Sustainable Development

	Land Use Planning for sustainability requires consideration of a wide spectrum of factors including transportation, development density, energy efficiency, natural corridors and open space, and growth management. Zoning Ordinances Communites can order thier physical fabrics and secure their futures by aggressively applying this powerful public tool. Find out more Growth Planning The Growing SmartSM Legislative Guidebook provides model statutes for smart growth planning. Find out more Tools A collection of visioning, design, and planning tools aid in planning sustainable communities. Geographic Information System (GIS) programs, predictive models, impact analysis programs, visualization programs are among the tools that experts use. Find out more Transportation Some argue that the transportation crisis is solvable and that it's possible to build livable cities with functioning systems that don't sacrifice individual mobility. Find out more Agriculture A sustainable agricultural system supplies abundant, safe, affordable food and fiber for the world's human population; strengthens the economic viability of family farms and ranches; protects environmental quality, bio-diversity and wildlife habitat, and; enhances the quality of life for farmers/ranchers and society as a whole. Find out more Government The President's Council on Sustainable Development was established to develop "bold, new approaches to achieve economic, environmental, and equity goals." Find out more
	Congestion Traffic congestion costs an estimated $168 billion annually in lost productivity and is expected to triple in coming years, wasting more productivity and fuel and worsening air quality. Find out more Sprawl According to a growing list of national experts, the seemingly unrelated phenomenon of abandoned buildings, clogged highways, and new mega-malls in farm fields are the direct result of sprawl. Find out more Pollution With more vehicles, comes more smog. Autos are a major contributor to global warming. Their pollution also causes severe health problems for many. Find out more Over Consumption Promoting a healthy and robust economy while decreasing reliance on imported fossil fuels is a goal that can be achieved through the use of a wide array of educational and technical programs aimed at saving money and improving the quality of life. Find out more Public Apathy Participation by a wide variety of community stakeholders in the planning process ensures that good plans remain intact over time. Civic participation also reduces the likelihood of contentious battles, speeds the development process and reduces the cost of good projects while increasing the quality of planning and enhancing the general sense of community and trust in government. Find out more
	Working Success Stories are becoming more prevalent as more grow to realize the value of sustainable development. Some examples are offered here. Tucson Solar Village � is an outgrowth of builder and consumer interest in solar designs - a natural, and appropriate extension of desert living. Find out more *Redevelopment of Stapleton International* � is a community-based vision for creating new jobs, housing, and open space on the 4,700 acre airport property that lies in the heart of the Denver metropolitan area. Find out more *Lake Tahoe's Regional Plan* � guides cooperative efforts to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human regional environment. Find out more
	Rural and Urban Approaches � Rural land use is distinct from its urban and suburban counterparts. While those two sprawl incessantly, the rural fabric tries to hold its own. Rural areas are often at risk of intrusion by urban-suburban forces. Even with this dynamic, there are success stories. The following strategies reflect some of the critical components of comprehensive planning used to address complexities facing many communities. Monitoring and Improving Air and Water Quality Information systems developed to ease access to a variety of data that describes rich and diverse environments can improve environmental analysis and planning by integrating natural and cultural resource information from many sourcess and by making it available and useful to a wide variety of users. Find out more Preserving Open Space The basic categories for open space include farmland, wetlands, riparian lands, rangeland, forests and woodlands, parks, coastal lands, and urban open space. Through innovative partnerships with farmers and state agencies some farmland preservation groups are protecting rural and farmland sites from conversion to strip housing and other types of construction. Find out more Protecting Wildlife New incentives for recreation and management of health, land, creation of overwinter stubbles for bird habitats, management of woodland, management of water levels, conservation of meadowland, all add up to a better outlook rather than relegating wildlife to "undevelopable" land. Find out more
	*The Sprawl* *Watch Clearinghouse* is a resource center which provides information, advice, and referrals on issues related to sprawl, smart growth and livable communities. The Clearinghouse helps advocates, grassroots organizations, public officials, developers, planners, policymakers, architects and others revitalize existing communities and reduce urban sprawl. Find out more *The Built* *Environment Center* is an electronic workplace and a forum for information and services regarding urban and community development, buildings and facilities, infrastructure, and open space in the built environment. Find out more *Walkable* *Communities, Inc.* was organized to help whole communities, whether large cities or small towns, or parts of communities, that is, neighborhoods, business districts, parks, school districts, subdivisions, specific roadway corridor and others become more walkable and pedestrian friendly. Find out more *Urban Land* *Institute* provides responsible leadership in the use of land in order to enhance the total environment. Find out more

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