Charlottesville : Community Climate Protection Initiatives

The City of Charlottesville, in support of its Environmental Sustainability Policy, is working to advance air quality and public health, reduced energy consumption and economic development goals for the area. These are some of the ways the City is protecting and improving environmental quality for residents and visitors alike:

Charlottesville Greenhouse Gas Emissions Baseline
The City of Charlottesville has compiled a greenhouse gas emissions inventory using software tools provided through the ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability organization. This "baseline" is an inventory of the activities within our community that contribute to our greenhouse gas emissions, and emissions of criteria air pollutants. Establishing a baseline enables us to set targets for reducing our emissions and our energy costs in the future.
In the year of 2000, Charlottesville was responsible for nearly 900,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. That was enough for about 5 full hot air balloons per person!
To download a PDF copy of the 2008 Charlottesville Emissions Baseline Report, please CLICK HERE
The next step is the development of the Charlottesville Climate and Sustainability Action Plan. For more details, please contact greencity@charlottesville.org

Soybean crop Greening the City Fleet

An emphasis has been placed on the use of gas-electric hybrid vehicles and compressed natural gas, as well as the use of Biodiesel (B20) in school buses, CAT buses and diesel trucks.

Using Biodiesel leads to improved air quality from reduced emissions and supports a domestic, renewable energy source.

For more information on the city's use of alternative fuels and hybrid vehicles, CLICK HERE.

Downtown Transit Center Green Buildings and Green Building Practice

The Charlottesville Downtown Transit Station (DTS) has been awarded the prestigious LEED (The U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification. The DTS was designed and built with sustainability in mind, featuring a geothermal heating and cooling system, a cool roof, and it consumes 40% less water and 30% less electricity than a conventional building. Much of the material used in the building is comprised of recycled contents and was manufactured locally.

For further information on the Downtown Transit Station, please CLICK HERE

Tree City USA Tree City USA
Charlottesville was declared a Tree City USA in 2007. The Tree City USA® program, sponsored by The Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, provides direction, technical assistance, public attention, and national recognition for urban and community forestry programs throughout the USA. Charlottesville has determined that our current tree canopy coverage is 47%. This vital urban forest will be managed through the development and implementation of an Urban Forest Management Program. For further information please CLICK HERE

Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan

The City has undertaken a major new effort to build trails within parks to create loops for walking and biking, and also to connect parks, schools, and other public spaces to each other.

CLICK HERE for details of the trails within the City.
CLICK HERE for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan of Charlottesville.

City Markets

City Market offers fresh produce, herbs, plants, naturally raised meats, crafts, and baked goods from local vendors every Saturday from 7:00 a.m. until 12 noon from April-October. CLICK HERE for details.
Farmers in the Park is every Wednesday from May 30th to Sept 26th. CLICK HERE for details.
For details on the City Holiday Market, CLICK HERE
New Market at Pen Park every Tuesday from May 4th to September 28th! Fresh produce, herbs, plants, naturally raised meats, crafts, and baked goods from local vendors. CLICK HERE for more details