Sustainable Neighborhood Network

City of Wheat Ridge Sustainable Neighborhoods Program

In 2020, The City of Wheat Ridge joined Lakewood, Denver and Fort Collins as the newest member of the Sustainable Neighborhoods Network! 

The Sustainable Neighborhoods Program gives residents the opportunity to become active partners in building a vibrant and sustainable Wheat Ridge community. Neighborhoods participating in this unique certification program receive guidance and support from city staff to organize workshops, projects and events that enhance the livability of their neighborhoods and reduce residents' ecological footprints. Participating neighborhoods earn program credits and recognition from the community and the City.

Sustainable Applewood Villages and Sustainable Paramount Heights were the first two Wheat Ridge neighborhoods to join the Sustainable Neighborhoods program. These neighborhoods worked in the fall of 2020 to develop a neighborhood communications plan, a neighborhood leadership team, and started to plan and implement low-to-no contact and/or socially distanced projects for their neighborhoods. Neighbors are currently working on a variety of projects like organized trash hauling, zero waste food truck events, seed swaps, composting workshops, home energy audits, and wildlife friendly yards. Visit the Applewood Villages and Paramount Heights pages for more information.

In 2021, Sustainable Fruitdale and Sustainable Panorama Park were the next two neighborhoods to join the program. They are working to organize their neighbors and plan projects such as bicycle education workshops, yard waste pick ups and donation drives. Visit the Fruitdale and Panorama Park pages for more information.

Wheat Ridge Sustainable Neighborhood Resources

Resource Guide Planning

A resource guide is a collection of information about a specific sustainability topic that increases the audience's awareness and encourages behavior change. A  resource guide may be neighborhood-specific or may be applicable to a larger audience.
If a neighborhood is interested in creating a resource guide for credits, complete the Resource Guide Planning Document below and submit it to the Program Manager for approval.

Resource Guide Planning Document

Project Plan Template

A project plan is a step-by-step guide that clearly explains how the neighborhood group created and implemented a project (workshop, event, etc.). Think of a project plan as a "grab and go" document for another neighborhood group interested in completing a similar project. 

If a neighborhood is interested in creating a project plan for credits, the group may use the template below or create a plan with a different layout, however answers to all of the questions in the template below must be incorporated.

Project Plan Template

Leadership Team Roles

Decide as a neighborhood leadership team who would like to take on each of the ongoing leadership team roles - Secretary, Website Manager, Outreach Manager and Leadership Team Coordinator. Additionally, decide as a team how long the term commitment will be for the roles.

Ongoing Leadership Team Roles document

Project Planning Guides

These project planning guides mirror the questions asked on the project proposal forms. To ensure the Website Manager has accurate information when submitting a project proposal, please complete the corresponding planning guide and send to Website Manager no less than 30 days prior to your project date.

Workshop Planning Guide
Special Event Planning Guide
Neighborhood Club Planning Guide
Implementation Planning Guide
Implementation Goal Setting Guide

Credit Guides

These credit guides mirror the questions asked on the credit forms. To ensure the Website Manager has accurate information when submitting a credit form, please complete the corresponding credit guide and send to Website Manager no more than 30 days after your project date. Upload any photos from the project to your neighborhood Drive photo folder.

Workshop Credit Guide
Special Event Credit Guide
Neighborhood Club Credit Guide - Complete one form after each club meeting time
Implementation Credit Guide - Complete one form after each incremental goal and after advanced goal