Thank you so much for your input into the development of the 2019 Baltimore Sustainability Plan!
The 2019 Baltimore Sustainability Plan is here!
Download the full plan here or, for shorter loading times, you can also download the plan by section:
- Introduction
- Community
- Human-Made Systems
- Climate & Resilience
- Nature in the City
- Economy
- Equitable Implementation & At-a-Glance
We are happy to release the 2019 Sustainability Plan. Throughout the last 2.5 years we have heard from many of you and did our best to insert your input. Thank you to each of you who took the time to participate in the engagement process by providing your expertise, visions and hopes for a more equitable, sustainable, regenerative and resilient Baltimore.
The 2019 Baltimore Sustainability Plan was adopted by the Commission on Sustainability on January 16th and by the Planning Commission on January 31st, approved by the Baltimore City Council on March 18th, and the bill formally adopting it was signed into law by Ex Officio Mayor Young on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2019 (watch a video of the signing here).
Overview
The 2019 Baltimore Sustainability Plan’s public engagement process touched 1,000’s of residents. Ideas were gathered and analyzed, best practices were studied, and aspirations and actions were developed for becoming more sustainable and equitable city. The plan uses a racial equity lens to heighten awareness of disparities and remind us of the need for justice in everything we do. It articulates strategies, actions and measures of success across 5 core themes and 23 topic areas:
- Neighbors
- Environmental Literacy
- Healthy School Environments
- Waste & Recycling
- Urban Agriculture
- Neighborhoods
- Housing Affordability
- Buildings
- Transportation
- Noise
- Community Preparedness
- Energy
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Clean Air
- Food Systems
- People and Nature
- Nature for Nature’s Sake
- Trees and Forests
- Water in the Environment
- Green Infrastructure
- Local Economy
- Workforce Development
- Arts and Culture
Check out this video to learn more:
Commission
To make decisions and take appropriate actions to guide the implementation of the sustainability plan, the 21- member Commission on Sustainability represents environmental and workforce groups, private industry, community organizations, labor unions, public health and environmental justice interests. Visit the Commission on Sustainability homepage for more information.
Annual Reports
The Baltimore Office of Sustainability monitored progress made on the 2009 Plan goals and produced seven annual reports for the community. We will continue to produce annual reports, host an annual Open House and seek feedback. The reports and meetings served as a “check-in”, to continue renewing our commitment, and celebrating our successes together as a city. We must hold ourselves accountable on a personal and collective level to provide a sustainable city for future generations.
Links to the PDF’s of these reports can be accessed on the Annual Reports page.
Envisioning a Baltimore Where Everyone Thrives
In Baltimore, we are at a moment when we are poised to repair, heal, and mend the fabric of our community. A moment when we can thread a new communal fabric to a different future. We all do better when we live in thriving, socially equitable, prosperous, and environmentally sustainable settings. And, we can do so without living better at the expense of others.
Let’s work to make sure the person born tomorrow grows up nurturing a connection with neighbors and with nature, living free from violence, getting a good education, enjoying plenty of fresh food on the table, so that they can access a good job, connect with loved ones, and thrive in a city that supports all residents — a sustainable Baltimore.
A sustainable Baltimore will meet the needs of today’s residents while protecting ecosystems for future generations. Sustainability can be thought of as a three-legged stool, comprised of social equity (people), economic health (prosperity), and environmental stewardship (planet). Collectively, these “legs” are the foundation for a strong and healthy quality of life. In order for its people to thrive — today and tomorrow — Baltimore must strengthen all three pillars.
2019 Sustainability Plan
The 2019 Sustainability Plan represents a step forward for the City. In addition to using an equity lens, its framework is based on the STAR Community Rating System, the first comprehensive structure for measuring and assessing the sustainability of communities at the local scale. It was developed for and by local governments, and incorporates strong metrics that demand accountability. Using this framework as a basis, and incorporating feedback gathered from residents, the Sustainability Plan includes new topics, more intentionally addressing all three prongs of sustainability.
We are globally inspired. As part of the USA Sustainable Cities Initiative (USA-SCI), Baltimore was selected to be one of three U.S. cities to pilot how to localize the Sustainable Development Goals, the ambitious vision adopted by the United Nations (UN) to address the most pressing global challenges of our time. The Sustainable Development Goals seek to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The goals are interconnected — the key to success on any one goal often involves tackling issues more commonly associated with another, recognizing that ending global poverty requires strategies that improve economic growth, education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and protecting the environment. As one of the pilot cities, Baltimore is drawing lessons from these goals to inform policy on topics such as poverty and jobs.
Accountability
The Baltimore Office of Sustainability and Commission on Sustainability will continue to compile Annual Reports and release them each year at the Sustainability Open House. These reports will track our collective progress toward accomplishing the goals of this plan. Every year will be an opportunity to check-in, renew our commitment, and ask, “How are we doing?” “What can we do better?” “Are we on the timeline we planned?” “Who is here and who is missing in the conversation?” We will continue to identify new strategies and actions as we become more attuned to equitable systems and as technologies and best practices change. We will also use thoughtful indicators that reflect residents’ lived experiences — such as “commute time” or “number of vacant buildings in a neighborhood” — and we will recognize that the big, striking statistics will often require multiple measurements of interconnected factors. At least every three years, we will use the Annual Reports to update strategies, set new benchmarks of success, and identify new or refined metrics. Finally, our annual review will be an opportunity celebrate our successes together as a city.
Background
The 2009 Baltimore Sustainability Plan has been a successful umbrella document for our work and the work of ours partners, providing a citywide vision complete with strategies, actions, and metrics. Approved with widespread support, the 2009 Plan has seven chapters, 29 goals, and 132 strategies — 93% of which have been advanced or completed by residents, faith-based institutions, nonprofits, city agencies, and businesses.
But there is much more to be done. In the nine years since the City’s first plan was adopted, we have achieved valuable successes. But climate change is becoming an increasing threat, and many socioeconomic and public health challenges persist, threatening our city’s residents and weakening the sustainability ecosystem. It’s vital that we tackle these challenges together.
Conclusion
Sustainability is about strengthening our city through collaborative action. It’s about balancing social equity, economic growth, and environmental action. It’s about the need for justice, equity, inclusion and diversity in everything we do — recognizing that these are absolutely imperative to combating the challenges we face. Most importantly, it’s about all of us, contributing our voices, and working together to create this new vision.