As part of the City of Hayward’s commitment to sustainability, the city has promoted healthy, environmentally sound landscape practices and since 2009 has required large civic landscape projects to be verified as Bay-Friendly Rated Landscapes, a third-party rating system recognizing excellence in landscape design, construction, and maintenance that supports the health of the San Francisco Bay Watershed. The city also adopted Bay-Friendly Water Efficient Landscape and Green Building ordinances for public and private developments, as well as Integrated Pest Management and Environmental Purchasing policies for public properties. The Bay-Friendly approach emphasizes choosing plants suited to local microclimate and soil conditions, with at least 75% of new plants in the city’s Bay-Friendly Rated Landscape adapted to California’s Mediterranean climate so that, once established, they require little or no summer water. It also seeks to reduce landfill waste by avoiding invasive plants, limiting shearing and excessive pruning, and using recycled materials such as chipped wood mulch, recycled-content outdoor furnishings, and recycled lumber. Soil health is supported by preventing compaction, aerating soil, adding organic compost and fertilizers, mulching bare soil, and using sheet mulching to enrich plantings, establish new landscape areas, or remove lawns without herbicides. Water conservation is advanced through efficient irrigation systems such as bubblers and subsurface drip irrigation, along with smart irrigation controllers that respond to weather and site conditions instead of fixed schedules. The approach also conserves energy through shade trees, energy-efficient outdoor lighting, and locally produced construction materials; protects water and air quality through integrated pest management, the avoidance of synthetic chemicals, and permeable paving that allows rainwater to percolate into the soil and recharge groundwater; and conserves wildlife habitat through native species, large native plants, and features such as boulders that provide shelter and safe passage for wildlife. The Bay-Friendly program was originally developed by StopWaste.org, a public agency working to reduce waste in Alameda County, and the City of Hayward has received grants to incorporate Bay-Friendly practices into certain public landscape projects while a number of city staff have earned Bay-Friendly Qualified Landscape Professional credentials.