We are entering a time of transition. Climate change, an aging population, rising energy costs, dependence on foreign oil, and increasing traffic congestion are some of the challenges we are facing.  Failure to change how we live today could have devastating consequences in the near future.  But if we address the challenges of today, we have opportunities to greatly improve our quality of life. Transportation and urban design play a vital role in providing solutions to the challenges we face.  As we transition from car-centric suburban sprawl to more compact, transit-oriented development, we have the ability to create livable, equitable, sustainable, and prosperous communities.

 

Creating Livable, Equitable, Sustainable and Prosperous Communities through Transportation Transformation

 Livable may be the adjective most frequently used to describe the type of community people say they want.  Livable is also a somewhat nebulous term.  Ask tem people what they mean by livable and you may get eight different answers.  However, there are often common themes that give definition to the term.

These include:

• Walkable
• Bikeable
• Safe
• Enhance Public Realm
• Accessible - A variety of goods and services that can be conveniently accessed without the use of a car
• Accessible Parks, Open Space, and Recreation

 Equitable - All ages and income levels should have equal access to education, healthcare, parks, recreation, goods and services.

 Sustainable may be defined as the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

 Prosperous communities attract and retain employers and have thriving local and regional serving businesses.