Cross-Sector Collaboration: A Common Theme in the 4th Scale Up Cohort
The seven business and organizations that came together to participate in the 7-week sustainability project planning series share an important ideal: collaboration is necessary for sustained and equitable systems change and to create healthy communities. After coming together, each participant is launching a unique project that addresses energy, water, waste, and/or transportation in their operations alongside commitments to environmental and community stewardship. Here is a sneak peek of the participants and the projects they are launching here in Arizona!
Is your business or nonprofit ready to launch a transformational sustainability project? Please reach out to Mike Peel, Statewide Sustainability Director - mike@localfirstaz.com or Nick Shivka, Sustainability Program Manager - nick@localfirstaz.com to learn more and get started!
Downtown Tempe Authority
About
Downtown Tempe Authority (DTA) is a non-profit organization working in partnership with the City of Tempe to increase the value of Downtown Tempe through safety, promotion of the district as a destination, event production, and parking management. DTA prioritizes placemaking within the ½ square mile downtown district, which is home to 165 street-level businesses, 950+ hotel units, 3000+ living units, and 54,000 college students to ensure livability and walkability for its residents.
How They Scale Up
DTA is working to establish sustainable and resilient water stewardship practices in the district through a water retrofit and efficiency pilot in collaboration with Mill Avenue Shops and Caffe Boa. Results from a comprehensive water audit of 12+ businesses in the pilot demonstrate projected efficiency savings of 20-75% through fixture retrofits. Through this pilot, DTA has identified an opportunity for district businesses to take advantage of the City of Tempe’s Commercial Indoor Efficiency Fixture Rebate to make improvements that drastically reduce their water use and costs. DTA hopes the impact of this collaboration will serve as an example for other downtown centers to support businesses and adopt sustainability practices.
YWCA of Southern Arizona
About
YWCA of Southern Arizona is one of the oldest and largest multicultural women’s organizations in the nation. The team is working to introduce sustainable business practices while supporting women of color entrepreneurs at the same time.
How They Scale Up
YWCA’s House of Neighborly Service is embarking on a journey to build community resilience and become more sustainable by 2030 and beyond. The YWCA team will create a community green space for learning about environmental, economic, and community benefits and a priority of equity and inclusion. House of Neighborly Service is the first Green Champion Program project supported by Tucson 2030 District, Local First Arizona, University of Arizona College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture (CAPLA,) Pima Community College, Mrs. Green’s World, Ecoblue and other partners. The Tucson 2030 District—part of a national public-private network of 22 districts aiming to reduce building energy consumption, water use and transportation emissions by 50% by 2030—offers more intensive consultation and resources to help businesses reach those challenging goals. House of Neighborly Service’s goal is to meet and exceed the 2030 Challenge for Planning with Tucson 2030 District.
The Social Television Network (STN)
About
The Social Television Network (STN) is a media company in Phoenix that creates content spotlighting people and organizations working towards the greater good in the local community, providing a platform for viewers to connect with stories that inspire their personal and professional growth. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and amid the flurry of event cancellations, STN partnered with local organizations to create live telecasts of fundraisers and events important to the vitality of area nonprofits and their missions.
How They Scale Up
Waste prevention and water stewardship were top of mind for STN coming into the program. They are eliminating the purchase of plastic water bottles and installing a water bottle filling station along with signage to direct staff and encourage open conversations about water and the use of Earth’s precious resources. Through this initiative, they will avoid 1,500 single-use plastic water bottles per year and develop a culture of sustainability that matches their values and the community leaders they cover.
Diné College
About
Originally established in 1968 as Navajo Community College, Diné College is the first tribally controlled and accredited college in the United States, serving a predominantly Navajo student population across the Navajo Nation stretching across Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Diné College’s educational principles are based on Sa’ah Naagháí Bik’eh Hózhóón, the Diné traditional living system, which places human life in harmony with the natural world and universe, offering Certificate, Associate and Bachelor degree programs important to the economic, political, environmental, and social development of the Navajo Nation.
How They Scale Up
Diné College is planning to utilize its natural, cultural, and student resources to create a multi-functional Green Community Space on campus. The space will feature a campus garden with edible and climate-sensitive species, water harvesting infrastructure, and a common area for students to spend time and relax outdoors. This space will also serve as an interdepartmental living lab for students and faculty in all areas of study and encourage preservation of traditions in line with Diné College’s principles and vision.
Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities - University of Arizona
About
The Sonoran UCEDD (University Center for Excellence in Disabilities) at the University of Arizona supports people living with developmental disabilities through all stages of life. Their work is focused on the interdisciplinary education of students and service professionals, research, and impacting policy. They provide a variety of programs in collaboration with local, state, national, and international organizations to support individuals with developmental disabilities and their families to have meaningful lives and engage in full community participation.
How They Scale Up
The Sonoran UCEDD is launching an Employer Transformation Tool Kit for employers statewide to develop hiring practices and work cultures that are inclusive of people with disabilities. Sonoran UCEDD is championing the vision of AZ Employment First within the toolkit, a movement founded on the belief that all people should be able to work in their communities in competitive, integrated employment. This initiative will empower employers to understand the value of employing people with disabilities while providing the same opportunities and setting the same standards for all employees.
Visit Tucson
About
Visit Tucson is the official destination marketing organization for the City of Tucson, Pima County, and Town of Oro Valley, partnering with more than 500 business members throughout the community. They work to drive economic development in the area by connecting visitors with outdoor adventures, heritage and cultural events, recreation, shopping, accommodations, local food, and more.
How They Scale Up
Visit Tucson is launching an opportunity to increase shade and biodiversity while reducing ambient temperatures in Tucson through localized nature-based solutions. Those booking travel through Visit Tucson will be able to offset carbon emissions from their travel to and from the region while planting trees in neighborhoods of Tucson that need it most through a partnership with Tucson Clean & Beautiful and Mayor Regina Romero’s Tucson Million Trees Initiative.
Presidio Management
About
Presidio Management is a Tucson-based property management company that oversees four buildings in Tucson’s downtown area, including the Transamerica Building and Downtown Tucson Apartments. Buildings in Presidio’s management portfolio are mixed-use, offering apartments, large offices, and retail space.
How They Scale Up
Presidio is developing a self-audit checklist for their properties to benchmark energy use, water use, transportation use, and waste generation, and engagement on sustainability features with tenants and employees. They will establish an interdisciplinary green team made up of owners, tenants, and employees to champion, initiate, and benchmark sustainability practices.
Check out examples of other participants and their projects!
Do you work for, own, or know a business or nonprofit in Arizona that is thinking about sustainability? Interested in joining us for our next cohort of SCALE UP? Reach out to Nick@localfirstaz.com or check out www.localfirstaz.com/scale-up to learn more.
