Greener Glendale

In March 2012, the City of Glendale completed its climate action and sustainability plan. The City has a long-standing commitment to the environment, from promoting green building materials to developers to bringing fresh organic produce to its residents with three Farmer’s Markets. Glendale is committed to doing its part to promote sustainable living through eco-friendly programs and projects. It also is committed to the betterment of the community through sustainability outreach and education to residents.

The Greener Glendale Plan is made up of the following components:

• In preparation for the planning process, the "2010 Report" was completed to highlight the City's existing conservation programs, on which the Greener Glendale Plan would build.
• On Nov 1, 2011, City Council adopted the Greener Glendale Plan for Municipal Operations. This document addresses conservation efforts within internal government operations.
• On March 27, 2012, City Council adopted the Greener Glendale Plan for Community Activitie. This document addresses how the City of Glendale can help the community improve livability and conservation.

Energy & Water

Glendale Water & Power is committed to providing low cost water and electricity in an environmentally sustainable manner by:

• Increasing local investments in water conservation and energy efficiency
• Developing renewable energy resources
• Tracking green house gas emissions

GWP offers numerous energy and water saving incentives and rebates.

Green Buildings

On Jan 1, 2011, the new CAL-Green Building Code went into effect for all California cities. On June 7, 2011, Glendale went a step further by adopting additional green building standards.

LEED certification means that instead of just building up to code, Glendale went above and beyond to build two Glendale Water and Power facilities, which provide healthier work and living conditions. GWP provides incentives to the community to build to LEED standards.

Affordable Housing

For four years, the City Housing Department has developed numerous affordable housing projects exceeding energy efficiency requirements by at least 15%.

Urban Nature and Local Food

Glendale offers 4 community gardens and numerous parks as well as 3 Farmers’ Markets. The City also provides free trees and assistance with planting through the GWP Tree Power Program.

Transportation

Glendale is the second most densely populated City in all of California. With a daytime population of over 700,000 residents, workers, and students, the ability to easily and quickly move about the city is a priority for our staff. The Downtown Mobility Study addresses how to best accommodate expected population growth in downtown Glendale, which is essential to achieving Glendale's vision of a vibrant multi-use downtown, without significantly increasing auto congestion or impacting Glendale's quality of life. In the past three years, Glendale has added five miles of bicycle lanes and 4.7 miles of shared roadway markings. The Bicycle Transportation Plan is currently being updated. The Glendale Safe & Healthy Streets Plan is a collaboration of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and the City of Glendale. The goal is to make Glendale a better, safer place to walk or ride a bike.

For more information

The two plans (one addressing municipal operations and one addressing community activities), and information about the other sustainability programs can be found at www.GreenerGlendale.org.