While the concept of sustainable development is ancient, the term first gained prominence through the international Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. The global gathering called upon governments at every scale to make formal plans and commitments to guide their development along a path that could endure – environmentally, socially and economically. The President's Council for Sustainable Development, in the mid-1990s, gathered leaders from industry and policy to frame a basic approach, which was captured in a national document called Sustainable America. In the Hudson Valley, a similar regional consultation gave rise to the regional "smart growth" movement and helped to birth the Pace University Land Use Law Center. At the same time, hundreds of local governments and citizen groups were formed to support this work, including our predecessor, the Hudson Valley Sustainable Communities Network. HVSCN's community forums, conferences, and training events introduced hundreds of citizens and leaders to the basic sustainability frameworks, such as The Natural Step, and systems for greener production (including four major green building conferences). HVSCN's final focus was on a demonstration project using green principles to renovate a small cottage with a mix of volunteer and paid labor, creating the Sustainable Living Resource Center in Cottekill, now an independent center for education and community meetings. For more information on this model of simple, adaptive green building OR to create programs at the Center, call 845-687-0239. 

In 2004, Sustainable Hudson Valley had a change in leadership and undertook a strategic planning process. As a result, we shifted our focus from community education to larger scale demonstration projects and leadership initiatives.  We started paying much more attention to economic development in the context of environmental restoration and community health. We helped to create decision tools such as Global Community Initiatives' manual, Taking Action for Sustainability, based upon the  Legacy Project of Burlington, Vermont.   We helped the City of Newburgh to establish its sustainable master planning process using this model. In 2005 and 2006, we moved further into an economic and business focus, with research and education on the role of local self-reliance in sustainable development.  

We also provided the Northern Dutchess Alliance with its award-winning "local first" development strategy, and connected several dozen communities with "local first" strategist Michael Shuman during his regional tours. Sustainable Hudson Valley partnered with local development groups in four counties to promote Shuman's successful book tour in 2006 for The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Business is Beating the Global Competition (San Francisco: Berrett-Kohler). We were thrilled when the chairman of the Ulster County Legislature, David Donaldson, made "small mart" development a centerpiece of his 2007 State of the County Address.