STAR Communities is a nonprofit organization that works to evaluate, improve, and certify sustainable communities. This rating system helps cities and counties achieve a healthy environment, a strong economy, and well-being for their residents.

The STAR Community Rating System (STAR) is the nation’s leading framework and certification program for local sustainability. Cities and counties use STAR to measure their progress across social, economic, and environmental performance areas.

Birmingham is the first community from Alabama to achieve certification under the national STAR Community Rating System (STAR). The STAR Community Rating System is a robust sustainability rating system for cities, towns, and counties, which helps communities evaluate themselves across seven areas related to sustainability, such as built environment, economy and jobs, health and safety, and natural systems. Other 3-STAR communities include communities such as Atlanta, GA; Des Moines, IA; and Fayetteville, AR.

The SSCRC assisted the City of Birmingham during several meetings, in the process of setting the framework of goals and measuring the progress of the community’s sustainability performance in order to develop the application to become STAR Certified.

On February 2015, the City of Birmingham received the recognition “3- STAR Certified Community.”

For more information on the criteria, view the Community Report.