The city of Birmingham is seeking ideas and thoughts from the public as it builds a sustainability plan.

“The success of Birmingham’s sustainability plan depends on the people who live, work and raise families here,” said Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop, chief resilience and sustainability officer for the city. “Residents bring firsthand knowledge of the challenges their neighborhoods face. Their insights ensure the plan reflects real needs, not assumptions.”

Birmingham’s sustainability plan will address Birmingham’s environmental challenges and be a strategic road map for creating a healthier, more resilient and economically vibrant future for its residents, business owners and community leaders, a release from the mayor’s office said.

The project will kick off in the spring with a “robust community engagement effort” across all 23 communities. The goal is to have the plan completed by April 2026.

Residents and other stakeholders can now subscribe to receive updates as the community engagement effort proceeds and events are scheduled. The subscription page includes a survey asking people about their top sustainability priorities.

“As stewards of our city, we must do all we can to help remove the barriers in creating a healthier, more sustainable community for all,” Mayor Randall L. Woodfin said in the release. “I am excited that the city’s experts in sustainability and planning will join with our residents and stakeholders in developing a path for a more resilient future. What we do today more certainly impacts our city tomorrow.”

The Birmingham Sustainability Plan is expected to outline clear, actionable strategies to address pressing issues such as urban heat islands, stormwater management, energy efficiency and green job creation.

The new Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability will partner with the Department of Planning, Engineering & Permits to develop a plan, with the expertise of Lotus Engineering & Sustainability as project planners and Hummingbird as the lead for community engagement.

“We’re committed to making this process inclusive and community-driven because lasting change only happens when it’s built with people, not just for them,” Botop said. “Engaging residents not only improves the quality of the plan, it builds trust, strengthens equity and helps ensure that sustainability efforts benefit every corner of Birmingham.”

Equity and inclusivity are central to the initiative, especially involving those in historically underserved communities.

Each of Birmingham’s 99 neighborhoods across 23 communities has its own opportunities and challenges. The Sustainability Plan will focus on solutions specific to those communities — whether addressing historical environmental injustices, improving infrastructure or expanding economic opportunities.

To do that, the city is working to engage residents, business owners and community organizations from all parts of the city. They will have multiple opportunities to share their insights, priorities and concerns as the project proceeds.

Planned engagement efforts include:

• Stakeholder roundtables and interviews with local leaders and organizations.
• Community workshops and pop-up events across the city.
• Surveys and interactive tools to collect resident input on sustainability priorities.

To engage residents and other stakeholders in the plan, the city has launched the official Birmingham Sustainability Plan website as a central hub for information. The site goes into more detail about the plan and its timeline and provides educational materials. It also includes information about sustainability-related projects already underway in the city and how residents can get involved or volunteer with those groups.

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