CitiesGoGreen - November 2008 - (Page 20)

Local Government in Action — PROFILE — Fort Collins, Colorado From FortZED, a net-zero energy district, to Bus Rapid Transit and much more, continuous innovation toward creating a sustainable community is built into the culture of this Rocky Mountain city. by Lia Ayley Fort Collins Facts Mayor: Doug Hutchinson Population: 131,000 Size: 58.2 sq. mi. Points of Interest: Money Magazine’s Best Place to Live 2006 Pilot participant in ICLEI’s Climate Resilient Communities® program 20 ort Collins has a lot of attractions, with treelined streets and a picturesque Old Town, extensive walking trails and flourishing farmer’s market, not to mention its scenic location and four microbreweries. Home to Colorado State University and large companies like Anhauser Busch and Kodak, employment prospects are also good. This city in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains is also taking “green” to new heights. The many bike lanes are supplemented with a bike ‘library’ where residents or visitors can check out a bike for up to seven days—for free. The city’s ClimateWise carbon reduction program was a finalist for a Transformative Government award last year, and the city is one of only 13 local governments in the US to have achieved all five of ICLEI’s Climate Protection Milestones. The Fort Collins Local Living Economy Project supports locally-owned businesses F and sustainable economic development in the area through relocalization initiatives like “buy local” coupon books and public awareness campaigns. The Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair brings thousands of people to Fort Collins every year for a weekend of sustainability information and inspiration. And the City Council recently took the practical move (from a food sustainability point of view) of allowing residents to keep up to six chickens in their backyards (no roosters, though, and the birds must be kept in secure enclosures). The roots of the city’s green orientation go back as far as 1935, when its citizens created their own electric utility. The utility remains in City hands, and in the 1970s Fort Collins joined three neighboring cities in creating the Platte River Power Authority. The Authority generates the power, and the four city utilities distribute it to their citizens. Owning its own electricity provider gave Fort Collins a distinct advantage when it began to consider promoting energy efficiency and green power. In 2003, the city adopted an electric energy supply policy, which includes encouraging conservation, reducing demand, and deNovember 2008 http://www.sustainablelivingassociation.org/thefair/ http://www.sustainablelivingassociation.org/thefair/ http://www.fortcollinsnow.com/article/20080904/NEWS/809049991/1062&ParentProfile=1054 http://www.prpa.org/ http://www.prpa.org/ http://www.iclei-usa.org/library/documents/CCP_Milestone_Guide.pdf/view?searchterm=five milestones http://belocalnc.org http://www.fcgov.com/electric/energy_policy.php http://belocalnc.org http://citiesgogreen.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CitiesGoGreen - November 2008

CitiesGoGreen - November 2008 Contents In Motion Disaster Housing for $200: The Hexayurt Coming Soon: A Code-Ready Green Building Standard from ASHRAE ICMA Embraces Sustainability Fort Collins, Colorado Interview: ClimateWise, Business Smart 12-for-1 Parking: Bike Corrals Fresno County More Biking and Walking for Better Communities

CitiesGoGreen - November 2008

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