Sustainable Community Plans

Sustainable community plans strive to integrate environmental, community, and economic goals in a way that allows for future generations to live in a healthy, thriving world and have the same opportunities we have today. In addition to more traditional planning topics, sustainable community plans address challenges with respect to equity, health, and climate adaptation and mitigation, among others. Clarion has worked with communities and regions across the nation to explore these and other issues through the lenses of sustainability and resilience—adapting best practices to local conditions and desired outcomes. We strive to create plans with an emphasis on systems thinking, accountability, and the need for continuous improvement.

Sustainable Development Codes

Clarion is a leader in developing best practices for sustainable development and has worked with communities nationwide to incorporate these practices into local land use regulations. Whether the code updates were initiated as a standalone effort—or as a follow up to a comprehensive plan, hazard mitigation plan, sustainability plan, or climate action plan—we work closely with our clients to identify potential barriers and develop tailored incentives and standards to support the implementation of community goals. Our varied work in this area includes: ordinances addressing green infrastructure/low-impact development, mixed-use and infill development, energy efficiency, alternative energy production, wildfire and flood mitigation, and climate adaptation measures.

Sustainable Practices

We prioritize sustainability not only in our work but also within our daily operational practices. We strive to continually reduce our environmental impact with a focus on our buildings’ operations and maintenance practices, waste management, continuing education, travel, carbon offsets, and consistent monitoring and evaluation.