To activate the Stamford 2030 District, launched in October 2014, to create a resilient, high performance building district in downtown Stamford, Connecticut.

Lessons learned about tools and tactics through the project that other sustainability directors could use to advance their work.

Creating this public-private partnership enabled the City to reach goals that it couldn’t otherwise have achieved on its own, including benchmarking all of its buildings and providing training opportunities for staff. In addition, there was a benefit from working directly with businesses.

Lessons for developing a collaborative process between a local government sustainability director and local place-based foundation(s).

Having the sustainability director on the organizational committee of Stamford 2030 was critical to engaging with the city.  Operating as a public-private partnership had clear benefits in terms of breaking down barriers to competition and demonstrating to businesses that the city was supportive.