Durango is a LEED-CERTIFIED CITY

LEED for Cities is a program run by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that advances healthy, green and economically strong cities and communities.

In 2017 Durango earned certification under the STAR Communities framework and, when STAR merged with USGBC in 2018, became one of 75 cities that joined the LEED for Cities network.

The City of Durango uses the LEED for Cities framework to openly track and communicate community-wide social, economic and environmental performance and plans to re-certify in 2019-2020.

LEED

Durango's STAR Communities Certification

On June 29th 2017, the City of Durango became the 3rd community in Colorado and the 61st nationwide to be recognized for sustainability leadership by achieving certification from STAR Communities.

Durango was awarded points in a total of 163 performance measures across STAR's seven goal areas.

STAR Results Chart

STAR Communities highlights:

  • Built Environment: Access to high quality parkland, open space and public transit contributed to a high score in the Built Environment goal area.
  • Economy & Jobs: In recent years, the economy of Durango has experienced growth. Over 1,200 new businesses were established from 2013-2015 and unemployment has also dropped over that same time period.
  • Equity & Empowerment: Childhood poverty has steadily decreased in Durango since 2012 and between 2014 and 2015 there was a 9% decrease. This progress is supported by City programs such as the Food Tax Rebate and the Utility Refund, which reduce the financial burden of basic needs.
  • Health & Safety: Durango's access to quality parks and open spaces provide residents with diverse opportunities to be active. This led the City to score well in the Active Living objective by reporting 88% of residents as being physically active in the past month.

To review Durango's STAR results and learn more about the STAR Rating System, visit the STAR Communities Website.

On July 11th 2017, the Sustainability Division provided an update on Durango's STAR designation to Council – learn more about Durango's STAR journey and results by viewing the presentation (PDF).