The Institute’s Sustainable Communities programs help local officials identify and apply policies and best practices that support sustainable communities — places that foster and maintain a high quality of life for their residents on an ongoing basis.

The Institute offers sustainability resources in the following topic areas:

• Land Use. Offers resources and tools to support local officials in their efforts to shape their communities in ways that are economically, socially, environmentally, and fiscally sustainable.
• Healthy Communities. Provides resources local officials can use to protect and improve community health by integrating health considerations into their planning, land use and other decisions, and by connecting working families with no- and low-cost health insurance for their children.
• Climate Change. Helps California communities play a leadership role to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve resources and save money.
• Sustainable Communities Learning Network. Helps local officials, staff, and others share information and resources to support the development of communities that are economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable.
• Beacon Award: Local Leadership toward Solving Climate Change. The Beacon Award recognizes and celebrates California cities and counties that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save energy, adopt policies and programs to address climate change, and promote sustainability.

Sustainability Best Practice Areas

1. Energy Efficiency & Conservation
2. Water & Wastewater Systems
3. Green Building
4. Waste Reduction & Recycling
5. Climate-Friendly Purchasing
6. Renewable Energy & Low-Carbon Fuels
7. Efficient Transportation
8. Land Use & Community Design
9. Open Space & Offsetting Carbon Emissions
10. Promoting Community & Individual Action