A lot, actually!

I recently moved from Arlington to Washington DC.  It was a big change for me! I will always love Arlington as my mom and grandfather grew up there and my grandmother moved there when she was 18.  I really appreciated all that Arlington did to protect the environment and to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.  From their AIRE program (Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy), to starting the Arlington Regional Transit (ART) bus, to focusing on building complete streets – all these led to them winning many awards and recognition. 

For our CityLinks website, blogs, articles and tweets, we try and share about the innovation and good practices in addressing climate change from cities around the world.  One city we have not written about is Washington, DC, my new home town.  I decided to do a little investigation and learn about what our nation’s capital is doing to combat climate change.  Here are a few highlights I found.

Sustainable DC is the District of Columbia’s major planning effort to make DC the most sustainable city in the nation. Led by the District Department of the Environment and the Office of Planning, it is a collaborative effort involving the input and participation of thousands DC citizens. The Sustainable DC Plan not only addresses climate and the environment, but also jobs and the economy, health and wellness, and equity and diversity. You can read the Sustainable DC Plan here.

Green DC is a comprehensive resource on environmental issues in the District of Columbia. Here, you'll find information about current programs, policies, services, events, and issues.

I found a great list of incentives for homeowners and renters to “live green” including:

• DDOE offers FREE professional energy audits of single-family homes and townhomes in the District, valued between $300 and $500.
• Low-income District residents may be eligible for assistance of between $3,500 to $6,500 in energy efficient home improvements such as heating and cooling systems repair, weather stripping, insulation, and the installation and repair of windows and doors.
• The Renewable Energy Incentive Program provides up to $33,000 per site to eligible applicants, for the installation of a solar photovoltaic or wind turbine systems at a home or commercial business.
• RiverSmart Homes reduces the amount of storm water runoff carrying pollutants from entering the District’s rivers and streams. District homeowners are eligible to receive a free professional storm water retention and treatment audit of their property, and up to $1,200 toward installation of storm water measures, such as tree planting, rain barrels, pervious pavers, rain gardens, or BayScaping (planting vegetation that is native to the region). Participants are expected to contribute approximately 10% of total project cost.
• The RiverSmart Rooftops Program is a green roof installation incentive program designed to reduce stormwater runoff in the District. The 2013-2014 green roof rebate program will provide base funding of $7 per square feet, and up to $10 per square foot in targeted sub watersheds. There is no cap on the size of projects eligible for the rebate. Properties of all sizes including residential, commercial and institutional are encouraged to apply.
• Rain barrels capture and store rainwater from rooftops, which can then be used to water landscaped areas or other purposes. Rebates of up to $100 for the purchase of a rain barrel ($50 for 50-74 gallon capacity and $100 for 75 gallons or more capacity) are available through DC Greenworks.
• Shade trees improve the health of local streams and waterways by reducing storm water runoff and erosion. DC offers rebates of up to $50 for the purchase of a shade tree through Casey Trees.

Finally, DC is close to finishing a Climate Mitigation Plan and a Climate Action Plan.  To learn more about their efforts – visit Sustainable DC’s website at www.sustainabledc.gov

There is a lot going on in DC, my new hometown.  I think I first need to schedule one of the free energy audits and then learn more about what I can do to live green in the Capital City!

To learn more about cities and their ground-breaking programs and for additional information about the CityLinks program, visit the CityLinkswebsite, follow us on Twitter at @ICMACityLinks, and join our Climate Preparedness, Adaptation, and Resilience group on ICMA’s Knowledge Network.