intelligent foresight

Opportunity is now here. The way we, our children, and our grandchildren will live in the years to come hinges on our choices today. A better world is within reach, but to get there, we have to identify goals and priorities and build a mechanism to achieve them through partnership with the stakeholders in our community. Sustainable planning is the process of forging this path.

Sustainability is a hallmark of everything we do. We bring three prongs of sustainability —environmental sensitivity, social equity and economic viability— to each project. A sustainable community is resilient to adversity of all types. For growing communities like so many we work with in Florida, the key is to grow intelligently by minimizing vulnerability to social, economic, and natural resource challenges that are often beyond our control. As we grow, embedding concepts of sustainability into our decisions, designs and use of resources will reduce the unintended consequences. By promoting a balance of our resources, communities can meet the needs of residents, visitors, and businesses over time.

Sustainability can be measured. A sustainability plan provides the framework to align and organize our efforts.

Many local governments and private enterprises throughout the U.S. have recognized the importance of developing sustainability initiatives and sustainability plans. Catalysts for doing so include energy efficiency to save money, stakeholder support for more sustainable practices, the recognition of the intrinsic tie between environmental and economic health and the goal of capturing grant funds to implement projects and programs. As communities compete to attract business and talented workforce members, it is increasingly important for each community to demonstrate sustainability.

Through ongoing strategic planning that includes local leadership and partnerships between government, business and the community at large, the creation of an environment that supports local economy and fosters community success can be achieved. The journey begins with the single step of commitment to a plan that serves everyone involved.