HomeMy WebLinkAboutOshkosh Sustainabiliyt Plan - Introduction DRAFT - 25 July 2025Oshkosh Sustainability Plan 2025
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Oshkosh Sustainability Plan 2025
[Cover page, table of contents, acknowledgements, definitions, and optional letter from the Mayor/other
representative party forthcoming in formatted plan draft]
Chapter: Introduction
The City of Oshkosh received funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to complete an update
to the 2019 Sustainability Plan. Originally written in 2012, the Sustainability Plan provides
recommendations and direction to the Mayor, City Manager, and city staff to advance environmentally,
socially, and economically beneficial strategies. In this update, the plan focuses on sustainability
strategies to make local government (municipal) operations
more sustainable with specific, actionable recommendations.
For this plan, and in line with the City of Oshkosh’s Vision,
sustainability is herein defined as:
Sustainability: To take actions today that preserve
opportunities for future generations.
The City of Oshkosh worked with consulting firm GRAEF to develop the sustainability vision and
recommendations included in this plan. The plan incorporates input from Oshkosh’s Sustainability
Advisory Board (SAB), City department leads, and key stakeholder, and it lays out the sustainability-
related strategies that should be conducted over the next 5-10 years. It does not encompass every
sustainable strategy that takes place in the community. While local government plays a role in
empowering residents and community members to make sustainable choices, sustainability-related work
involves a diverse range of responsibilities and decision making at different levels of government, the
private sector, non-governmental organizations, and individuals and families. To this end, the plan
focuses on what local government can control and influence, such as city services, local policies, and
public relations. In this way, the City of Oshkosh hopes to lead by example and encourage other
sustainability initiatives throughout the community beyond what is outlined in this plan document.
Vision and Purpose
The vision for this plan is as follows:
Ensure the long-term sustainability of municipal operations by fostering efficient, responsible,
and innovative practices that promote environmental stewardship, economic vitality, and the
well-being of the community for current and future generations.
The purpose of this plan, as captured in the above vision statement, is to use local government functions
to support the needs of current and future populations. Implicit in this vision are the challenges facing
communities like Oshkosh: rising temperatures, strained municipal budgets, rising cost of living,
environmental degradation, demographic transition, social unrest, and more. These dynamics are forcing
local governments to do more with less, and the future remains uncertain for many elements of our
changing world. Therefore, it is essential for plans such as this to provide clear direction, mitigate
City of Oshkosh Vision:
A thriving and sustainable
community offering abundant
opportunities for work and life.
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uncertainty, address risks, and ensure that finite local resources are appropriately allocated to benefit
residents effectively, efficiently, and equitably.
Triple Bottom Line: 3 Elements of Sustainability
Sustainability is conceived in this plan as the relationship between environmental, social, and economic
dynamics that are interdependent and, when considered together, are essential to the community’s
success in the long-term.
Environmental Sustainability. The natural environment, i.e. land, air, water, plants, and animals, is
fundamental to human health, society, and the economy. Food production relies on a healthy ecosystem,
mental and physical wellbeing relies on access to nature and outdoor recreation and clean air, industries
depend on access to clean water and a healthy workforce, and our safety and stability rely on the ability
to withstand and respond to natural disasters. The natural environment is one of the top reasons to live
and work in Oshkosh, and its degradation is not compatible with a thriving community and local
economy.
Social Sustainability. A social network of community members participating in the community
development of Oshkosh, i.e. its civic functions, private investments, cultural activities, education
systems, and its institutions, is essential to ensure the future of the community resembles the values and
vision people have for their future. The environmental and economic functions of the community, such
as the cleanliness of the river or the availability of a skilled workforce, rely on a social fabric that makes
people confident they can pursue their dreams for themselves and their families. In such pursuits,
people will take care to preserve the economic and environmental health of their community for future
generations.
Economic Sustainability. The goods, services, and labor that generate wealth also provide the funding
that makes sustainability initiatives possible. Without stable employment, affordable living costs, and
productive industries that make urban life possible, we could not maintain the environmental restoration
efforts or the tax base necessary to keep city services running. While there is a need to reduce the
negative impacts of the economy on the environment such as pollution, urban sprawl, and natural
resource depletion, a stable and thriving economy is also necessary to address these issues. Economic
investments must be made today that will be realized by future generations. Sound investments rely on
data-driven decision-making that learns from the past and provides durable solutions for the future.
Guiding Principles
The project team, along with feedback from City staff, institutional leaders, and the public, developed a
set of guiding principles for this Sustainability Plan. The guiding principles serve to further clarify the
intent behind the plan and its recommendations. These principles serve as foundational values and are
woven into each recommendation:
1. Fiscal Sustainability: Promote cost-effective strategies and allocate resources wisely to achieve
sustainable goals while maintaining financial health. Seek to prioritize actions that reduce
spending, thereby creating more opportunities for sustainable measures in the future.
2. Efficient Use of Resources: Optimize the use of energy, materials, real estate, personnel, and
other resources to minimize waste and maximize utility in municipal operations.
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3. Natural Resource Protection and Conservation: Safeguard the city’s water, air, land, and
biodiversity, ensuring their availability for future generations.
4. Resilience to Natural Events: Enhance the city's ability to prepare for, adapt to, and recover from
natural events, such as severe weather or climate change impacts.
5. Public Health: Improve the health and safety of community members through initiatives that
respond to health hazards, mitigate pollution, promote clean environments, and support active
lifestyles.
6. Sustainable Economic Development: Support economic investments that balance
environmental, social, and economic considerations to produce long-term benefits to the whole
community.
At any point in the planning, implementation, or revision of the contents of the Plan, considerations over
whether to stop, start, continue, or change the recommendations should consider each of the
overarching principles to ensure alignment with the Plan’s intent.
Relevant Plans
The Sustainability Plan exists in the context of other planning efforts by the City of Oshkosh and other
governmental entities and seeks to be in alignment with these other plans. Below is a summary of the
other plans that were reviewed and influence the Sustainability Plan. Their contents are important
knowledge for anybody implementing the Sustainability Plan or engaging in future planning efforts. Each
plan is summarized and includes a bulleted list of key takeaways for the Sustainability Plan.
2019 Sustainability Plan - City of Oshkosh Sustainability Advisory Board
The 2019 Sustainability Plan is an update to the original 2012 plan and outlines a comprehensive
framework for advancing sustainability in Oshkosh. It addresses ten focus areas: atmosphere, economic
development, energy, environmental conservation, government, land use and development, local food,
waste management, community health, and transportation. The plan emphasizes a triple-bottom-line
approach (people, planet, profit) and includes an action plan for implementation.
• Reinforces the importance of integrating sustainability into all city operations and planning.
• Provides a strong foundation for climate action, energy efficiency, and green infrastructure.
• Emphasizes community health, equity, and resilience.
• Supports sustainable transportation and land use planning.
• Encourages public-private partnerships and community engagement.
2025 Comprehensive Energy Assessment (in progress) – City of Oshkosh
The City of Oshkosh hired Pale Blue Dot to audit the energy consumption (electricity and natural gas) of
all municipal facilities in 2025. The energy audit will lead to specific recommendations to help improve
energy efficiency of existing facilities and demonstrate barriers to renovating facilities for efficient energy
consumption. The project team for the Sustainability Plan engaged with Pale Blue Dot during the
planning process to cooperate and align recommendations.
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• __________________
2016 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) - Winnebago County Public Health Department
The CHIP identifies five community health priorities: social and place connectedness, access to health-
improving opportunities, healthy foods and beverages, mental health, and substance use. It outlines
strategies for each priority, developed through community engagement, data analysis, and collaboration
with local stakeholders.
• Highlights the intersection of public health and sustainability.
• Supports strategies for equitable access to healthy food, housing, and transportation.
• Reinforces the need for walkable, connected neighborhoods.
2018 City of Oshkosh Comprehensive Plan Update 2040 - East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning
Commission
The Comprehensive Plan provides a long-range vision for land use, housing, transportation, economic
development, and natural resource management. It includes demographic trends, housing needs,
infrastructure planning, and intergovernmental cooperation.
• Offers baseline data and projections for population, housing, and land use.
• Supports Smart Growth principles and compact, mixed-use development.
• Emphasizes the importance of preserving natural resources and promoting multimodal
transportation.
• Provides a policy framework for integrating sustainability into zoning and development.
2019 Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan - City of Oshkosh Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
This plan outlines a 20-year strategy to improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in Oshkosh. It
includes facility recommendations, safety improvements, education and outreach programs, and funding
strategies.
• Supports goals for active transportation and reduced vehicle emissions.
• Reinforces the need for safe, connected, and equitable mobility options.
• Aligns with health, equity, and climate resilience objectives.
• Provides a framework for implementing Complete Streets and multimodal design.
2020 Strategic Plan - Winnebago County Health Department
The strategic plan outlines four priorities: investing in staff, community partnerships, organizational
excellence, and sustainability. It includes goals for workforce development, health equity, emergency
preparedness, and fiscal sustainability.
• Emphasizes health equity and community engagement.
• Aligns with sustainability goals for inclusive, resilient systems.
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• Supports cross-sector collaboration and data-driven decision-making.
• Reinforces the importance of internal capacity-building for sustainability.
2024 Housing Needs Assessment - City of Oshkosh
The City of Oshkosh hired RDF Planning & Design to identify housing shortages across income levels,
especially for low- and moderate-income households. The plan recommends increasing housing variety,
preserving existing neighborhoods, and addressing homelessness and affordability.
• Supports equitable housing access and affordability as sustainability priorities.
• Reinforces the need for infill development and compact growth.
• Aligns with goals for resilient, inclusive neighborhoods.
• Provides data and strategies for integrating housing into climate and equity planning.
2024 GO Transit Development Plan (TDP) - GO Transit and ECWRPC
GO Transit and the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission partnered with consulting firm
SRF to outline near- and long-term improvements to Oshkosh’s transit system, including route
optimization, fare adjustments, service expansion, and microtransit options. It emphasizes equity,
accessibility, and operational efficiency.
• Reinforces the role of public transit in reducing emissions and promoting equity.
• Supports expanded service hours and geographic coverage.
• Aligns with goals for multimodal transportation and climate resilience.
• Provides a roadmap for integrating transit into land use and sustainability planning.
2024 Downtown Oshkosh Operating Plan - Downtown Oshkosh Business Improvement District (BID)
The BID’s plan outlines programs for leadership, events, beautification, grants, and capital
improvements. It supports downtown revitalization through economic development, placemaking, and
community engagement.
• Supports vibrant, walkable downtown development.
• Aligns with goals for economic resilience and cultural vitality.
• Reinforces the importance of public-private partnerships.
• Provides a model for place-based sustainability initiatives.
2024 Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP) - City of Oshkosh
The City of Oshkosh hired Rettler Corporation to update the CORP. The plan provides a five-year strategy
for parkland acquisition, facility improvements, and recreation programming. It includes community
input, service area analysis, and recommendations for accessibility, conservation, and sustainability.
• Reinforces the value of parks and green space for health, equity, and climate adaptation.
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• Supports goals for biodiversity, stormwater management, and active living.
• Aligns with strategies for equitable access to nature and recreation.
• Provides data and priorities for integrating green infrastructure into sustainability planning.
2024 Oshkosh MPO Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan - East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning
Commission
This plan prepares the Oshkosh MPO for increased EV adoption. It includes projections, infrastructure
needs, policy recommendations, and pilot programs for public charging. It also addresses fleet
electrification and equity considerations.
• Supports climate action through transportation electrification.
• Aligns with goals for clean energy, air quality, and infrastructure resilience.
• Reinforces the need for equitable access to EV infrastructure.
• Provides a roadmap for integrating EV readiness into transportation and land use planning.
2025 Planning Process
The planning process for the Sustainability Plan took place between January 2025 through August 2025.
The Oshkosh Planning Division partnered with consultant GRAEF to conduct the plan through a
combination of research, engagement, and drafting and refinement, and adoption.
Research. The consultant team GRAEF conducted research of sustainability best practices, a review of
existing sustainability initiatives, a review of past relevant plans, and an assessment of demographic and
economic data trends to begin identifying appropriate sustainability strategies for the City of Oshkosh’s
municipal operations. Background research conducted as a part of this plan is summarized in the
beginning of each chapter where relevant to the recommendations.
Engagement. Engagement was conducted throughout the process to inform the plan of the initiatives,
priorities, and visions for sustainability in the city. Near the beginning of the plan, department heads and
representatives from each City department were interviewed on March 24th by GRAEF to assess the
issues and opportunities related to the government’s sustainability-related work. This information was
used to establish the starting point for plan recommendations and capture past accomplishments that
the city has already achieved to make municipal operations more sustainable.
The consultant also met with the Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB), the authors of the previous version
of the plan, to assess priorities and values related to sustainability. The meeting occurred at a regular
SAB meeting on April 7th and was available for viewing by the public. The SAB, largely consisting of
sustainability experts and advocates, provided input regarding the sustainability of Oshkosh’s municipal
operations, the biggest environmental issues facing Oshkosh, and how the plan should balance
mitigation of climate change versus adaptation to the consequences of it. The SAB also provided advice
regarding the biggest constraints in advancing sustainability and what the City’s role should be.
A public Open House was hosted on May 29th at the Oshkosh Senior Center South Building to present the
draft goals and guiding principles for the Sustainability Plan and assess community priorities.
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Presentations were delivered across three sessions beginning at 12:30pm, 2:30pm, and 5:30pm to
provide a range of times for people to attend and provide input. The Open House allowed the project
team to engage with community members to discuss the draft goals of the plan and included a budget
activity that allowed community members to show how they would allocate resources to advancing
sustainability in the community.
Institutional stakeholder interviews were conducted during the plan drafting phase to better understand
the ongoing planning processes, priorities, and initiatives from major stakeholders. A wide net was cast,
and stakeholders who sought interviews included Winnebago County, Downtown Oshkosh, UW-Oshkosh,
and Fox Valley Technical College. Interviews helped the project team assess opportunities for
collaboration between the City and institutions and identify any barriers to sustainability that the city
can address.
Drafting and Refinement. The project team began the Plan drafting process by reviewing the
recommendations from the previous plan and updating the status of those recommendations as to
whether they had been completed, whether they were deemed infeasible, or whether they should be
carried forward into the updated plan. Many recommendations from the past plan are still included in
this plan update, but have been consolidated or updated to reflect the conditions of the city in 2025. The
recommendations were organized into the eight themes used in this plan and assessed for gaps and
opportunities to include additional recommendations. Gap identification was conducted through internal
workshops, a review of the research conducted, and input from engagement. Plan drafts were provided
to city staff and reviewed for edits, and a revised version of the draft plan was provided to the SAB. SAB
comments were incorporated before a final version was developed for eventual adoption.
Adoption. …
How to Use this Plan
The plan is divided into 10 sections – an introduction, 8 chapters of recommendations, and one final
chapter for implementation details. The 8 chapters of recommendations are organized into 8 themes
that consist of related recommendations that contribute to a shared set of goals for that theme.
The plan is designed to be read by multiple audiences, but is mostly designed for use by city staff,
elected officials, and advisory board members. Recommendations are compiled in the final
implementation chapter as a one-stop-shop for tracking each of the recommendations and identifying
the responsible party recommended to implement each. This section is useful for annual or semi-annual
project planning, capital budgeting, and interdepartmental coordination. After identifying tasks and
projects from the implementation chapter, additional information and details about each
recommendation can be found in their respective chapters along with relevant background information,
research, and sources for further reading. The recommendations in this plan are a static snapshot in
time, but they involve multiple Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that are tracked on the City’s
dashboard. For the most up-to-date progress on this plan’s recommendations, check the dashboard.1
The general public should navigate to their area of interest and see what the plan recommends related
to that area. Keep in mind, this plan is geared toward the sustainability of Oshkosh’s municipal
operations, and it does not include explicit recommendations for how people who live and work in
Oshkosh can become more sustainable. For individuals looking for ways to make their lifestyle more
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sustainable, the Governance, Education, & Outreach chapter is likely to have the most relevant
information for how the city reaches out to residents to inform them of sustainability-related initiatives.
This plan also identifies which City department is anticipated to be responsible for implementing each of
the recommendations, which should help community members identify who to contact regarding
inquiries related to the plan.
1 City of Oshkosh Dashboard: https://performance.envisio.com/dashboard/oshkosh3812