The City of Olympia is proud to be the first city in the United States to become a member of the PLUS Network.  This is a huge step in Olympia working toward managing a balance with our natural environment, while sustaining our human populations and economies.

View the Signing Online: On September 18, 2006, Mayor Mark Foutch signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which you can view online via streaming video.

PLUS Network Newsletter:  You can download a copy of the PLUS Network newsletter welcoming Olympia to the organization or visit their website.

What is the PLUS Network? The PLUS Network is a peer learning network of over 30 cities who share their experiences, expertise, and tools in order to undertake long-term (50 to 100 year) planning for urban sustainability.

By sharing experiences, resources and planning methodologies, members of the PLUS Network improve their ability to implement sustainable urban development in an efficient and practical manner. The PLUS Network member cities compare best practices and positive results so that all cities can progress towards a more sustainable future. 

The Purpose of the PLUS Network: The PLUS Network is a catalyst for action on urban sustainability, which is achieved through promoting and supporting integrated long-term planning and demonstration projects in cities around the world. The PLUS Network Secretariat is based in Vancouver, B.C., and is run by the International Centre for Sustainable Cities (ICSC), an organization that has been successfully working on urban sustainability projects since 1993.  The PLUS Network was born from an ICSC project which revealed the necessity of long-term vision in urban planning. ICSC developed the PLUS Network in order to disseminate this message through a collaborative peer learning exchange, and has had an impact on cities across the globe. 

The PLUS Network links cities and communities together to share learning on integrated planning for long-term sustainability. Participants have access to an international pool of experts and benefit from their exposure to a wide set of best practices, knowledge, and technologies.

The PLUS Network facilitates sharing and enables member communities to learn from one another’s successes and setbacks.  Participating cities document stories and resources and share experiences through a web-based network, through face-to-face exchanges and workshops and at prominent events where they report on their learning. The result of the PLUS Network has been an increase in cities that are planned and managed in balance with their natural environments, while sustaining their human populations and economies.