STAR Communities helps cities and counties set a clear path for sustainability with helpful tools that measure progress.
www.STARcommunities.org
AARON LANDE Education Coordinator
ANDREA PEET Program Manager
LACEY SHAVER Outreach Coordinator
KRISTI WAMSTED-EVANS Technical Manager
HILARI VARNADORE Executive Director Clockwise from bottom left Not pictured: Daniella Hirschfeld
THE STAR COMMUNITIES TEAM
The STAR Community Rating System is the
nation’s first comprehensive framework and certification program
for measuring local sustainability.
THE STAR COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM
BUILT BY AND FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
Municipal sustainability leaders were saying:
§ We want to demonstrate commitment to sustainability How do we measure it? What does it mean?
§ We want metrics that communicate transparency and accountability How do we pick from them?
§ We want national recognition for our work We need a certification program that challenges us
§ We want to build and strengthen partnerships We need a national standard that recognizes everyone’s contributions to sustainability in our community
§ 2007: STAR concept released at Greenbuild in Chicago. § 2008: Par tnership between the U.S. Green Building Council , National
League of Cit ies, ICLEI and Center for American Progress forms to suppor t development. Established a diverse, consensus-based stakeholder engagement process that included 200+ volunteers.
§ 2011: STAR Communities becomes independent organization to administer the Rating System.
§ 2012: Rating System v1.0 released in October. Tested by 30+ pilot communities in 2012-13.
§ 2013: First community becomes cer tif ied - Tacoma, WA
STAR DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE
STAR-CERTIFIED COMMUNITIES
Certified 5-STAR Communities § Northampton, MA § Seattle, WA
Certified 4-STAR Communities § Austin, TX § Broward County, FL § Davenport, IA § Evanston, IL
Certified 3-STAR Communities § Albany, NY § Atlanta, GA § Chandler, AZ § Cleveland, OH § Des Moines, IA
(left to right) § Dr. Jennifer Jurado, Director of Natural Resources, Broward County, FL § Mayor Frank Cownie, Des Moines, IA § Mayor Karen Weitkunat, Fort Collins, CO § Laura Spanjian, Director, Office of Sustainability, Houston, TX
§ Portland, OR § Tacoma, WA § Tucson, AZ § Washington, DC
§ El Cerrito, CA § Fayetteville, AR § Fort Collins, CO § Indianapolis, IN § Lee County, FL
Communities using STAR or pursuing certification
STAR-Certified communities
CITIES & COUNTIES IN THE STAR NETWORK
Idaho: Boise Oregon: Beaverton • Coos Bay • Portland Washington: King County • Sea6le • Tacoma
Illinois: Blue Island • Elgin • Evanston • Park Forest • Peoria County
Iowa: Charles City • Davenport • Des Moines • Dubuque
Michigan: Dearborn
Minnesota: Rosemount
Nebraska: Omaha
District of Columbia Indiana: Bloomington • Indianapolis Kentucky: Louisville/Jefferson County Maine: Portland Maryland: BalJmore • Frederick Massachuse?s: Cambridge • Northampton New Jersey: Woodbridge Township New York: Albany • Madison County Ohio: Cleveland • Columbus • Dayton • Grove City • Hamilton Pennsylvania: Allegheny Co. • Philadelphia • Reading Vermont: Burlington/Chi6enden County Virginia: Blacksburg
Arizona: Chandler • Flagstaff • Phoenix • Tucson California: El Cerrito • Redlands • Riverside • Santa Monica Nevada: Henderson • Las Vegas New Mexico: Las Cruces • Santa Fe Utah: Salt Lake City
Arkansas: Faye6eville Colorado: Fort Collins • Lakewood • Nederland Kansas: Wichita Missouri: Saint Louis Texas: AusJn • Denton • Houston • Plano
Alabama: Birmingham Florida: Bonita Springs • Broward County • Islamorada • Lee County • Orange County • Palm Bay • Sarasota County Georgia: Atlanta North Carolina: Charlo6e • Raleigh • Rockingham County Tennessee: Cha6anooga • Memphis/Shelby County
Canada: Calgary • Montreal • Toronto • Vancouver • Victoria
82 communiNes in the US and Canada have used STAR ... that’s 34.5 million people!
THE STAR COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM Goal Areas & Objectives are mapped and rated in the online system, helping
local leaders set goals and measure progress across areas.
PARTS OF THE RATING SYSTEM
GOALS Broad sustainability themes with
comprehensive community-level aspirations
OBJECTIVES
Focused sustainability topics that move the community toward the goal’s aspirations
OUTCOME MEASURES Quantitative indicators that demonstrate
progress within an Objective
ACTION MEASURES Programs, plans, policies & improvements that contribute to the Objective’s mission
Outcomes are community-scale results: the measureable aim or purpose of each Objective
• Each Objective has between 1 and 4 Outcomes • Outcomes are the quantitative measurement of an Objective • An Outcome may have multiple par ts or options
COMMUNITY LEVEL OUTCOMES
Measured using: • Trend Lines that capture progress
over time • Thresholds that establish a
specific limit above or below which the community would receive full credit
PREPARATORY ACTIONS • Education and Outreach • Plan Development • Policy and Code Adjustment • Partnerships and Collaboration • Practice Improvements • Inventory, Assessment or Survey
IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS • Programs and Services • Facility and Infrastructure Improvement • Enforcement and Incentives
LOCAL ACTIONS
Actions are the steps you take to achieve the Outcomes. STAR has 9 Action Types:
ACTIONS
OUTCOME
OBJECTIVE
GOAL Climate & Energy
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation
Demonstrate incremental progress towards achieving an 80% reduction in community GHGs by 2050
Adopt a Climate Action Plan, create an education plan for residents and businesses, adopt energy efficiency regulations,
create incentives for renewables, upgrade facilities
EXAMPLE
WASTE MINIMIZATION
Reduce and reuse material waste produced in the community
15 points
Baseline Year
Years to 2050
Reduction per Year
2000 50 2.00% 2005 45 2.22% 2010 40 2.50%
Outcome 1: Total Solid Waste Demonstrate incremental progress towards achieving a 100% reducJon by 2050 in total solid waste generated within the jurisdicJon that is disposed of via landfill or incinerator
EVALUATION MEASURE: Community-Level Outcomes
WASTE MINIMIZATION
Reduce and reuse material waste produced in the community
15 points
1. Create a Waste Management Plan 2. Adopt speci f ic product bans that wi l l
s igni f icant ly advance progress towards waste reduct ion goals
3. Create a publ ic educat ion campaign or a targeted outreach ef for t for residents and businesses
4. Develop or par t ic ipate in a regional coal i t ion that enhances jur isdict ion’s abi l i ty to address waste management targets
5. Implement incent ives or enforce regulat ions ensur ing that residents and businesses work toward reduct ions targets
6. Provide ser v ices to enable residents and businesses to recycle and reduce their waste footpr int
7. Col laborat ively create and run at least 2 targeted recycl ing programs at key locat ions throughout the community
8. Operate at least 2 speci f ic waste management programs for cr i t ical waste stream types found in the community
9. Create a waste- to-energy conversion system
EVALUATION MEASURE: Local Actions
INNOVATION & PROCESS
Communities can receive additional credit in STAR for demonstrating innovation and best practices outside of the traditional 7 goal areas. Sections include: ¡ IP-1: Best Practices & Processes
§ Comprehensive Planning § Public Engagement § Codes and Ordinances
¡ IP-2: Exemplary Performance ¡ IP-3: Local Innovation ¡ IP-4: Regional Priorities
POINTS & SCORING
GOAL POINTS AVAILABLE Built Environment 100
Climate & Energy 100
Education, Arts & Community 70
Economy & Jobs 100
Equity & Empowerment 100
Health & Safety 100
Natural Systems 100
Innovation & Process 50
TOTAL 720
KEY INFO ABOUT POINTS
Outcomes are worth more points than Actions, due to their quantitative and scientific nature. ¡ In many cases, a community can achieve full credit just by
completing the Outcomes, which are worth either 100% or 70% of an Objective’s points. Many Outcomes have partial credit options.
¡ However, if a community is not achieving an Outcome, they can stil l get up to 70% of an Objective’s points by completing the Actions.
TIP: The Points algorithm is complex – use the STAR Reporting Tool to calculate your points in real time.
“We are using STAR to give the City of Indianapolis a physical. Understanding the City’s strengths and weaknesses or where we are healthy or unhealthy will enable us to create a mitigation or long-term plan for a more sustainable city. By understanding where we are weak [or unhealthy], we can better predict and better plan.”
MELODY PARK Director Office of Sustainability
Washington, DC; Houston, TX; Tacoma, WA; and Lee County, FL are using STAR as the framework for local plans.
ALIGNING WITH THE STAR FRAMEWORK
Cities like Indianapolis, IN and Tucson, AZ have incorporated STAR’s evaluation measures into adopted General Plans and Annual Reports.
INTEGRATING STAR’S METRICS
IMPROVING REGIONAL DECISION MAKING
Seattle and King County, WA are aligning performance metrics between the two
jurisdictions, identifying ways to streamline work and
increase results, and are coordinating with funders
and partners to see results.
Universities and nonprofit organizations support local governments as they pursue certification. Fayetteville, AR
works closely with the University of Arkansas.
Louisville, KY has the full support of the Louisville Sustainability Council.
ENGAGING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Davenport, IA’s Hilltop Campus Village was close to meeting the Compact & Complete Center designation; they reduced travel speeds on Main Street to 25MPH and met the threshold.
IMPLEMENTING SOLUTIONS BASED ON FINDINGS
CERTIFIED 5-STAR COMMUNITY (600+ points) Recognized as top tier achiever in national sustainabil ity
CERTIFIED 4-STAR COMMUNITY (400-599 points) Recognized for national excellence CERTIFIED 3-STAR COMMUNITY (200-399 points) Recognized for sustainabil ity leadership
REPORTING STAR COMMUNITY (<200 points) Currently pursuing cer tif ication
PARTICIPATING STAR COMMUNITY Exploring the STAR framework of goals and objectives
CERTIFICATIONS & RECOGNITIONS
LEVELS OF SUPPORT
REPORT & CERTIFY Packages for
communities ready to gather data, pursue
certification and network with other leaders.
DEMONSTRATE COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
Receive basic tools & support the STAR Community Rating
System!
MEMBER STAR
COMMUNITY
REPORTING TOOLS
PACKAGE LEADERSHIP
PROGRAM
GET STARTED
• Sign on to a STAR subscription for basic, full or premium services and support. • Get buy-in from leadership, staff, and stakeholders early. • Participate in STAR training, access how-to guides, build your team and announce that
you are getting started.
GATHER DATA
• The gathering and reporting phase is the longest stage in your pursuit of certification. • Interns and partners can be very helpful. STAR Communities provides various levels of
technical support and trainings to help you along the way.
GET CERTIFIED
• Certification is the ultimate achievement in STAR. Once your data has been submitted and verified, you will be awarded a STAR level.
• We can provide you with a certification kit, assistance with STAR PR, and access to promotional items and recognition opportunities.
STEPS TO CERTIFICATION
Most communities follow these steps as they pursue certification in the Rating System:
Sign up
City or county government
signs up for a STAR
subscription
Receive access to
Online Reporting
Tool
STAR provides trainings and
resources
Report Build team of
staff and local partners to gather data
Gather data based on
requirements in Technical
Guide
Enter all submittal
requirements into Online
Tool
Takes approximately
6 months-1 year
Get Verified Submit online
application for
verification
STAR staff verifies all
submittals for accuracy
One chance to make
changes or amend
application
STAR performs final
verification
Achieve Certification
STAR awards certification
Certification lasts for 3
years
CERTIFICATION PROCESS
The Technical Guide to the Rating System is the how-to manual to STAR. It includes: § Data sources and step-by-step
instructions for all STAR evaluation measures
§ Best practices & examples of communities leading the way
§ Submittal requirements for cer tif ication
TECHNICAL GUIDE
The Technical Guide comes with all community subscriptions and is also available for purchase online. Version 1.1 was released January 2014!
• Align STAR with local plans and initiatives
• Track internal workflow and deadlines
• Identify data sources • Assign data collection to
departments or individuals
STAR CROSSWALK
Many communities begin their STAR journey by crosswalking existing plans and programs against the STAR Community Rating System. We’ve developed an Excel version of the Rating System just for this purpose. You can use it to:
Communities that pursue certification use STAR’s online application tool to report on evaluation measures.
STAR ONLINE REPORTING TOOL
30 – 60 days
STAR Initial Verification Review
Comments & Scores
Community submits
application for review
Yes
No
30 days
STAR Final Verification
30 days
Community accepts score?
Community accepts score?
Yes
No Challenge to
Specific Credits
Review with Technical Advisory
Committee
Community edits &
resubmits
STAR COMMUNITIES’ VERIFICATION PROCESS
Demonstrate commitment to local
sustainability
Receive national recognition for leadership and achievements
Gain competitive advantage and attract
funding
Increase transparency and accountability and
showcase results
Communicate resilience and risk
management to insurers, investors and
bond agencies
Build and strengthen partnerships within
government and with community partners
WHY CERTIFY?
WHAT ARE MAYORS SAYING?
“STAR lets us promote all the great things that we have done to make our community strong and resilient. It is positive feedback that lets our residents, taxpayers, businesses,
investors, and community partners know that we are on the right track. The transparency and independence of the
process builds confidence in our work.” DAVID NARKEWICZ
Mayor, City of Northampton, MA First Certified 5-STAR Community
“The STAR Community Rating System has been a powerful and valuable tool for our city to assess the progress of our sustainability efforts. It will also help us identify gaps and hold us accountable for improving the quality of life for our residents.” MARILYN STRICKLAND Mayor, City of Tacoma, WA Certified 4-STAR Community
SUSTAINABILITY PROFESSIONALS SAY:
“We are proud to be recognized for sustainability leadership by STAR and are excited about the potential to benchmark our progress along with other cities working in urban sustainability. The City of Cleveland Office of Sustainability gained important feedback on both our successes and opportunities for improvement by participating in STAR.” JENITA MCGOWAN Chief of Sustainability, City of Cleveland, OH Certified 3-STAR Community
“STAR helps us create an active roadmap for a sustainable community and allows us to measure our progress along the way. With the help of this tool, we are making more informed
decisions that have a big impact on our community.” SHANNON PARRY
Sustainability Officer, City of Santa Monica, CA
STAR COMMUNITIES STAFF: Hilari Varnadore, Executive Director Kristi Wamstad-Evans, Technical Manager Andrea Peet, Sr. Program Manager Lacey Shaver, Outreach Coordinator Aaron Lande, Education Coordinator
FOR MORE INFORMATION www.STARcommunities.org [email protected]
(855) 890-STAR