LINCOLN, Mass., Sept. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quiet Communities, the premier nonprofit advancing scientific evidence to reduce the harmful effects of noise on public health and the environment, today announced its collaboration with the American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA), City of New Rochelle, and Sustainable Westchester on a comprehensive sustainable landscaping initiative.
The program, a continuation of New Rochelle’s longstanding GreeNR sustainability efforts, will help transition municipal operations, local businesses and residents away from gas-powered landscape maintenance equipment toward battery-electric alternatives, guided by implementation of the AGZA-certified Green Zone program, with the goals of reducing noise and air pollution, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, supporting worker health and improving community well-being.
“Working with AGZA and Quiet Communities, New Rochelle is taking a comprehensive approach to a source of noise and air pollution that affects landscape workers, residents and the environment,” said Jamie Banks, Ph.D., founder and president of Quiet Communities. “By combining municipal leadership with practical support for businesses and residents, the city is showing how communities can protect public health, improve quality of life and preserve quiet as a valuable natural resource.”
New Rochelle’s Sustainable Landscaping Initiatives include three interconnected programs:
- A municipal AGZA-certified Green Zone program that will transition the city’s landscape maintenance operations to cleaner, quieter practices.
- A commercial program to help local landscaping businesses transition their equipment fleets to battery-electric alternatives, including a cost-reduction program to help businesses purchase new equipment.
- A residential program to educate residents, help them adopt healthy land-care practices and establish residential AGZA Green Zones as sustainable landscaping models.
“The best way for local government to inspire change is to lead by example, and that’s exactly what this initiative does,” said New Rochelle Councilmember Sara Kaye. “By transforming the way the city maintains its own parks while helping residents and local landscaping businesses make the same transition, we’re creating quieter neighborhoods, cleaner air, healthier parks and a more sustainable future for New Rochelle.”
AGZA provides technical expertise and operational guidance to support effective, lasting equipment transitions, and works with Quiet Communities to quantify the environmental, health and economic impacts of the transition.
“A successful transition to battery-electric landscape equipment requires careful planning, training and an understanding of how the tools perform in real-world conditions,” said Dan Mabe, AGZA founder and president. “New Rochelle is taking a practical, systems-based approach that will help municipal crews and landscaping professionals make the transition while maintaining high-performance standards. We’re proud to help the city build a program that can serve as a model for other communities.”
The initiative kicks off with educational events for residents and commercial landscapers. A virtual workshop on Sept. 16 provided information about transitioning to battery-electric landscaping tools and participating in the residential voucher program.
On Sept. 24 from 8 to 10:30 a.m., commercial landscaping businesses are invited to an in-person workshop featuring live equipment demonstrations.
Program information and workshop registration are available at EngageNR.com/sustainablelandscaping.
The initiative continues New Rochelle’s longstanding GreeNR sustainability efforts. In 2022, the City Council approved a contract with Sustainable Westchester to transition the Department of Parks and Recreation’s inventory of carbon-burning landscape equipment to state-of-the-art battery-electric alternatives. The 2025 GreeNR climate action update further committed the city to pursuing policies that promote equity and environmental justice across New Rochelle’s diverse communities.
Sustainable Westchester, in partnership with AGZA and Quiet Communities, will help the city implement more than $200,000 in grant funding previously awarded through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Clean Energy Communities program.
The program seeks to improve environmental quality and the health and quality of life of residents and public workers; create healthier ecosystems for plants and pollinators; advance social equity; and help municipalities and businesses achieve long-term savings.
About Quiet Communities
Quiet Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing noise pollution as a public health and environmental issue, and promoting quiet as a valuable natural resource. Founded in 2013 by health and environmental scientist Jamie Banks, Ph.D., the organization draws on scientific, medical, public policy, and legal expertise from the United States and abroad. Quiet Communities collaborates with researchers, clinicians, communities, and policymakers to build public understanding and advance evidence-informed noise policy. www.quietcommunities.org
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