DowntownDC ecoDistrict Chosen for National ‘Target Cities’ Program

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The District of Columbia on Tuesday joined non-profit EcoDistricts’ “Target Cities” two-year immersion program, selecting the DowntownDC ecoDistrict as one of three Washington, D.C.-based projects to participate. 
 
The announcement, made at CGI America (a program of the Clinton Global Initiative) means that the District has joined an elite group of North American cities committed to becoming global sustainability leaders. The participation of St. Elizabeths-Congress Heights, Southwest and the DowntownDC ecoDistricts in the Target Cities program will strengthen efforts to accelerate and improve sustainability in eight performance areas: energy, water, habitat and ecosystems, materials management, access and mobility, equitable development, health and well-being and community identity. 
 
This partnership will support the goals of the District’s Sustainable DC Plan, which aims to make D.C. “the healthiest, greenest and most livable city in the United States” by the year 2032.
 
“If we are to meet the ambitious goal of our Sustainable DC Plan—becoming the healthiest, greenest and most livable city in the United States—we must incorporate innovation into everything we do,” D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced in a statement.
 
The DowntownDC BID established its entire 138-block BID area as an ecoDistrict in 2011 as part of an effort to enhance living, working and visiting Downtown and offer a boost to business and property owners. Fast forward to today and the DowntownDC ecoDistrict is now home to a comprehensive public recycling program, a record number of award-winning LEED and Energy Star certified buildings, a national park revitalization, a record-breaking bike share system and more as D.C. continues to set benchmarks overall for energy efficiency and other sustainable practices nationally.
 
The District’s participation and progress in the newly-established “Target Cities” program, which currently encompasses nine projects in seven cities, will be featured at the Sept. 24-26 sixth annual EcoDistricts Summit. The summit will be held this year in the heart of Downtown at the Marriott Marquis Convention Center and will operate under a “District of Collaboration” theme.
 
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