The sustainability vision for Longmont reflects the contributions of the many community members and other stakeholders engaged in the planning process and sets the stage for decision-making and actions.
Environmental Stewardship
The environmental stewardship dimension of sustainability encompasses responsible management and use of the natural systems and resources that support life. Longmont cannot safeguard human health without safeguarding the health of the planet. As individuals and as a community, valuing, caring for, and protecting the natural environment ensures vital resources such as clean air, water, and land are preserved. Through such stewardship, we can sustain a healthy, resilient community and vibrant local economy now and into the future.
Social Equity
The social equity dimension of sustainability focuses on satisfying basic human needs, and cohabitation of culturally and socially diverse groups. It seeks improvements in the quality of life for all segments of the population, including: fair distribution of benefits and burdens of actions for current and future stakeholders; access to resources that is not reliant on position or group; and ways for all stakeholders to be included in the process of shaping strategies and policies. Furthermore, it involves recognizing that the same things that negatively impact the environment often exacerbate social inequities. Caring for and restoring the environment so it can sustain human activities and enable all people to live healthy, abundant lives is fundamental to a socially equitable community.
Economic Vitality
The economic vitality dimension of sustainability focuses on creating a system predicated on living wages and educational opportunities that enable people to meet basic economic needs such as affordable housing, transportation, and healthy food. Such a system fosters a diverse network of businesses and industries that can grow and thrive in ways that are regenerative to the natural environment and complementary to community culture. This approach also saves money and benefits the community by creating jobs and investments right in Longmont, strengthening our local economy.