Sustainable Skylines Kansas City

Sustainable Skylines is a locally-run public-private partnership sponsored by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed to reduce air emissions and promote sustainability in urban areas. Kansas City was chosen as one of two pilot communities for this program. Projects that have been implemented successfully include:

-KC Idle-Free: An idle-reduction campaign, working with public and private fleets to establish idle-free zones and assist the Kansas City metropolitan area in maintaining the national air quality standard for ozone.
-Be Water Wi$e - Water conservation and strategic landscaping projects with parks and homeowners associations to use less water and promote native plant species.
-Parking Lots to Parks - Curbing the urban heat island effect and reducing storm water runoff through sustainable parking lot design.
-Solar KC - Solar demonstration projects at schools and city-owned buildings to promote renewable, clean energy.
-Kansas City Future Forum – Action by individuals, businesses, and civic groups to reduce our environmental impact and become a green region.
-Constructing Clean Air - A diesel engine retrofits partnership with the heavy construction industry in Kansas City to reduce air pollution from construction equipment.

The goal of the Sustainable Skylines Initiative (SSI) is to achieve measurable emissions reductions and promote sustainability in urban environments within three years of implementation.

In Kansas City, as of January 2009, 16 local mayors had signed on to the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, and more than 130 local businesses and organizations had signed on to the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Climate Protection Agreement.

In addition to the pilot communities of Greater Kansas City and Dallas, Sustainable Skylines is being expanded nationally with a goal of 10 Sustainable Skylines communities by the end of 2010.