Burlington Legacy Project

A 30-year sustainability action plan developed by city residents

Burlington, Vermont has won national awards for being a livable city, for offering a clean environment and a vibrant lifestyle, for being a place where people choose to raise families or start a business, and for the quality of its higher education institutions and its health care facilities (see list below).

In 1999, then-mayor Peter Clavelle asked ISC to help him work with the Burlington community to develop a 30-year-action plan to help maintain these important qualities, and to provide a framework for on-going community dialogue on how to achieve a sustainable future.

ISC helped the city assemble a diverse task force of 20 community leaders, who received direct input from nearly a third of community residents as well as many school students. A key strategy was to get institutions to think beyond their two-to-five year planning horizons, to understand the impact of unintended consequences, and to better understand community-wide priorities.

Thousands of surveys were distributed at community events and through several hundred agencies and organizations, asking people to share their hopes and dreams for the future of the city. Hundreds of citizens responded, sharing their perceptions of Burlington’s greatest strengths and most glaring weaknesses, and their visions for a healthier future.

From this process, the Legacy Action Plan was born, created as a beacon to guide Burlington’s economic growth, environmental and social health, and to ensure quality education for all. The Plan was organized and overseen by a diverse steering committee including members from the business, low-income, environment, social services, academic, and youth communities. The final plan, identifying what people value most about their city and what they want to preserve, reflects the input of thousands of people from all age groups and all parts of the city.

For the last ten years, the city has held an annual Legacy Town Meeting at which the key institutions report on their progress. The average attendance is more than 250 people.

Some of the Burlington Legacy Project's key results include:

• A sustainability plan with specific implementation responsibilities to city departments, businesses, universities, nonprofits, and individuals; a 2020 Climate Action Plan; and an annual report out to the community.
• A citywide agreement that amends Burlington’s zoning ordinance to increase downtown development, redevelop brownfield properties, and encourage smart growth.
• An unexpected partnership for green affordable housing. The City of Burlington and the University of Vermont overcame years of bad relations to reach an agreement to expand affordable housing and build LEED-certified dormitories.
• 40 units of LEED certified mixed-income housing on the coveted Lake Champlain waterfront.
• The Burlington School Food Project, a food council that significantly expanded the use of local, healthier foods in school meals.
• An Education for Sustainability program in the local schools that encourages school-community partnerships and was recognized as a national model by Peter Senge.
• Passage of a Clean Energy Assessment District, which will provide incentives for building owners to install eligible energy efficiency and/or renewable energy projects in homes and businesses.
• Significant changes in city procurement practices to encourage resource efficiency, including an Environmentally Preferred Purchasing Policy for which city employee Jessica Frank won the 2010 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.
• Adoption of an open space protection plan and funding mechanism that has significantly expanded the community’s green space.
• The preservation of forested land in conjunction with development of co-housing and zoning for affordable housing.

Visit the Burlington Legacy Project homepage for more information.

 

City of Burlington Recognition and Awards

Since the Burlington Legacy Project began, the city has been recognized for livability and sustainability on dozens of occasions. Some of the awards from the past 10 years include: