Northampton MA STAR Communities

1. Northampton earns
5-STAR Community Rating
"Northampton is committed to being one of the most
sustainable communities in the nation," said Mayor David J.
Narkewicz. We are honored to receive the first 5-STAR
Community Rating. Our 5-STAR rating reflects many of the
great things we already do, and it has helped highlight the
things we still need."
The STAR Community Rating System (STAR) is a roadmap and
measuring system for community sustainability. It
encompasses economic, environmental and social equity
indicators. STAR helps communities assess how sustainable
they are, set targets, and measure progress.
Northampton was one of 34 communities that participated
in STAR Communities' pilot program. Currently, 70+
communities are engaged with STAR, representing more than
33 million residents.
Northampton joined STAR to understand and benchmark
how we are doing, become a more sustainable community,
and ensure accountability through a third party review. This
process helps advance the conversation about both what we
have already done (far more than most communities) and
what remains to be done (still a lot).
This data will inform Northampton's next steps. In 2015,
Northampton will be working with the community to update
the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan. The
findings from the STAR process allows the city to benchmark
our progress with other communities and gain new ideas for
the planning process.
For more information: www.NorthamptonMA.gov
The Northampton Office of Planning and Sustainability led
the data collection and quantitative analysis in accordance
with the STAR framework. Other city departments, boards,
and non-profits contributed much needed data. All data was
submitted to STAR Communities, for review and certification.
Northampton earning the top category of STAR Communities
is consistent with Northampton having earned the highest
Commonwealth Capital Score when the Commonwealth
used to score municipal sustainability efforts.