To fund Clean Air Neighborhoods, a neighborhood-based social marketing campaign to help individuals negotiate barriers to alternative transportation.

Lessons learned about tools and tactics through the project that other sustainability directors could use to advance their work.

Public events were most effective when combined with other local events that were well attended. It was also imperative to respond quickly to any request for information, while the citizen’s interest was still high. One of the most effective tactics used in the program was the personalized approach to behavior change. Participants were empowered to request only the specific materials they wanted, and even had access to customized trip planning resources. Packets were delivered by bicycle by a program volunteer who often spent time talking to program participants. Social marketing models have proven this method to be the most effective form of communication in eliciting sustained behavior change.

Lessons for developing a collaborative process between a local government sustainability director and local place-based foundation(s).

Communication is the key — learning about each other’s goals and finding common ones. Different foundations are also willing to refer interested parties to others, so they can be good sources even if not the exact match needed.