This case study provides an overview of the process New York City undertook to develop its PlaNYC, a city-wide sustainability plan that includes 127 initiatives and 10 goals.

In addition to energy consumption and climate change, PlaNYC also addresses land use, transportation, and other elements. This report describes the genesis of the city’s sustainability plan in the context of the city’s other goals, plans, and challenges (e.g., population growth).

The report also describes the formation of the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability and its advisory board, and the role those entities, along with academic institutions, consultants, and other city agencies, played in developing and implementing PlaNYC. Detail is included on how the city developed its greenhouse gas emission targets and overarching sustainability goals, as well as the process for publicizing and soliciting feedback on these objectives. Throughout, the document describes how PlaNYC was developed with rapid implementation in mind.

By local law, PlaNYC is updated every four years, and progress is reported annually. Updates and other documentation are available on the PlaNYC website.

Read The process behind PlaNYC.