Municipal decisions last for decades. A road reconstruction, a zoning code, a new fire station or a stormwater ordinance will shape life in Appleton, Menasha, Kaukauna, Oshkosh or a small town board’s jurisdiction long after the meeting where it was approved. That is why the original Sustainable Fox Valley initiative gave municipalities their own program, and why the question it asked is still the right one: how can our community meet everyone’s needs without undermining the ability of future residents to meet theirs?
This page is for elected officials, municipal staff, plan commission and committee members, and residents who take part in local decisions.
What is an eco-municipality?
An eco-municipality is a local government that formally adopts a shared set of sustainability principles, usually those of The Natural Step, and commits to using them to guide its operations, plans and policies. Rather than a one-off green project, it is a decision to apply the same compass across departments.
Where the idea came from
The eco-municipality movement began in Sweden. The town of Övertorneå, in the far north of the country, adopted an eco-municipality approach in 1983 as part of an effort to revive a struggling local economy. Other Swedish municipalities followed, and in 1995 they formed a national association, SEKOM, to share experience and influence national policy. Over time, many Swedish municipalities adopted The Natural Step principles as a common framework.
The approach reached a wider North American audience through The Natural Step for Communities: How Cities and Towns Can Change to Sustainable Practices (2004) by planner Sarah James and Swedish eco-municipality pioneer Torbjörn Lahti.
The Wisconsin story
Wisconsin became an early center of the movement in the United States. It began in the Chequamegon Bay region on Lake Superior, where Ashland and Washburn were the first Wisconsin cities to designate themselves eco-municipalities in the mid-2000s. By the end of 2006, the town of Bayfield, the city of Bayfield and the city of Madison had also adopted eco-municipality resolutions based largely on Natural Step principles, and a number of other Wisconsin communities followed in the years after.
The lesson for the Fox Valley is encouraging: communities of very different sizes, from small lakeshore cities to the state capital, found the framework practical enough to adopt. For the full story and a closer look at what adopting communities did next, read our article How Cities and Villages Become Eco-Municipalities.
A step-by-step process for Fox Valley communities
- Build a core group. Bring together a few committed elected officials, staff and residents. Early support from a mayor, village president, administrator or department head makes a big difference.
- Learn the framework together. Hold a workshop or a series of study circles so council members, staff and residents share the same understanding of sustainability before debating solutions.
- Adopt a resolution. A short resolution commits the municipality to the sustainability principles and to using them in planning and operations. It is a statement of direction, not a spending plan.
- Take a baseline. Gather data on municipal energy use, fleet fuel, water and wastewater, solid waste, purchasing and land use, and note community-wide trends where data exists.
- Create a vision and backcast. Describe what a sustainable version of your community looks like, then work backward to identify the steps that lead there.
- Prioritize and integrate. Choose actions that move in the right direction, build toward later steps and offer a reasonable return. Fold them into the comprehensive plan, capital improvement plan and department work plans.
- Engage the public. Share progress openly and invite residents, businesses and community groups to contribute. Sustainability is a community-wide effort, not a city hall project.
- Measure, report and revisit. Report on results at least annually and update priorities as conditions change.
Key policy areas
The table below shows where municipal action typically has the most influence, with examples of how The Natural Step principles apply. Use it as a conversation starter for committees and staff.
| Policy area | Example actions | Natural Step connection |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal buildings and energy | Energy audits, LED street and facility lighting, efficient heating, on-site renewables | Less dependence on fossil fuels from the earth’s crust |
| Fleet and transportation | Right-sized and efficient vehicles, anti-idling policies, sidewalks, bike lanes, trail connections, transit support | Less fossil fuel use; healthier, more accessible mobility for all residents |
| Land use and zoning | Compact, walkable development; mixed use; protecting wetlands, woodlands and shorelines | Less physical degradation of natural systems |
| Stormwater and water | Green infrastructure, rain garden programs, leaf management, water conservation | Protecting the Fox River, Lake Winnebago and groundwater |
| Parks and grounds | Reduced pesticide use, native plantings, tree canopy programs | Fewer persistent chemicals; healthier ecosystems |
| Purchasing | Sustainable procurement policy, durable and less-toxic products, local purchasing where practical | Fewer persistent substances; stronger local economy |
| Solid waste | Recycling education, organics and yard waste programs, waste reduction at municipal events | Keeping materials in use and out of landfills |
| Community engagement | Study circles, public workshops, accessible meeting formats | Removing barriers to people’s influence and participation |
Making it work in practice
Start with operations
Changes to municipal buildings, fleets and purchasing are fully under local control and often pay for themselves over time. Early savings build credibility for wider community efforts.
Use the plans you already have
Wisconsin communities already maintain comprehensive plans and capital budgets. Rather than writing a separate sustainability plan that sits on a shelf, apply the principles to the plans that already drive decisions.
Bring residents along
Residents are far more likely to support a policy they helped shape. Facilitated study circles are a proven way to gather diverse perspectives and move from discussion to action. Our households and businesses programs give residents and employers ways to contribute alongside the municipality.
Think regionally
Watersheds, trails, transit and waste systems cross municipal lines in the Fox Cities. Neighboring communities that use the same framework find it easier to coordinate.