Sustainability"meet the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Sustainable Development Components

Community

Sustainable Development Components

Community

Environment

Sustainable Development Components

Community

Economy Environment

Sustainable Development Components

Community

Economy

SustainableDevelopment

Environment

Why a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development?

There is an emerging recognition that this region has the building blocks to be one of the most livable, equitable and sustainable places in the nation.

Grant Details

• HUD, DOT, EPA collaboration• $3.75 million grant, $1.5+ million in matching

funds and in-kind services• 3-year planning process, all 13 H-GAC counties• Outcomes:– Identifying our shared priorities– Positioning the region for funding– Telling our story

Consortium Members• City of Houston• Houston Advanced Research Center• Houston – Galveston Area Council• Houston Wilderness• City of Huntsville• LISC• METRO• Montgomery County• Neighborhood Centers, Inc.• Port of Houston• Texas Southern University• United Way of Greater Houston• Waller County Economic Development

Partnership

• Bay City Community Development Corporation

• Blueprint Houston/Center for Houston’s Future

• Bolivar Blueprint/Peninsula Development Coalition

• Brazoria County• Chambers County• Fort Bend County• City of Galveston• Gulf Coast Economic Development

District• Greater Houston Builders’

Association • Houston Tomorrow• Harris County

Our Common Desires

• Equitable outcomes• Sense of identity and context• World-Class Regional Transit System• Walkable, mixed-use, mixed-income places• Emphasis on infill and existing infrastructure• Resilient communities to disasters and climate change• Green building• Access to high quality health care, fresh food, and education• Local green business, and a robust export sector• Preserved open spaces• Regional and Local cooperation and coordination• A legacy for future generations• Balanced lifestyle

Sustainability Plan Elements

Regional “Transect”

•Urban •Suburban •Rural•Coastal

Regional Plan for Sustainable Development

• Regionally-adopted, consensus-based• Based on citizen input, including building capacity of

underrepresented groups• Articulate a vision and set measurable goals whose

progress can be tracked through metrics and data

Key Elements of Planning Process

• Engaging the public • Documenting baseline data, establishing metrics• Developing and testing three policy/investment

scenarios, selecting preferred scenario • Developing context-specific implementation

strategies, many through community case studies• Creating a platform for ongoing dialogue between

regional entities, local stakeholders and the public

Opportunities for Involvement

• Identification of barriers to sustainability, including impediments to furthering fair housing choice

• Collecting existing plans and data, including agency plans, for use in existing conditions analysis

• Participation in Technical Advisory and Transect Groups

• Reviewing final plan document• Building commitments to implementation

Moving Forward

• Web links– www.gosustainablenow.org