To combine green infrastructure and community building to combat extreme heat, drought, and provide overall support in a low/moderate income urban neighborhood.

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

The outside/in strategy to engage community members to drive project work was indispensable. The Las Cruces’ Public Work staff use very traditional practices that don’t include green infrastructure, neighborhood driven requests, tactical urbanism, or street art. Having the support of the Council and neighbors encouraged city staff to become more open to “non-traditional” practices. Successes like this will seed future efforts.

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

Local place-based foundations may not specifically list sustainable and equitable projects in their portfolios. Bringing in matching funds provided a way to build support for the work and increase awareness and ownership of innovative community projects that might not otherwise be on this sector’s radar.