Big Idea: Prioritizing Sustainability
Sustainability describes Greensboro's role in environmental stewardship, building social equity, and creating a resilient economy.
This Big Idea focuses on protecting our natural resources and ensuring that residents live in a healthy environment, have equitable access to public services, have a voice in governance, and that Greensboro’s economy is resilient to changes at the regional, national, and global scale.
Why Prioritize Sustainability?
Sustainability is the process of continuous improvement towards environmental stewardship, social equity, and a resilient economy. It is a way of thinking and acting that considers the long-term, indirect, cumulative, and global effects of human activity on the Earth’s natural systems, with the aim of repairing past damage and preventing future degradation. Promoting a sustainable community means following a path toward ensuring that all future generations benefit from the same, or better, quality of life than we do now.
During public engagement opportunities, a wide range of participants expressed strong interest in having the Plan include goals and strategies to address issues related to sustainability and resilience. This was consistent across multiple meetings in different parts of Greensboro. In a complex system such as a city, balancing these objectives is a continual, dynamic process that involves action, feedback, assessment, and further action. The goal is to build an enduring community that meets the needs of our residents now and into the future.
Issues and Opportunites Addressed
- Global Change
- Social Equity
- Regional Cooperation
For more information see Chapter 7 of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.
Current Implementation Activities
Composting Education
The City started a Composting Education and Community Farmers Market Pilot Program, a result of the 2020-21 Participatory Budgeting process. Located in Keely Park, 10 different types of composters are on display. The project was launched at the "Fall Farm Fest" on October 16, 2021 in Keely Park.
Transit Authority wins 2021 STRIDE award
In September, 2021 the Greensboro Transit Authority recieved the Community Award for its succesful efforts to add electric buses to our fleet. The award was from the STRIDE Collaborative, a partnership of federal, state, and local governments, non-profits, and private stakeholders in the southeast focused on reducing diesal emissions. Way to go GTA!!
Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE)
GARE is a national network of governmental entities working to achieve racial equity and advancement opportunities for all. The City has joined GARE through the City's Office of Equity and Inclusion and officially named its program GSO4Ward.
What we hope to accomplish: Establishing a program to address inequities in our policies and practices.
Reducing Stormwater Flooding
The Water Resources Department is updating our Floodplain Development Program, and has initiated a Flood Hazard Mitigation and Property Acquisition Program to address existing flood hazards. Mitigation efforts will be accomplished by either flood-proofing structures to limit losses or acquiring the affected property.
What we hope to accomplish: Create a set of programs to deal with the increased flooding Greensboro has seen from more frequent and intense storms that are not related to tropical storms or other large storm systems.
Strategic Energy Plan
City staff and community representatives are developing a 20-year Strategic Energy Plan (SEP). The plan will be a long-term blueprint to focus and guide efforts and actions toward a defined energy vision.
What we hope to accomplish: The City has goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from City operations, reduce energy consumption in government buildings, reach 100% renewable energy use in government buildings by 2040, and address the cost burdens that the program may have for at-risk populations. City staff plan to have a draft SEP to City Council by the end of August.
Landscape Ordinance Update
The Landscape Ordinance Review Committee is working to review, advise, and recommend revisions to the City's landcape ordinance. The Committee is made up of a diverse selection of stakeholders representing various interests in the use and continued implementation of the City's Landscaping and Tree Conservation Ordinance. Protecting our trees and soil is an important piece of environmental stewardship, and the benefits of trees and greenspace are important to all neighborhoods in Greensboro.
What we hope to accomplish: An updated Landscape Ordinance.
OUR GOALS AND STRATEGIES FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Greensboro embraces a triple bottom line approach to sustainability that balances three interdependent attributes. Environmental stewardship ensures that the contributions of natural resources to human well-being are explicitly recognized and valued. Social equity incorporates fairness and justice in providing for the housing, services, health, safety, and the livelihood needs of all citizens and groups. Economic resilience is necessary to build a diverse, strong local economy that can withstand changes to the regional, national, and world economy.
Goal A
Greensboro advances environmental stewardship, taking care of our natural resources and the natural systems that support all living things.
Strategy 1: Promote resilient, efficient, and environmentally beneficial patterns of land use. Utilize and modify rezoning, subdivisions, site plan, building permit, annexation, and related review and approval processes to achieve an appropriate jobs-housing-service balance. Additionally, apply these processes and others to ensure that all Greensboro residents are within walking distance to a park, green space, or natural feature.
Strategy 2: Take policy and program actions that advance sustainability. Such actions may include promoting green infrastructure to manage water quality, tree planting policies to reduce the urban heat island effect, development of programs to increase recycling and reduce solid waste production, and policies to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases. Stay up-to-date on emerging technologies and advancements in science that may contribute to increased sustainability.
Strategy 3: Develop a strong communication, education, and partnering plan designed to protect the environment. This plan could include public messaging, new incentives, and environmental education. Additionally, cultivate strong partnerships with local, regional, and state entities and organizations that work on environmental protection to help Greensboro adapt to the local effects of global climate change and address other environmental issues.
Goal B
Greensboro embraces social equity, ensuring all residents benefit from fair and just treatment in the distribution of public services and have a voice in governance.
Strategy 1: Evaluate impacts to vulnerable populations and communities when reviewing existing and considering new public policies, projects, and services. Where past decisions have resulted in disparities in the distribution and quality of public services and facilities, be proactive in working to eliminate them to improve quality of life outcomes. As part of this strategy, maintain a vigilant focus on intergenerational equity, so that future generations are able to live as well as, or better than, current Greensboro residents.
Strategy 2: Work to ensure that all Greensboro residents have meaningful opportunities to participate in public decision-making processes. Promote capacity-building and leadership programs to equip residents to authentically engage in civic decisions. Additionally, collaborate with and help strengthen community organizations, such as neighborhood associations and civic organizations, to foster active participation in shaping Greensboro’s future.
Strategy 3: Promote a just, ethical, and respectful community. Ensure the continued protection of human and civil rights and work to instill in individuals a sense of respect for the rights of others through civic actions, policies, programs, and dialogue.
Goal C
Greensboro builds economic resilience, expanding the local economy’s ability to withstand and adjust to disruptions and changes at the regional, national, and global scales.
Strategy 1: Consider the impact that growth and development patterns and infrastructure investments have on the City’s fiscal health. Use the Growth Tier Map and policies to evaluate infrastructure investments when making capital investments and land use decisions. Furthermore, design resilient infrastructure systems able to withstand and quickly recover from natural disasters and other emergencies.
Strategy 2: Cultivate a diverse range of industry sectors and scales of operation in the local economy to help minimize the impacts of major fluctuations within any single sector. Create a local economy that is based on reuse, durability, and repair, to reduce the impacts of an economy centered on disposable goods. Encourage a robust level of local investment from public, non-profit, and private sources to support entrepreneurship, especially when it advances sustainability goals or strategies.
Strategy 3: Enhance economic resiliency through strong partnerships and a deep reserve of social capital. Continued and enhanced collaboration with adjacent city, county, and regional entities will allow for quicker, more comprehensive and more nimble responses to economic issues. In addition, nurture social capital to weave a community fabric of interdependence, collaboration, and caring that will enable residents to rely on one another in times of economic distress.
“GSO designs for a sustainable future for all by nurturing one another, caring for our land and resources, and building a thriving economy.”