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Virginia Beach, VA to transform municipal golf course into stormwater mitigation hub
The City of Virginia Beach has developed a plan that explores using the approximately 121-acre, City-owned Bow Creek Golf Course for flood mitigation. The vision for the project is to convert the land use from a golf course to a multi-faceted facility that will provide significant stormwater storage to mitigate flooding and restore natural systems while still providing active and passive recreational opportunities.
Virginia Beach, VA
United States
Alexandria, VA to retrofit hundreds of manhole covers to slow stormwater runoff flows
The City of Alexandria is directing $750,000 toward a project that involves placing stainless steel inserts on 870 manhole covers to slow the rate at which stormwater overflows into the city's sanitation system during periods of heavy rainfall. The city has separate systems for stormwater and sanitation, but the latter serves as an overflow for excess precipitation and the setup can cause untreated wastewater to back up in residents' homes.
Alexandria, VA
United States
Marathon, FL to replace shallow sewage wells to improve water quality
The Marathon City Council will end the use of shallow sewage wells, a move that will reduce the pervasive pharmaceutical contamination in local fish populations uncovered by FIU scientists. City leaders outlined a timeline to replace the shallow sewage wells with a new deep well sited at least 3,000 feet deep and into the boulder zone.
Marathon, FL
United States
Camden, NSW Hook, Line & Measure project works with anglers on research about local waterways
Council officials ask residents to fill out an online form when they fish on local rivers and streams. The form asks for the date, location, and outcome of any fishing activities in Camden. Anglers are also asked for fish species and weights along with photos of their catches. The Hook, Line & Measure website includes an interactive map and data about the most commonly caught fish. Additional resources cover topics like humane harvesting and state licensure.
Camden, NSW
Australia
Unincorporated ACT, ACT introduces Canberra Plant Selector for climate-wise landscaping choices
The Canberra Plant Selector accesses a database of more than 340 plants that can thrive in the local climate. Users enter plants by name or filter for options based on plant type, frost tolerance, and watering or sun needs. Plant entries include brief descriptions, photos, and their original locations along with the option to add to a favourites list. Local officials introduced the free tool as part of its Climate Choices initiative for small-scale sustainability choices.
Unincorporated ACT, ACT
Australia
Otago Regional Council, NZ Native Planting Guide promotes biodiversity and climate resilience
The interactive resource assists landowners with species selection for landscaping and planting projects. Users click on the map or enter their addresses for location-specific ecosystem reports. Each PDF report includes a list of native species with details such as maximum height, growth rate, and environmental tolerances. Additional resources in the Native Planting Guide include guides for shrubland or coastal planting and native planting principles.
Otago Regional Council, NZ
New Zealand
Eurobodalla, NSW pilots positive reinforcement for residents who assist with litter removal
Eurobodalla partnered with Coles Supermarkets on an incentive pilot across the community. Council officers who spot visitors picking up cigarette butts and other litter may issue AUD 25 grocery vouchers. Incentives for litter picking and fines of up to AUD 450 for littering provide new options for enforcement in public places. This pilot is a component of the council's collaboration with the NSW Environment Protection Authority on The Cigarette Butt Bin Project.
Eurobodalla, NSW
Australia
London Borough of Merton, GB takes lead on world-first low-emission zone for construction vehicles
The borough-led Cleaner Construction for London project established a zone for non-road mobile machinery (NRMM). Regulated machinery such as generators and excavators with outputs of 37 to 560 kilowatts are regularly evaluated for compliance. There is an online registry for NRMMs and new vehicles must meet emission requirements prior to use. The gradual rollout of the NRMM zone encouraged competition among bidding contractors to achieve lower emission levels.
London Borough of Merton, GB
United Kingdom
Helsinki, FI reduces the environmental impacts of events with its carbon footprint calculator
City officials worked with Sitowise on an easy-to-use calculator for event organizers. The calculator asks for user assessments of event impacts in areas like waste, procurement, and transportation. The resulting assessment helps an organizer identify high-emission activities or purchases that aren't essential to event management. Helsinki pursued this tool as part of its five-year plan for carbon-neutral festivals, meetings, and gatherings.
Helsinki, FI
Finland
Lancashire County Council, GB assesses tree health with an arborsonic tree decay detector
Council officials estimate trees at approximately one-third of county-managed highway sections. The £12,000 detector minimizes the need for time-intensive inspections through soundwave technology. Soundwaves sent through a tree identify hollow and rotten spots, resulting in a 3D map of the tree's interior. Each scan takes less than 10 minutes and enables accurate tracking of tree health over multiple scans. The county preserves healthy trees and reduces felling costs with the detector.
Lancashire County Council, GB
United Kingdom
Detroit, MI Alley Activation pilot converts unused residential alleys into sustainable spaces
A citywide alley clean-up initiative in 2020 removed debris from 2,000 blocks. Detroit approved a pilot design program for five alley conversions into "Dreamways." Each alleyway contributes to urban cooling and better drainage through features like new plants and rain barrels. Project partner Sidewalk Detroit will seek input on potential alley uses including art exhibits, fitness classes, and community events. City officials are using $3 million in federal ARPA funds for the project.
Detroit, MI
United States
Collie, WA converts household and forest waste into energy with its new Resource Recovery Centre
Collie's collaboration with Renergi resulted in a waste-to-energy facility within its landfill. Household, forest, and agriculture waste will be converted into byproducts like biochar and wood vinegar for local industries. The Resource Recovery Centre can process 1.5 tons of waste per hour with an emission savings of up to 18,000 tons per year. An estimated 12,000 tons of waste will be diverted from landfills each year and help Collie transition away from coal-fired power plants by 2030.
Collie, WA
Australia