by Jbs051210 g3 — May 17, 2010—A new case study provides an unprecedented in-depth look at how the City of New York developed its renowned sustainability plan, PlaNYC, and how this planning process laid the groundwork for New York’s emergence as a leading sustainable city.
ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA developed The Process Behind PlaNYC in collaboration with the City of New York’s Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability.
ICLEI credits the following 10 factors for the success of PlaNYC:
- Strong mayoral leadership and cooperation between the Mayors Office and City Council.
- A group of dedicated city agency staff performed in-depth research and analysis, involving extensive coordination and collaboration between the agencies.
- A methodical, transparent, and inclusive planning process.
- Central management and coordination provided by the Mayors Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability.
- An external Sustainability Advisory Board to provide best practice advice and guidance.
- A comprehensive public outreach process to generate broad public support and to help educate the general public about climate change and sustainability issues.
- Strategic release of the plan by the Mayors Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, which coordinated its announcements with key stakeholders.
- Inclusion in the plan of an implementation plan with a timeline and a funded budget.
- Swift transition from planning to action: the City is actively implementing all 127 initiatives.
- Openness for innovation and policy-making not driven by politics or business as usual.
The study, available free online, shares the lessons learned from PlaNYC to help other cities, towns, and counties meet their sustainability challenges and goals through similar action-oriented plans.
