The Oberlin Project commissioned the following reports, which form the foundation of a high-road toolkit for building sustainable communities in Oberlin and elsewhere. These reports detail best practices in cities across the country to drive investments in the clean energy economy, create local jobs in the process, and build pathways out of poverty for local residents.
Maximizing Value: A policy blueprint: This report details options that can help communities engage in sustainable development. The paper outlines five investment strategies: driving demand for clean technology; creating good jobs from green investments; maximizing community value from green projects; supporting local businesses as they enter green markets; and ensuring local residents have access to the jobs created.
Menu of local policy options: Despite the demise of federal climate change legislation, cities across the nation continue efforts started under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to revitalize their communities and make them more sustainable. One of the most inspiring examples is the very local, collaborative effort to make Oberlin, Ohio, grow the local economy, build pathways out of poverty for local residents, and create a model for sustainable economic development. In this report, Policy Matters Ohio documents best practices from cities around the country as a menu of local policy options for a comprehensive sustainability strategy in Oberlin and beyond.
