In May 2006, the Mayor and Council committed to making Rockville a sustainability leader among Maryland communities. The Mayor and Council and staff have been working to fulfill the ambitious vision for the City by 2020. Specifically, the vision calls for Rockville to be: “[A] leader in environmentally sustainable development that protects and enhances our community’s quality of life, and will continue to do so for future generations. Rockville residents, its local government, and the business community foster and apply sound environmental practices. High technology, energy conservation and recycling are employed appropriately at every opportunity.” Out of this vision grew the Strategy for a Sustainable Rockville. The purpose of the Strategy is to present a comprehensive plan that will, over the next three to five years and beyond, make Rockville more sustainable and environmentally sensitive. While this strategy primarily targets City activities and actions, we intend to promote and encourage similar actions by individual businesses and residents. Together we can make a huge difference that will assure that Rockville residents enjoy a high quality of life well into the future. The Strategy will be revisited once a year and updated to reflect accomplishments the addition of new sustainability goals and activities. In addition, progress will be measured and reported annually via a Sustainability Report Card and An Environmental Benchmark Snapshot. Why Is Sustainability Important to Rockville? Sustainability in Rockville means the City is achieving economic prosperity while protecting the planet’s natural systems, and meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the opportunities available to future generations. Sustainability becomes a way of organizing and managing the City to create a healthy environment, vigorous economy and vibrant community. Sustainability encourages both public and private organizations to be better stewards of the environment, and in turn create positive economic benefits for residents. Pursuing sustainability will stimulate technological innovation, advance Rockville’s attractiveness and competitiveness, and improve our overall quality of life. What Does the Sustainable Rockville Logo Represent?
Rockville’s environmental goals are represented by four main categories: - Use of alternative energy;
- Management of our built environment;
- Conservation of resources; and
- Stewardship of water resources.
For each category, an icon was developed to give the audience immediate recognition. Each icon represents its individual importance; all four categories were incorporated inside a bracket to symbolize that one is incomplete without the whole, and all are essential to achieve a “Sustainable Rockville.” | 
