Getting Greener – Bridgeport Receives Grant to Inventory City Trees

Bridgeport was recently awarded a grant by the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The award, called the America the Beautiful Grant, will provide funding for Bridgeport to conduct an Urban Tree Canopy study, which will reveal information about the health of Bridgeport's trees and quantify the benefits they provide to Bridgeport's environment. The findings from this study will be helpful in determining where trees can and should be planted, and what species might be at risk from climate change effects.

Bridgeport's urban trees absorb CO2 and reduce energy costs while improving walking conditions for all.

Trees provide great social, economic, and environmental benefits by beautifying the city (adding value to homes), absorbing pollution (making our air cleaner and healthier), and cooling the city (bringing down electricity bills!).

The Regional Plan Association and Parks Department, working together on this project, are looking for 3-4 fall interns to help with surveying the local trees. Training will be provided, as well as school credit if applicable. If you are interested, or know anyone who may be interested, please email amanda(at)rpa.org for more information.

Welcome

Welcome to the BGreen website!  Bridgeport's BGreen 2020 is a Sustainability Plan that outlines the policies and actions to be implemented in the next decade to improve the quality of life, social equity, and economic competitiveness of the city while reducing carbon emissions and increasing the community's resilience to the effects of climate change and increasing energy costs. More than a hundred organizations and individuals collaborated to develop a plan with strategies to address brownfields and land use, pedestrian and transit access, renewable energy production, and environmental protection while supporting the growth of green jobs in the region.

BGreen 2020 is the result of a public-private partnership between the City of Bridgeport and the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, a consortium of local business groups, and is managed by Regional Plan Association. By building on Bridgeport's existing strengths, BGreen will modernize the city's infrastructure, create wealth, intensify urban amenities, enhance environmental quality, enable revitalization without gentrification, and retain Bridgeport's historic character. Early priorities are the creation of an Energy Improvement District to support energy efficiency and production, adopting a "Transit First" policy, developing a plan for open space use and maintenance, expanding recycling, and protecting the region's waterways through enhanced stormwater management. A Green Collar Institute will train workers and act as an incubator for developing green industries.

City Announces Parks Master Plan Survey & Public Meeting

What are Bridgeport's top 3 parks that need improvement? The City wants to know.

The City of Bridgeport is seeking input for a Parks Master Plan currently underway. The process  includes a community survey to gather feedback about how Bridgeport residents and visitors use the park system, recreation programs, and neighborhood open spaces. The survey is available as an interactive survey (click here) and as a printable pdf (click here) that can be returned by mail or foot to City Hall.

Image of Interactive Park Survey.

A Community Forum for the Parks Master Plan will be held on August 10th from 5:30-7:30pm. Further details and location will be announced soon. Thank you for your assistance in continuing to make the Bridgeport park system a success!

For more information, check out Bridgeport Parks Master Plan.

Protecting the Pequonnock: Watershed Plan to be Presented July 26th.

The Pequonock River captures runoff from a 29 square mile area covering diverse environments in Bridgeport, Trumbull, and Monroe. The Pequonnock River Initiative (PRI) was formed as a partnership between the City of Bridgeport and the towns of Monroe and Trumbull to develop a watershed plan for the Pequonnock River watershed. The watershed plan will be a comprehensive, scientifically-sound, and practical planning document for the protection and restoration of water resources in the Pequonnock River watershed, identifying current problems and sources of pollution and outlining detailed action steps for implementation. The plan will have the potential to affect on-the-ground change within the watershed.

Over the past year, a hard working group of municipal representatives and volunteers from Bridgeport, Trumbull and Monroe have been working to idenitfy goals and actions to protect and improve the water quality and quantity, habitat, and public enjoyment of the Pequonnock River. Along the way, over 250 volunteers have participated in clean-ups, river assessments, water quality testing, and river walks. New relationships and partnerships have been formed.

Please come and provide feedback, and see how you can become involved in upcoming Pequonnock River activities!

Learn more about the Pequonnock River Initiative, and find out how you can participate by contacting the Coordinator, Chris Cryder of Save the Sound, at 203-787-0646 ext: 127 or [email protected].