Kansas City named a Bloomberg American Sustainable City

Kansas City joins 25 cities for Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities (BASC), a Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative supporting climate action, economic development, and racial wealth building.

Bloomberg Philanthropies announced the three-year initiative this week with $200 million in new funding to assist in accessing the historic levels of federal dollars available for building low-carbon, resilient communities.

As part of the project, the city will build an innovation team that will work in partnership with its most vulnerable communities to identify solutions at the intersection of climate resiliency and economic growth that improve quality of life and align with Kansas City’s climate action strategies for mobility, energy supply, natural systems, waste & materials, food, and homes & buildings.

“From championing zero fare transit to securing millions of dollars to plant thousands of trees across our city, my administration is committed to finding ways to build a more climate resilient community, and our work must continue,” said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.

“Becoming a Bloomberg American Sustainable City allows us to continue building a more climate conscious city, with a special focus on reaching Kansas City’s most vulnerable communities disproportionately impacted by climate change. We must act boldly to ensure we leave behind sustainable neighborhoods for our children and our grandchildren.”

With over $400 billion in federal funding available, Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities will help Kansas City access funds for critical projects, particularly in disadvantaged communities. The initiative anticipates solutions including affordable housing, electric vehicle investments, and clean energy access.

The city’s Office of Environmental Quality, in partnership with Bloomberg’s investment, will create a new Office of Sustainability. Led by City Manager Brian Platt, the initiatives will align with the Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan that was approved by the Kansas City Council in 2022.

In the last two years, the city has received over $41 million in federal, local, and philanthropic funding to protect and prepare Kansas City’s must vulnerable communities from environmental hazards, the impact of climate change, and to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels including:

• $1,925,000 to reduce waste entering the landfill
• $11,438,620 to replace and repair transportation alternative impacting historically underserved communities
• $15,018,090 to create transportation alternatives for bicyclists and pedestrians throughout Kansas City
• $12,000,025 to restore the tree canopy
• $500,000 to electrify City of Kansas City Buildings, and its fleet
• $999,420 to remove lead from soil

Additional cities selected include Akron, OH; Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Buffalo, NY; Charlotte, NC; Chattanooga, TN; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Columbus, OH; Dayton, OH; Hampton, VA; Jackson, MS; Lansing, MI; Memphis, TN; Montgomery, AL; Nashville, TN; Newport News, VA; Oakland, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Raleigh, NC; Rochester, NY; Savannah, GA; St. Louis, MO.