GCP Seeds of Change – Apps Due & Evaluators Sought | | |
OES is knee deep in year two of the Green Cincinnati Plan (GCP) Seeds of Change Grant Program with Youth Climate Action grants to be awarded later this month and applications for the next Open Call grants due April 30th. We are impressed by the impact created by 2024 awardees that is just starting to emerge (check it out!) and we are eager to continue to activate the 2023 Green Cincinnati Plan by investing at least $300,000 this year in dynamic, neighborhood-level solutions to the climate crisis.
At this time, we are seeking Evaluation Committee members to review and recommend grants for awards during the Open Call round this spring. The commitment would be 10-15 hours between May 15th- June 10th. If you have expertise to offer – whether through your profession or lived experience of climate change in a priority community here in Cincinnati - we’d love to have you consider this opportunity. Submit your interest here ASAP!
Applications for the 2025 Open Call grants from $1,000-$20,000 are due April 30th. A second Open Call round will be offered this fall. Youth Climate Action Grant applications can still be accepted until funds are expended, so reach out to oes@cincinnati-oh.gov with interest ASAP. Learn more about the 2025 Grant Program and how to apply here.
| | Take the Grow Solar Survey! | | |
OES has been working with the Department of City Planning and Engagement (DCPE) and the Department of Buildings & Inspections (B&I) towards SolSmart Designation. SolSmart provides a pathway through policy and zoning changes, staff training, and more for municipalities to become more solar ready. We achieved the Bronze level in October 2024 and we are now aiming for Gold designation. In an effort to better understand potential amendments to the Cincinnati Municipal Code to make it easier to install solar energy, we invite you to take the Grow Solar Survey. Your response will take no more than 10 minutes and will help this City understand the solar energy landscape from the perspectives of residents, local businesses, nonprofits, and financial institutions before recommending Code changes. Thank you in advance for your participation!
| | Brownfields Work Continues Forward | |
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A “brownfield” is a former industrial or commercial site where future use is affected by real or perceived environmental contamination. Assessment and cleanup of these sites is an expensive and long-term process. Luckily, State and Federal funding for Brownfields remains active.
At the federal level, the US EPA award to the City of Cincinnati and the Port are approved for continued work and funding through the federal grants. For updates on the City’s US EPA Brownfield Assessment grant for the Lower Mill Creek Valley, visit the link here. The Port was also awarded an $800,000 grant from the US EPA in 2020 for a Remediation Loan Program, which remains active. Visit here for more information.
At the state level, through the Ohio Department of Development Brownfield (ODOD) Remediation Program, over $31,867,492 was awarded in 2024 for 18 projects within the City of Cincinnati. These projects include assessment and remediation or clean-up. To view the full list of sites awarded funding, visit here. The ODOD Brownfield Remediation Program FY2025 Second Award Period opened for new applications on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 and closed before noon on the same day after the grant requests submitted reached the $125 million limit! The Hamilton County Port/Landbank was able to submit 22 applications for projects within Hamilton County, so momentum on this front stands a good chance to continue! The ODOD Brownfield Remediation program is under review for appropriation of additional funds in the State budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027.
| | | | Recycling Tip of the Month | | Avondale Resilience Hub Seeks Input | | |
In partnership with the Urban League, Groundwork Ohio River Valley, and Avondale residents, OES has spent the past few months engaging Avondale in a planning process to establish a Resilience Hub. A Resilience Hub is a community-serving facility that offers programming and resources to help people meet their daily needs and respond to disasters in their neighborhood, like a flood. The Urban League is strategizing ways it can become a Resilience Hub that Avondale residents rely on in times of stress. To better connect with their neighbors in Avondale and offer services catered to them, the Urban League and OES have begun an Avondale Needs Survey. The data from the survey will inform a neighborhood-wide Needs Assessment that can then be used by the Urban League and other neighborhood institutions to support the establishment of resilience hubs in Avondale. The Avondale Youth Council is actively distributing the survey to their friends, family, and neighbors. They have been extraordinary at getting the survey out, and we want to thank them for their hard work!
| | Winton Hills Climate Resilience Planning Underway | | |
Over the course of five weeks, Winton Hills residents came together with partner organizations from across Cincinnati as part of the Climate Safe Neighborhoods Program to build a neighborhood-based response to the climate crisis. This series of five, interactive planning sessions offered a space for neighbors to reflect on environmental justice, share stories, and create a vision for a more resilient Winton Hills.
While grounded in the lived experiences of residents, the planning process encouraged deep conversations on how climate change is impacting their daily lives, such as poor air quality, extreme heat, and lack of tree canopy. Most importantly, the planning invited conversations on creative solutions for adaptation and thriving.
Through activities like environmental mapping, storytelling, and solution brainstorming, participants not only learned about climate issues, but helped shape real strategies for action.
Led by Groundwork Ohio River Valley and Green Umbrella, local partners like Mill Creek Alliance, Cincinnati Parks, City of Cincinnati Planning and Engagement, and OES present to listen, support, and explore ways to align resources with resident priorities.
This series marked an important step toward ensuring that Winton Hill’s voices are centered in climate planning and that resilience efforts are shaped by those who know the neighborhood best. Next up, CSN will head to the West End for a similar process!
| | GCP Partner Spotlight: UC’s NET Impact Chapter | | |
OES is proud to spotlight Net Impact UC for their commitment to advancing sustainability and workforce development through student leadership and collaboration. As part of a global network, Net Impact UC engages and equips students across disciplines through hands-on experiences, professional development, and community collaboration to develop conscious, future leaders.
Recent accomplishments include hosting a Green Jobs Speaker Panel in January 2025 and co-hosting a February event on sustainability-driven economic growth with the UC Economics Society. Currently, there is an ongoing consulting project with OES’ Green Workforce Fuse Executive Fellow that focuses on increasing driver’s license access, creating affordable transportation financing, expanding MetroNow service coverage, and offering creative mobility solutions. A report on the project is expected by the end of April.
Thank you, Net Impact UC, for bringing the Green Cincinnati Plan to life by empowering future leaders and making sustainability actionable on and off campus!
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Environmental Advisory Board
Hosted by the City of Cincinnati OES
April 23rd, 2025, 3-4PM
Learn more
Sustainability Breakfast Series w/ Greater Cincinnati 2030 District
Hosted by the Greater Cincinnati 2030 District
April 24th, 2025, 7:30-9:30 AM
Learn more
Greater Cincinnati Earth Day Festival & Green Jobs Career Fair
Hosted by the Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition
April 26th, 2025, 12-5pm
Learn more
Anti-Despair Fair
Hosted by Cincinnati Recycle & Reuse Hub
May 4th, 2025; 1:00-3:30 PM
Valley Park in Camp Washington
Green Workforce Landscape Analysis Public Release
Hosted by OES, Co-op Cincy, and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
May 7th, 2025, 1-2pm
City Hall Room 115
| | The Office of Environment and Sustainability (OES) leads City government and the broader community in building a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient Cincinnati. | | | | |
