STAR Communities for Northampton

1. STAR COMMUNITIES FOR
NORTHAMPTON, MA
Wayne Feiden, FAICP
Director of Planning and Sustainability
City of Northampton

2. Environment
Planet
Equity
People
BBLLIISSSS
Economy
Profit
Equity
Economy
Environment

3. Sustainability
in Operation
Terms
First LEED Gold KFC/Taco Bell
Which is
more durable
and
sustainable?

4. Source: Randall Munroe

5. 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

6. Performance Measure Example
GOAL AREA: Natural Systems
OBJECTIVE: Green Infrastructure
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
A. Community-level outcomes
E.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
STAR Community Index
The new standard for sustainable communities

7. Performance Measure Example
GOAL AREA: Built Environment
OBJECTIVE: Transportation Choices
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
A. Community-level outcomes
Northampton
E.g., Maximum driveway alone 60%, hard in small city
E.g., Vehicle Miles Traveled decreasing, data collection
Northampton
E.g., Subdivision walkability standards,
complete streets policy, dedicated
bicycle facilities.
STAR Community Index
The new standard for sustainable communities
challenge
B. Actions
NOTE: Actions easier to document,
harder to collect total points

8. •Comparison to peers
•Identify opportunities
•Change vocabulary of planning
•Leadership allows frank discussions
STAR Community Index
Benefits
The new standard for sustainable communities