case study One
Developing Sustainability
Plans and Reporting Formats
The City of Grand Rapids, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids Community College, Aquinas College, and the Grand Rapids Public Schools established the Grand Rapids Community Sustainability Partnership “CSP” (www.grpartners.org) in 2005. The purpose of the CSP was to share sustainable development best practices among its members and to develop sustainability plans and reporting formats for its endorsing partners. The City of Grand Rapids and Grand Valley State University mutually developed sustainability plans and reporting frameworks through a partnership approach.
The “Triple Bottom Line” (TBL) lens of sustainability including economic, social, and environmental impact was integral in the planning and reporting. It is also known as People, Planet, and Profits (3Ps); or Equity, Economy, and Ecology (3Es) in the marketplace. Sustainability is not a destination, but a continuing journey that has included sustainability phases of awareness, understanding, application, progress, and value creation.
The City of Grand Rapids completed their Sustainability Plan 2.0 that contained TBL sustainability outcomes, specific targets, and related goals for all city departments that included quantifiable performance measurements.
Examples of sustainability areas covered:
Economic
Environmental
Social
- Strong economy
- Diverse supplier base
- Training and development
- Administration and finance
- Enhanced customer service
- Vital business districts
- Energy conservation
- Climate adaptation and mitigation
- Environmental quality
- Waste minimization
- Renewable energy
- Land use and green buildings
- Great neighborhoods
- Civic engagement
- Education and arts
- Healthy lifestyles
- Safe communities
Today, the Grand Rapids “CSP” has achieved a membership of over 275 endorsing partner organizations and enterprises across the public, private, academic, and service sectors that embrace sustainability guiding principles in their planning and operations. In 2010 the City of Grand Rapids was recognized as the most sustainable mid-size city in the U.S.
Source: The Evolution of a Sustainable City, Norman Christopher, The Review, September/October 2010
Norman Christopher
August 2019
