mass retrofits also create new jobs.

Iequiring that newbuildings be green is agood first step for cities,

but by far the most meaningfuldent in greenhouse gas emissionscould come from retrofittingexisting buildings. Over 90 percentof the built environment in theU.S. is over five years old. iv

Research shows thatretrofitting an existing buildingis far better for the environmentthan building a new one evenif its built to green standards.Construction itself is responsiblefor a big chunk of buildingscarbon emissions.v The bottomline is that the greenest buildingis one that already exists, saidRichard Moe, president of theNational Trust for Historic

Preservation, in a 2008 speech.Cities across the country knowthis. Theyre beginning to putinnovative programs into place toencourage and pay for retrofits.

But the reach of mostsuch programs is so far sharplylimited. George S. Hawkins,director of the Department ofthe Environment in Washington,D.C., says that existing, agingbuildings are his citys biggest

challenge, even with a plan inplace to invest approximately$25 million in retrofits.

It is not anywhere nearenough, he says, given thescale of development that isalready here, which is notenergy efficient, and whichneeds to be transformed.

Like D.C., Los Angeles hasa multimillion-dollar program toretrofit existing city buildings. Thecitys utility is lending the city themoney to make its buildings moreefficient. The city will then paythat money back with the energysavings it realizes over time.

But the reach of such a

program is modest for now. L.A.is starting with 20 buildings out of more than 1,000existing city-owned structures.

In San Francisco, retrofitsare also next on the agenda forgreen building advocates. SanFrancisco and other cities havenot yet effectively tackled thembecause retrofitting old buildingsis complicated, says Laura Tam,sustainable development policy

director for the San FranciscoPlanning and Urban ResearchAssociation (SPUR). Its justeasier to deal with new buildings they arent occupied oreven designed yet. You donthave to move or inconveniencetenants, she explains. Also,it is usually more expensiveto add green features to anexisting building than to buildit that way in the first place.

Building owners who domake their buildings more energyefficient enjoy a significantpay-off: lower energy bills. Thatnot only makes the building lessexpensive to operate but alsohelps to attract tenants. And ascities, states and eventually thefederal government begin to

A HANDBOOK ON LOW-ENERGY BUILDINGS ANDDISTRICT-ENERGY SYSTEMS:FUNDAMENTALS, TECHNIQUESAND EXAMPLES)''-

Danny Harvey

A comprehensive, objective and criticalsourcebook on low-energy buildingsand exemplary building techniques fromNorth America, Europe and Asia.

THE DOLLARS AND SENSE OFGREEN RETROFITS)''/

A joint study by Deloitte and CharlesLockwood

A smart working paper that makes astrong case, based on data, for greenretrofits.

ENABLING INVESTMENTS INENERGY EFFICIENCY: A STUDYOF PROGRAMS THAT ELIMINATEFIRST-COST BARRIERS FOR THERESIDENTIAL SECTOR)''/

Merrian Fuller

A sharp, accessible study of energyefficiency financing programs in the U.S.and Canada with recommendations forovercoming cost barriers.

BUILDINGS AND CLIMATECHANGE: STATUS, CHALLENGESAND OPPORTUNITIES)''.

United Nations EnvironmentProgramme

This report, from the SustainableBuildings and Construction Initiativeof UNEP, finds that significant cuts ingreenhouse gas emissions can be madeusing existing technologies and buildingmaterials.



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make carbon emissions costly,building owners may be requiredto reduce emissions. Four of thefive most cost-effective ways to cutemissions improving insulation,lighting, air-conditioning and

water heating are building

retrofit measures, according to theconsultant McKinsey & Company.In an effort to help spur

the green retrofit market, theU.S. Green Building Councilre-launched a special LEEDprogram for existing buildings in

January 2008. Since then, morethan 1,000 new projects have

been submitted, more than twicethe rate of the previous year.

Green retrofitting not onlycan help cities achieve realand meaningful reductions ingreenhouse gas emissions, it willalso create new, green jobs for

blue-collar workers. Its a sectorthat elected officials are focusingon helping, given the low- andmid-skilled job losses growing outof the current housing slowdownand financial crisis. Investments inretrofits can produce immediateeconomic impact, a keyconsideration for policymakers

from President Obama on down;$1 million spent on retrofitscreates between 8 and 11 jobsand generates about $300,000 intaxes, according to estimates.vi

Building retrofits is theeasiest way to get big energy

gains, quickly, and to create a lotof jobs, said Robert Pollin, aneconomist and the co-director ofthe Political Economy ResearchInstitute at the University of

Massachusetts, Amherst. Andduring a recession, one thing youlook for is certainty. Buildingretrofits provide that certainty.

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The Financing Puzzle For Retrofits

Innovative Approaches

Cities and their partners are working to figure out how to pay for retrofits, in hopes

of launching wide-scale programs that can lead to big cuts in emissions.

8s with many greeninitiatives, one of the majorobstacles to energy-efficient

upgrades to existing buildings ishow to pay for them.

One viable model for payingfor retrofits has emerged forinstitutional and corporatecustomers: performance contracts.Energy Service Companies(ESCOs) retrofit buildings at adiscounted up-front cost and then

share in the resulting savings inenergy costs over time. ESCOs aretypically manufacturers of heatingand cooling equipment, such as

Johnson Controls. They do the bulkof their business in large buildings,

which buy their products.While ESCOs have made a

market of large-scale retrofits,

there is no parallel model forretrofitting smaller properties the modest office buildings,commercial properties and homesthat make up the lions share ofthe built environment and theassociated energy consumptionand greenhouse gas emissions.

Progress on the residentialside of the energy efficiencymarket has been slow. A massretrofit of single-family homes

could make a huge dent ingreenhouse gas emissions: Thesehomes are responsible for 38percent of all building energy useand 73 percent of all residentialuse.vii

Yet not many homeownershave chosen to green theirhomes. Cost estimates for

retrofits range from $3,000 to$40,000, an investment that cantake years to recoup. Savingsfrom energy improvements vary

widely and are often educatedguesses, at best. Getting retrofitsdone usually requires a substantialinvestment in time and energyfor the homeowner, with hightransaction costs. Utility billshave often not been high enoughto motivate the residential

market. Improper usage e.g.,leaving lights on or failing touse a thermostat properly caneliminate hoped-for savings.

New energy eciency financing models are cropping up across the nation.

New financing techniquescan overcome these hurdles,leading many more building andhomeowners to embrace retrofits.What we need right now is a wayto turn those up-front big capitalcosts into long-term modestrepayments, says Cisco DeVries,

managing director of RenewableFunding, a solar financingcompany, so that people can payfor solar energy and efficiency in

ways that are much more like autility bill and much less like a caror house note.

It appears that federal officialsare poised to create policies to

incorporate energy efficiencyinto their housing programs.

The new Housing and UrbanDevelopment Secretary ShaunDonovan said during a Februaryspeech that his agency plannedto have a dramatic effect on thesustainability of the way that we

build our housing.Traditional retrofit financingprograms provide three- to seven-

year-term loans. Payments on suchloans are high enough to limit thenumber of homeowners that canafford them. A variety of subsidiesand incentives to make these loansmore attractive to lower-income

households have met with onlylimited success.

Innovative programs that hopeto broaden the appeal of retrofitsfor homeowners are cropping upacross the country.

On-bill financing, using eitherutility or property tax bills, can

make retrofits more affordable bylengthening repayment periods,while still satisfying lenders thattheir loans are reasonably secure.Collecting payments through autility companys billing systemis attractive because homeownerstypically make paying utilitybills a priority and because this


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8s is the case with all green

initiatives, cities will needto work hard to ensure thatlow-income residents have accessto energy efficiency upgrades. If itshard for middle-class residents tonavigate the complexities of loans,utility bills and tax credits thatcome along with retrofitting, it canbe virtually impossible for low-income homeowners and tenants

Yet low-income families canbenefit more than anyone else

from greener dwellings. Familiesthat earn less than $10,000 a yearpay as much as 16 percent of theirincomes on home energy bills,compared to just 2 to 3 percent formiddle- and upper-income families,according to the BrookingsInstitution.

The first federal energyefficiency programs, which grewout of the OPEC energy crisis ofthe 1970s, were aimed at helping

the poor. These include theDepartment of Health and HumanServices Low Income HomeEnergy Assistance Program thathelps low-income families pay theirutility bills. The Department ofEnergys Weatherization Programprovides retrofit services at no costto lower-income households. Newinvestments in this work in citiesmust build on the track record ofthese enduring programs.

Several cities also have theirown programs in place to help low-income residents complete energy-efficient retrofits. Houston haspartnered with its electric utility tooffer weatherization in low-incomecommunities. For about $900 perhome, contractors blow 9 inchesof insulation into attics, caulkholes in windows and doors and doother simple fixes. Officials say theprogram lowers residents utility

Green Buildings For All

bills by 12 to 20 percent. The

city has done this work in 3,500homes with hopes of doubling thatnumber by 2010.

To help retrofit existingaffordable housing units, Chicagorecently instituted the ChicagoEnergy Efficiency BuildingRetrofit Program, a public-privatepartnership to provide financingand technical assistance to ownersof affordable multiunit rentalproperties. The program will

provide loans to building ownersfor energy and water efficiencymeasures that will be repaidfrom the operating savings thoseimprovements make possible.Currently in its pilot phase, theprogram aims to retrofit 100 to 200buildings with 4,500 to 5,700 unitsof affordable housing and providea model that can be rolled outon a larger scale in Chicago andreplicated in other cities.

However, cities have oftenstumbled when it comes tooutreach for such programs, bothin terms of letting low-incomeresidents and building ownersknow they exist and in adequatelyexplaining the financial benefits ofsuch programs.

On the affordable housingfront, some cities are partnering

with nonprofits such as Enterpriseand LISC to green publicly funded

developments. Perhaps moreimportantly, cities are beginningto understand that sustainabilitymeans more than just a greenhome. Seattles Hope Seattleproject was one of the first to adopta goal of creating not just a greenhousing project but a sustainablecommunity. The project nowserves as the model for the HopeSF project, which will tackle thegreening of eight public housing

Cities need to make sure that low-income families benefit from the

greening of homes and apartments.

Most large cities are mandating thatnew city buildings be built to greenstandards. Some cities are starting

to go further, requiring the same forprivate construction.

But the focus on new buildings islimited. Mass retrofits of existingstructures are the key to sharpgreenhouse gas reductions.

Many cities want to spur massretrofits, but paying for them is an

enormous challenge. Officials areexamining the innovative financingschemes that have sprung up aroundthe country.

Cities will need to ensure thatprograms to make homes andapartments more efficient reachlow-income neighborhoods.

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projects in San Francisco.

Whats wrapped into thisredevelopment is every issueyou can imagine education,schools, community servicesand green, not only as anefficiency issue but as a healthissue, explains Rich Gross, vicepresident, California Initiativesat Enterprise.


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Cities and Green JobsPresident Obama has made investing in green jobs a priority. Cities are poised

to help implement the policy, but the field is still more a concept than a reality.

Khe ideaof a vibrant greenjobs sector that will helpbreathe life into the economy

has garnered significant attentionin recent years from the media,politicians and nonprofit groupsalike. Governors in California and

Massachusetts have signed billsfunding the creation of a green

workforce, while think-tanks andresearchers are projecting millionsof new green jobs.

And now the new presidentis giving green jobs a huge boost.His $787 billion stimulus package,signed into law in February,includes roughly $90 billion ingreen spending on energy andinfrastructure, for boosting energyefficiency in federal buildings,increasing investment in mass transitand creating a smarter energy grid.

That spending is projected to createaround 1 million jobs, according to

White House estimates.The hope is that that greenjobs will help move America outof a recession and restore its placeas a leader in the global economy.But, even as Obama prepares toadvance this new economy forward,the green-collar job movement is in

need of programs and leadership thatcan turn its promise into reality.The shift to a green economy

will test cities, as most economicand workforce developmentsystems are outmoded, fragmentedand unprepared to adequatelyrespond to the new opportunities.

The green economy can becomethe perfect impetus and vehiclefor re-engineering these criticalsystems and for ensuring that

underemployed low-incomeresidents become a strong focusof new workforce efforts.

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How Cities Have ProgressedCities want to attract green jobs and they have a few programs in place.

But, so far, the sector is much more concept than reality.

:ity officials are wellaware of the rosypredictions for the green

jobs sector. Nearly all citiessurveyed by Living Cities reportthey would like to attract green-collar jobs and industries. Butmost are just now starting to figureout how to do that, by surveyingarea companies, reaching out to

colleges and bringing togetherinterested parties.Those collaborative efforts

have led to progress in at leastsome cities. Nationally, about onein three of the cities that LivingCities surveyed have begun topartner with area colleges andcreate training programs. Aboutone in six report they actually haveprograms that place trainees in

jobs, according to our survey.Overall, a few select cities are

developing promising models, butthe numbers of new jobs and ofpeople receiving actual training

are still quite low. This is not a hugesurprise, as the number of greenbusinesses and jobs remains modest.

Probably the greatestcommitment to green jobs isoccurring in Chicago where thecity has begun directly funding andrunning its own program. The $2.5million Greencorps Chicago givesparticipants municipal jobs. The

program has trained 265 participantssince 1994 (about 40 per year) inlandscaping and tree pruning and,

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since 2005, in computer recyclingand disposal of householdchemicals. Roughly 80 percent of

program participants (the majorityof whom are ex-offenders) havefound jobs with the city, nonprofitgroups or private employers aslandscapers, tree pruners, arboristsand truck drivers.

The Bay Area in NorthernCalifornia is another city citedas a national model. But aLiving Cities assessment showsthat while their practices maybe innovative, these programs

have only led to a fairly smallnumber of jobs. Their efforts arenonetheless worth examining.

The city of San Francisco hasbeen proactive. Its citywide GoSolar program provides rebates ofup to $6,000 for individuals andup to $10,000 for businesses thatinstall solar systems. Accordingto Mayor Gavin Newsom, therebate program has resulted in 16

companies hiring new workers toinstall solar panels in the city.

San Francisco has also

funded a program at a localcommunity college to trainlow-income residents in variousskills related to the biofuelsindustry. Most of the graduatesfrom the new program willget jobs at the citys proposedbiodiesel plant. The city alsohas introduced green buildinglessons to the curriculum atCity Build, a construction jobtraining program run by the San

Francisco County TransportationAuthority.Across the Bay, in Oakland,

is another promising effort ledby the nonprofit Ella BakerCenter. It is just one of agrowing number of communitygroups taking the lead to seekgreen-collar job training forlow-income residents. TheElla Baker Center is providing

vocational training, internshipsand job placements in renewableenergy, energy efficiency and green

construction projects.The program brings togethera local community college (LaneyCollege), a nationally recognized

job training program (CypressMandela) and a placement agency(Growth Sector). The three-phaseprogram can take 40 students in itsfirst year and is funded by a $250,000grant from the City of Oakland.Graduates will ultimately be guidedinto apprenticeships and on-the-job

training programs at local companiesand nonprofits. Participants will alsobe assigned case workers who willhelp them get and maintain jobs oncethey have completed training.

Many policymakers andadvocates are watching the EllaBaker Center with great interest.

The groups cofounder and nowWhite House green jobs advisor,Van Jones, has garnered nationwide

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attention as a green jobs visionary.He went on to found Green for All,a national organization focused onnational green jobs policies, whichis looking to connect grassroots,

government and business sectorsin creating jobs for disadvantagedcommunities.

As San Francisco and Oaklandhave received the majority ofattention, it is another program inthe Bay Area that may ultimatelylead to bigger job gains. San Jose

Mayor Chuck Reed has set a goalof creating 25,000 Clean Tech jobs.

The mayor hopes to get there bydoing more than just attracting

more engineers to Silicon Valley.Officials hope that whether its inalternative energy, water, greenbuilding or transportation, the newindustries will supply blue-collar

jobs, too.San Jose is partnering with both

local businesses and educationalinstitutions. Its making sure thatcompanies are telling communitycolleges and technical schools whatskills they need. The schools are

then crafting unique programsranging from solar installer trainingto alternative transportation courses.One local community college Foothill-De Anza has anextensive green building programand has turned part of its campusinto a test bed and living classroomfor green building materials.

Last year, 300 to 400 studentswent through green job trainingprograms at community colleges

within San Joses city limits,while 1,200 to 1,500 graduatedfrom similar programs in thecounty, according to officials. Thekey in San Jose appears to be a

combination of mayoral, collegeand business leadership at thehighest levels and a dedication toboth the workforce and economicdevelopment side of the equation.

While these efforts arepromising, by and large, most citiesreport that green jobs remaina concept a target more thana reality. Some initial programsstalled, after cities discovered they

were training workers for jobs that

dont yet exist.In Memphis, Tenn., officialswere about to start adding solarinstallation training to a successfulprisoner reentry program, whichoffers job training to low-leveloffenders. In the course ofresearching the program, however,they discovered that almost noone was actually purchasing solarsystems in the city, leading themto focus instead on attracting solar

companies before they start the jobtraining program.

Sustainability directors inother cities are worried aboutencountering similar scenarios.What we dont want to do is fallinto the track of training peoplefor these jobs and then the jobsarent there, says Beth Strommen,manager of Baltimores Office ofSustainability.

Van Jones, Founder of Green For All,

Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise

and Innovation at the White House Council

on Environmental QualityCURRENT AND POTENTIAL GREENJOBS IN THE U.S. ECONOMY)''/

A report prepared for the U.S. Conferenceof Mayors

A detailed, statistical look at what a greeneconomy might look like, with an emphasison cities.

GREEN RECOVERY: A PROGRAMTO CREATE GOOD JOBS & STARTBUILDING A LOW-CARBONECONOMY)''/

The Political Economy Research Institute

A blueprint for how government investmentscan spur a green economy.

GREEN COLLAR JOBS IN AMERICASCITIES: BUILDING PATHWAYS OUTOF POVERTY AND CAREERS IN THECLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY)''/

Apollo Alliance and Green for All

A blueprint for cities to link residents tofamily-supporting, career-track jobs in greenindustries.

GOING GREEN: THE VITAL ROLEOF COMMUNITY COLLEGES INBUILDING A SUSTAINABLE FUTUREAND GREEN WORKFORCE)''/

National Council for Workforce Educationand the Academy for EducationalDevelopment

An analysis of the growing role community

colleges are playing in the green economy,with examples of innovative programs andrecommendations for further action.



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),

thinks that it wont be as easyas many think to encouragecontractors, for example,to transition from buildinghomes to renovating them.

There is differentequipment, he says. Thereare different skills. You need totrain those people. You need toget them interested in it. Talk

to the homebuilding industry this is not on their radar.If they do decide to make thetransition to take advantage ofthis growing opportunity, weneed to ensure they are capableof doing high-quality work.

If cities bend to understandand meet the needs of the newgreen economy, it could offerbroader benefits. It could andshould be an opportunity to

force needed reform of the entireworkforce system. This will entailbuilding new capacity, bringingtogether a wide range of players,from community colleges andtechnical schools to nonprofit

job training organizations tosmall businesses and, in addition,establishing a coherent fundingstrategy that makes sense ofthe dozens of disparate revenuestreams needed to support this

work. These are reforms that havebeen called for before, but themomentum around green jobs maybe the spark to make it happen.

In the absence of such reformand coordination, the result couldbe job training programs thateither dont realize the existenceof new jobs in the local economy

Green jobs are a favorite strategyfor pulling the economy out ofa recession for everyone fromadvocates to President Obama.Until now, however, the sector has

been more a concept than a reality.

The greatest promise in the short-term for the green jobs sector is inmass retrofits: employing laid-off

workers from the constructionsector in making buildings moreefficient. Effective finance structures

will be the key to unlocking thisopportunity.

Most cities are exploring thepotential of green jobs, but theirnascent programs have led to just ahandful of jobs so far.

Cities have traditionally struggled inthe arenas of economic developmentand workforce development: Thecoming wave of green jobs will testboth sectors, but also presents an

opportunity to finally re-engineerand adapt systems, especiallyfor low-income workers whodesperately need skills.

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Transportation

Iecent years have seencities across the countryinvest in mass transit,

doing everything from expandinglight rail to adding bus linesto building bikeways. Citieshave beefed up transit not justto battle climate change butto revitalize neighborhoods,improve air quality and help the

local economy. These policieshave simultaneously made urbanareas more efficient and moredesirable places to live.

Transit projects big and smallare underway across the land,even in the cities where highwayshave traditionally been king.Despite these positive trends,mass transit remains a complexfiscal and logistical puzzle formany cities and regions. These

challenges are worsening intodays financial climate, as gasprices slide back down and cityand state governments address

widening deficits.Cities have also struggled

to incorporate equity into their

Perhaps the most significant step a city can take toward sustainability is to focus on

improving access to greener forms of transportation. Vehicle trac from cars and

trucks is a massive source of greenhouse gas emissions in cities, accounting for

between 20 and 50 percent of the total, depending upon the urban area.xi

transit planning. The evidencesuggests that most new projectsarent reaching the neighborhoods

where poor people live, limitingtheir economic opportunities andcontinuing to subject residentsto higher incidences of asthma

and other illnesses closely linkedto car and truck traffic. And,perhaps even worse, when newtransit does move into low-incomeneighborhoods, it often servesas a magnet for developmentthat drives up prices and pushes

longtime residents and businessowners out.

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The Rebirth Of Mass Transit In American CitiesMore people are riding trains and buses and cities across the country are

starting to shun car-led development and invest in transit growth.

Fverall, rising energy costshave driven increases inpublic transit ridership in

virtually every city in the LivingCities survey. Before, the public

viewed mass transit as somethingpoor people take, says KarlPepple, Houstons director ofenvironmental programming.

Once gas prices [started rising],we had standing room only. Thathas done wonders for perception.

In addition, cities and theirresidents are realizing that thecosts of sprawl both to theenvironment and their pockets outweigh any perceived benefits.Sprawl has made roads morecongested and reduced the supplyof developable land, making itdifficult for government agencies

to pay for public services.Weve seen that that kindof spread-out development isnt

feasible, adds Kelly Rayne,policy advisor to the mayor ofShelby County, which includes

Memphis. There has been acry from the community for

walkable neighborhoods andalternative transportation.

As cities have begun toquestion their love affair with

the car, theyre also changing theway transportation serves cities.Cities are studying and investing

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in transit-oriented development(TOD) simply put, buildingcities up around transit hubs asopposed to out along highways as a key element of gettingcommunities to embrace higher-density development and to refreshneglected neighborhoods andbusiness districts.

Transit-oriented developmentis so appealing because it cansimultaneously improve bothhousing and transportation for

families who struggle in so manyurban areas to get by. A typical

working family in a large Americancity spends the bulk of theirpaychecks around 60 percent oftheir income on transportationand housing, according toresearch from the Center forNeighborhood Technology.

Cities have turned theirattention to improving their transitoptions not least of all becausetheir residents are clamoring for

transit-oriented development that is, walkable, mixed-use urbanneighborhoods built around railand bus systems. The demand forliving near transit could grow from6 million to 16 million houses by2030, according to research bytransit advocates Reconnecting

America.

Look around the country, andmass transit has been the largestdevelopment driver, much moreso than sports stadiums or new

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When Saint Paul Mayor ChrisColeman delivered his inaugurationaddress in 2006, he describedthe proposed 11-mile, 15-stationCentral Corridor transit projectconnecting downtown Saint Paulto eastern Minneapolis as biggerthan just getting people from point

A to point B. When completed,

he said, residents will benefit froma corridor of opportunity abustling, colorful consortium of newhousing, environmentally-friendlytransportation, small and largebusinesses, rich in diversity. We

will be connected in a new way toour Twin City. To help realize this

vision, the city of Saint Paul initiateda multiyear planning process thatengaged a diverse mix of residents,business owners, transportation and

environmental advocates, developersand other stakeholders.The mayor acknowledged

in his address that big publicworks projects often stoke fearand suspicion among low-incomeand minority residents, who havepreviously seen new highways, forexample, tear through their homesand neighborhoods. But Colemansaid the Central Corridor project

would be different. Those impacted

by the creation of light rail in theCentral Corridor will have a seat atthe table, Coleman promised. We

will build this corridor, but we willrespect those who are touched bythis effort.

Hometown philanthropicinstitutions, including the SaintPaul Foundation and the McKnight

Foundation, became interestedwhen they heard the mayorsmessage. They reached outto City Hall and offered tolend support. In time, otherfoundations got involved, anda Central Corridor FundersCollaborative was born. Thecollaborative hired a consultant

and organized a 21-member taskforce to determine how the cityshould develop the commercialand residential neighborhoodsclustered along the University

Avenue leg of the corridor.The task forces final plan wasadopted by the City Councilin the fall of 2007. Ground onthe new rail line has not yetbeen broken, but observers arehopeful that once development

does begin, the integrity of theplan will be preserved.The Bay Area has also been

long considered a leader in masstransit and smart growth.

The region is breakingground by mandating transit-oriented development,after several successful pilotprojects convinced planners

[Denver is building the]most ambitious publictransportation expansionin the country.

- Michele Weingarden, director of Greenprint Denver

to mandate similar policies. In2005, its regional Metropolitan

Transportation Councilannounced it would onlyfund new transit projects ifcities planned and zoned for aminimum threshold of homesaround new stations. Its aninnovative funding policy,

perhaps the first in the countrythat directly ties access totransportation funds with land-use policies that promote andshape development.

Observers point to Oaklandsrecently built Uptown projectas a model example of transit-oriented development. Its amixed-use development near asubway station that managedto link the interests of the

community, developers andthe city. A local communityorganization, the East BayCommunity Organization,fought to ensure thedevelopment would also benefitnearby low-income residents. Ofthe new housing being built, 30percent is targeted for low- andmoderate-income households.

Leading the way on transitCities are viewing transit and land-use policies as tools for creating an

equitable green economy.


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the current financial crisis. Asof April, 42 state governmentsand the District of Columbia arefacing a combined shortfall of$101 billion this fiscal year 15percent of their total budgets according to the Center onBudget and Policy Priorities.

Transit agencies have beenparticularly hard hit by therecession, complicating effortsnot just to build new transitbut to run the systems citiescurrently have. In New York,the Metropolitan Transportation

Authority is projecting a deficitof $2 billion, due to higher-than-expected drops in tax andfare revenue. The MassachusettsBay Transportation Authority,

which serves Greater Boston,has a $160 million deficit. Theseshortfalls are forcing authoritiesacross the country to raise faresand cut service.

Thats one of many reasonsthat urban officials are callingon Congress to rethink how itapportions federal transportationdollars, which have longbeen biased towards buildinghighways and not rail lines

or bus corridors. The federaltransportation bill is up forreauthorization, and manyproponents of smart growth areurging that greater emphasisbe placed on mass transit inorder to enhance environmental

performance, climate protectionand green development.

The current bill is heavilyweighted towards highways andbridges. Its really so wretchedright now, says Beth Strommen,Office of Sustainability managerfor the city of Baltimore. Its all

pork barrel earmarks, and theresno real planning for transportationinfrastructure in a broad sense.

The goal is to give transit andbike/pedestrian paths as much sayas highways have always gotten,but right now, its all highway and

very little transit.In the Twin Cities, advocates

note that, for mass transit projects,the feds only supply 50 percentof matching funds whereas for

roads they subsidize 80 percent ofhighway costs.xiv

GROWING COOLER)''/

Reid Ewing, Keith Bartholomew, SteveWinkelman, Jerry Walters, Don Chen

Focusing on vehicle emissions, thisinvestigative report clearly makes thecase that dense, urban development is anessential factor in combating climate change.

CAPTURING THE VALUE OFTRANSIT)''/

Reconnecting Americas Center forTransit-Oriented Development

A comprehensive review of the impact oftransit on property values.

TRANSIT-ORIENTED FORALL: THE CASE FOR MIXED-INCOME TRANSIT-ORIENTEDCOMMUNITIES IN THE BAY AREA)''/

The Great Communities Collaborative

Deep case studies of two projects withpractical advice for other communities.

THE NEW TRANSIT TOWN: BESTPRACTICES IN TRANSIT-ORIENTEDDEVELOPMENT)''/

Hank Dittmar (Ed), Gloria Ohland (Ed)

Essays on transit-oriented developmentfrom leading experts in planning,transportation and sustainable design.



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here in recent decades to liveand start businesses. Many ofFrogtowns residents are low-income and rely on public transitto get around.

The proposed CentralCorridor stations on the eastern

wing of University Avenue areplotted in one-mile intervals, a

decision driven by federal fundingmandates. When word got outthat the stations would be that farapart, and that local bus service

would be reduced when the lineopens, many Frogtown residentsfeared they would end up with

worse transit options than theyhave without light rail.

To help offset these concerns,the city of Saint Paul has pledgedto build three additional stations

along University Avenue. But localresidents remain skeptical.Once stations are planned

and built, cities must ensurethat low- and moderate-incomecommunities nearby arentforced out by gentrification. Asneighborhoods with easy accessto transit become more attractiveplaces to live and work, low-income people are typically pricedout of the market, and once again

pushed into areas that are not wellserved by transit.Those trying to ward off

displacement in gentrifyingneighborhoods have various toolsat their disposal to require thatdevelopers maintain and/or buildaffordable housing.

In the Twin Cities, advocates,policymakers and funders aredeveloping plans to ensurethat neighborhoods along thecorridor stay affordable forcurrent residents. One ideatheyre exploring is creating aland trust to preemptively buyup land around the corridor so it

is secured for future affordablehousing development.Similar efforts are underway

in various neighborhoods in theBay Area. In the Bayview districtof San Francisco, the ThirdStreet light rail has made landthroughout the neighborhoodmore attractive to developers. Totry to safeguard the remainingdevelopable land in the area,Reconnecting America and

several other organizationsare exploring the feasibility ofbuying land and earmarking it foraffordable housing.

Advocates and funderselsewhere are exploring less-costly strategies, includingzoning rules, community benefitagreements, tax incrementfinancing and other means toensure that transit-orienteddevelopment achieves its full

potential to boost neighborhoodswhile not ignoring the fates of itspoorer residents.

Cities across the country areinvesting in mass transit and otherstrategies to reduce car use. Theyredoing so in part because they seethat transit can spur neighborhood

development.

Theyd like to do even more, butcities struggle to put together thebillions needed to build new transitlines. Arcane federal transportationpolicies and the challenge ofregional coordination dont help.

Cities need to make sure that new

transit also benefits low-incomecommunities, rather than displacingthem. Some are embracinginnovative strategies to ensure thatdevelopment benefits all residents inadjoining neighborhoods.

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Conclusions andRecommendations

:ities are well positionedto lead the way towardsan economic recovery

that launches Americas green

economy. As this report hasdocumented, a growing numberof cities are on the vanguardof addressing climate changeissues. They are creating newmechanisms to simultaneouslyreduce energy waste, cut carbonemissions and create neweconomic opportunities.

But as aggressive as cities havebeen, this report has also revealedthat their efforts have gone only

so far on their own. Financingfor transit and building retrofitsis exceedingly complicated andhard to access. And approaches tonurturing green jobs and assistinglow-income and struggling jobseekers are still very much in thenascent stage.

Cities can, however, makefar greater progress withsupport from an active andengaged federal partner, as

the Obama administrationappears committed to being.The recently passed economicrecovery bill provides billionsof dollars for transit and energyretrofit programs and severalhundred million in workforcedevelopment funds specificallytargeted to green-collar jobs.

The administrations agenda onenergy and environmental issuesincludes a commitment to capgreenhouse gas emissions, deploy

smart grid technologies andinvest in sustainable growth andtransportation.

So, while cities should beable to count on assistance fromthe federal government, they stillmust continue to innovate andevolve. To make that transitionsuccessfully, cities need to

work with a wide array of localpartners from business, labor andphilanthropy. Sustainability issues

are inherently interconnected,and any thoughtful approach alsorequires cities to think across silos(e.g., housing, transportation,economic development,education and workforcedevelopment, energy policy) andact collaboratively to constructfeasible sustainability plans.

Based on Living Citiessurvey of cities, and discussions

with experts and practitioners

around the country, we offerseveral broad recommendationsto city and local leaders on howto advance greener buildings,greener jobs and smarter transitfor low-income people. Theserecommendations do not purportto be comprehensive. Rather, weintend these ideas to help set the

stage for cities in partnershipwith local partners, states and thefederal government to forge acomprehensive set of policies to

be greener and more equitablecommunities.In each of these areas, we

recommend a thematic approachto policymaking.

To achieve the energy savingsUand green job opportunitiespossible through greenbuildings, cities must retrofitthrough systems that canachieve scale.

To create green-collar jobs atU

scale, cities must re-engineertheir local economic and

workforce developmentsystems.

To spur more equitableUtransit-oriented development,cities need to reorient theirlocal real estate markets.

We are acutely aware thatnone of this is easy. While

there is room, and in manycases necessity, for incrementalprogress and piecemeal solutions,

we believe that larger visions andsustained political commitment atthe local level will be required toseize this moment of opportunity.

5


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The idea of green jobs has become a favorite strategy for economic

recovery for everyone from environmental advocates to PresidentObama. Until now, however, green jobs have been little more than aconcept. Most cities are just starting to support nascent programs that,at most, have led to a handful of jobs.

With the countrys economy in tatters and new recovery dollarsavailable to spark creative programs, the time is right to try a differentapproach for both encouraging job growth and training workers forthose positions.

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MethodologyIn composing this report, Living Cities conducted a comprehensive review of policy literature, spoke to experts in the

fieldfrom academics to environmental officials to heads of key nonprofit organizations and closely examined cityprograms. The cornerstone of our findings came from an original survey of green efforts in 40 of Americas largestcities. The survey assessed local efforts around sustainability, both generally and specifically, in the area of buildings,

jobs and transportation. We surveyed officialstypically the sustainability director or the official holding the equivalentpositionusing structured interviews that lasted up to one hour. (See questions below.)

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Credits

Printing Green

This report was written by Neil Kleiman, Matt Pacenza and Amy Westervelt.Additional writing and research were provided by Andie Coller, AgusGalmarini, Nancy Rosenbaum, Titilayo Tinubu, and Stockton Williams. It wasdesigned by Bureau Blank. Illustrations were created by Phillip Fivel Nessen.

Its not only an option, its a necessity.

The report was printed using soy-based inks on paper approved FSC, SFI and Green Seal certified and contains100 percent post-consumer waste fiber (PCW).

FSC is the global benchmark for responsible forest management. The FSC logo identifiesproducts that contain wood from well-managed forests with the Bureau Veritas Certification inaccordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative is a comprehensive set of principles, objectives andperformance measures developed by foresters, conservationists and scientists, that combinesthe perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the protection of wildlife, plants, soil and

water quality.

The Green Certification says that a product or service has been tested according to science-based procedures, that it works as well or better than others in its class, and that it has beenevaluated without bias or conflict of interest. The Green Seal of Approval has come to standfor reliability, fairness, and integrity.


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green cities report

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