Incorporating Sustainability into Community Plans

A recent article in the April 2010 Planning Magazine by Benjamin Herman discussed how sustainability concepts can be addressed in community planning efforts.  Many cities and towns throughout the country are getting more familiar with the concept of sustainability and how these goals relate to land use – however there is still confusion over what a plan for sustainability should contain.  According to Herman, sustainability is “a balanced approach that considers people, planet, and prosperity” and should be viewed as a “process not an end-state”.  With that in mind, how should communities incorporate these ideals into their plans?

One common approach for communities is to prepare a separate, stand alone sustainability plan as a guidance document.  Other areas elect to tackle the sustainability issue by adopting climate action plans that focus on greenhouse gas reduction, energy conservation, and other conservation activities.  More holistically, some communities are incorporating sustainability as an element in their comprehensive plans or by making sustainability an overarching theme for a plan.  In WV, the recent comprehensive plan developed in Monroe County is a good example of how sustainability can successfully act as the primary goal which drives all of the other recommendations and actions of the plan.

Herman note that sustainability plans have mostly all the same characteristics of conventional plans in terms of long-range view, however, with a few differences related to:

• How the plan is organized – sustainable plans take a more integrated approach;
• How issues are linked – a heavier focus on connections between environmental, economic, and social issues;
• The incorporation of new issues and topics – address a wide range of topics that are rarely included in traditional plans; and
• Measuring and monitoring progress – frequent use of indicators, benchmarks, and targets to measure progress and adjust if needed.

Currently there are federal incentives to get planners to start thinking about sustainable planning. The ARRA made more than $2.7 billion in grant dollars available through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program to fund state and local projects that improve energy efficiency and reduce fossil fuel emissions. Communities may use portion of these funds to integrate energy efficiency, conservation, and climate action planning into community plans and development regulations.  The nearby community of Greensboro, NC is one area already taking advantage of these monies. 

To learn more about incorporating sustainability in planning, read the APA’s policy guide, Planning for Sustainability.

To learn more about the Monroe County example contact Rod Graves with the Monroe County Planning Commission at rodgraves@hughes.net.