Wayne Feiden, FAICPDirector of Planning and Sustainability

City of Northampton

STAR COMMUNITIES FOR NORTHAMPTON, MA

Environment Planet

EquityPeople

EconomyProfit

BLISSBLISS

Economy

Environment

Equity

Sustainabilityin Operation

Terms

First LEED Gold KFC/Taco Bell

Which is more durable

and sustainable?

Source: Randall Munroe

STAR Community Index The new standard for sustainable communities

Conceptual limits•Local control versus nationalized norm:

•E.g., focus on energy w/indirect focus on CO2

•E.g., point for LEED vs other green buildings

•Data collection doesn’t always match local data

•Resources can be daunting

STAR Community Index The new standard for sustainable communities

GOAL AREA: Natural Systems

OBJECTIVE: Green Infrastructure

PERFORMANCE MEASURES:

A. Community-level outcomesE.g., 35% of land area protected with localized cooling,

water management, parks and greenways:Northampton: • 25% of community protected open space; and• Zoning GIS assessment

NOTE: Outcomes often easiest way to get big points, but often require more data collection

Performance Measure Example

STAR Community Index The new standard for sustainable communities

GOAL AREA: Built Environment

OBJECTIVE: Transportation Choices

PERFORMANCE MEASURES:

A. Community-level outcomesNorthamptonE.g., Maximum driveway alone 60%, hard in small cityE.g., Vehicle Miles Traveled decreasing, data collection

challenge

B. Actions

Performance Measure Example

NOTE: Actions easier to document, harder to collect total points

NorthamptonE.g., Subdivision walkability standards,

complete streets policy, dedicated bicycle facilities.

STAR Community Index The new standard for sustainable communities

Benefits•Comparison to peers•Identify opportunities•Change vocabulary of planning•Leadership allows frank discussions