Overview

The Steps - click on each to learn more: 

Step 1 illustrated as the first step in a staircaseStep 1

Build community interest; have program staff visit your community; join GreenStep by adopting a council resolution.

 

Step 2 illustrated as the first two steps in a staircaseStep 2

Post brief info on this website about what you've already done; be recognized for implementing between 4 & 8 best practices.

 

Step 3 illustrated as the first three steps in a staircaseStep 3

Implement at your own pace an additional 4 – 8 best practices; complete a handful of high-impact best practice actions (ask us for help).

 

Step 4 illustrated as the first four steps in a staircaseStep 4

Identify key sustainability targets and/or metrics to track progress.

 

Step 5 illustrated as the first five steps in a staircase.Step 5

Show measurable improvement in community performance metrics or by taking a deeper dive into best practice actions. 

Becoming a GreenStep City

Of Minnesota's 851 cities, approximately 500 are under 1,000 in population, about 83% are under 5,000 in population, and roughly 35 have a population over 25,000. With such a diversity of cities, no one process will fit all cities in organizing work to become a GreenStep City and to progress through the recognition steps. Depending on your city, work may start mostly at the city staff, citizen commission or city council level and fit well into existing plans and efforts, moving later to incorporate and leverage work efforts by civic organizations. Or the impetus for implementing GreenStep best practices may start with a civic group and be mostly done by community members and community organizations, with the city council in a supportive and active role as needed. In either case, city councils are in control of formal participation in this voluntary, continuous improvement program and choose which of the many optional GreenStep actions are a good fit for the unique history and culture of their city.