UH Crowdsourced Conversations – Sustainability in UH Resources

Engaged Citizens. Innovative Ideas.

WELCOME TO THE RESOURCE PAGE FOR OUR UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS CROWDSOURCED CONVERSATION FORUM ON THE TOPIC OF SUSTAINABILITY IN UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS

On Tuesday, November 19, about 28 University Heights community members gathered in the Large Music Room at Wiley Middle School for the first-ever University Heights Crowdsourced Conversations. Thanks to Mayor Michael Brennan and Deanna Bremer Fisher for their opening remarks.

ACTION STEPS: Each group identified meaningful action steps they could take, either individually or as part of the collective. Here are some highlights from each group.

BLUE GROUP: “Sustainability At Home” means shifting attitudes to create new habits, recognizing the power of individual action, and reducing perceptions that sustainable practices are complicated and time-consuming. Ideas include (but are not limited to) recycling, using rain barrels, reducing single-use plastic, replacing lawns and ivy with native pollinators, clover, and meadow plants, sharing 1 car, biking to work, participating in volunteer groups to maintain public spaces (e.g. Friends of the Walt), and establishing a neighborhood tool-sharing library. The city can support progress in sustainability practices city through policy creation, including the upcoming climate action plan or revising zoning codes. Working together on sustainability can lead to increased reasons for social engagement, too — why not make the process fun??

GREEN GROUP: Eating vegetarian or vegan even once a week can be more sustainable and healthful. Rely on biking, walking, and public transportation rather than car ownership. Collect rainwater in barrels for use when watering plants. Check out rebates with the Inflation Reduction Act. Additionally, Rewiring America has resources available for tax credits and rebates on energy-efficient appliances and upgrades. The city could support the process by encouraging/increasing awareness about composting, implementing pedestrian and/or cyclist safety workshops, and increasing awareness around the annual Sustainable Homes award.

PINK GROUP: Education around composting wanted. One group member shared a technique called “lasagna gardening,” or a practice of layering green and brown yard waste in raised gardens to create compost. Another group member shared the benefits of adding solar power for their home, including being less reliant on the primary power grid (i.e. during power outages). Adding more community gardens is of strong interest as is introducing a farmers’ market to University Heights.

PURPLE GROUP: Sometimes the individual changes we make may feel too small — but every environmentally-friendly change made leads to larger systems change. Attitude changes and policy changes can influence each other. For instance, if there’s a community push to make the city more pedestrian/cyclist-friendly, then that opens the door to rethinking how the city would need to be designed in order to reduce resident need to rely on a car for local transportation. Change is always possible when the community comes together to use their voice.

Here are some additional ideas for action steps:

Host your own small group action-oriented discussions with your family, friends, and neighbors. You can even use our Small Group Discussion Questions – UH CC – Sustainability in University Heights to get you started!
Write articles or op-eds — or maybe even inquire about being a columnist — for the Heights Observer.
Join us for the next Crowdsourced Conversation forum to meet other engaged Heights residents.

: Sustainability in University Heights

Resources

City of University Heights

“Opt-In” to recycle in UH
- If you have questions about the recycling program, please contact Allen Pennington at apennington@universityheights.com.
University Heights Greenhouse Gas Inventory info here.
Electric Vehicle Charger Guide here.
Solar Panel Guide for Homeowners here.
Apply to join the Citizens Advisory Committee on Sustainability here.
- If you have questions about the committee, please contact Deanna Bremer Fisher at dbfisher@universityheights.com.
Learn more about the City of University Heights’ Climate Action Plan and other sustainability efforts here.