The evidence continues to mount. There is a compelling need to advance an economic and environmental sustainability framework that can be quickly and easily implemented by state and local governments. Yet, there is, all too often, no strong mandate that encourages the active development of such initiatives. At the same time there is a growing network of university programs and resources that can facilitate a collaborative effort to bootstrap the development of sustainability initiatives within municipal operations. This panel discussion will explore such possibilities as such discussions are now underway at both the University of Arizona and Arizona State University – in collaboration with Pima County, the City of Tucson, and the City of Tempe.