Educate

Sustainability is the act of balancing the environment, community and economic needs of the built and natural environment for present and future generations.

ENVIRONMENT

> Defining the limits of communities giving a true sense of urban and rural settings;

> Taking advantage of abandoned mill sites and brownfields;

> Providing the green infrastructure that binds cities and towns, offering natural resource functions such as aquifer recharge and flood protection;

> Being a component of the local tourism and agricultural economy

> Managing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing energy consumption.

COMMUNITY

> Promoting compact, walkable development featuring infill and community redevelopment to stress compact patterns and minimize pressure on loss of agricultural lands;

> Fostering social equity in housing, employment and transportation choices;

> Meeting the needs for anticipated demographic changes;

> Supporting energy efficiency and lowering greenhouse gas emissions; and

> Reducing the need for automobiles for short trips.

ECONOMY

> Expanding employment opportunities to meet 21st Century needs;

> Lowering the cost of housing and transportation for low income residents by locating employment centers proximate to transit lines; and

> Continuing to pursue economic development clusters that yield more jobs with higher wages