Dubuque, Iowa

Dubuque, Iowa is quickly emerging as a leader among sustainable cities. Sustainable Dubuque is a holistic approach. In 2006, and each year since, Mayor Roy D. Buol and the Dubuque City Council have identified sustainability as one of the community's top priorities. The city's model involves a 3-part approach that addresses: environmental and ecological integrity; economic prosperity; and social and cultural vibrancy.

In its quest to become a more sustainable city, Dubuque is exploring and using new "smarter" technologies and strategies to deliver or better utilize vital services such as water, energy, and transportation while reducing the community's impact on the environment.

Examples of Dubuque programs include:

Restoring and revitalizing downtown Dubuque to provide much-needed housing and office space, while implementing measures that will save money, energy and materials;

Installing a new water metering system and utilizing locally manufactured devices to provide the most accurate water usage measurements possible;

Working with IBM Research to develop a web portal where citizens and city leaders can monitor their water and energy use and consider changes to create savings;

Implementing software to gather data, monitor spot patterns and anomalies, and analyze interdependencies between water, waste treatment, and electricity systems so Dubuque can respond intelligently to the needs of citizens;

Promoting green behaviors that will translate into better water utilization and energy savings by Dubuque's citizens;

Supplying citizens with tools and information that will empower them to make educated choices to change behavior, reduce costs, and identify long-lasting sustainable opportunities;

Partnering with local and regional private businesses, nonprofit organizations, local and state government agencies, and several federal agencies to develop plans for sustainability that lower costs, reduce environmental impact, and create local jobs.

Dubuque is becoming a model "smarter" community as a result of its improved use of resources, increased savings, expanded markets, job opportunities, and strong workforce, all of which have contributed to making the community a hub for innovation.