CONTACT: Behan Communications Inc., Sarah Boggess: (518) 792-3856
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 10, 2012
Second Phase of Regional Sustainability Planning to Commence in Early October
Albany, NY – The public is invited to attend the second round of regional sustainability workshops, which will take place in and around the Capital Region in early October. Community residents from a wide range of fields and expertise are encouraged to attend. The goal of these facilitated workshops is to prioritize the hundreds of strategies, ideas and comments that were captured during the first phase of this project, which ended August 31.
The workshops will take placefrom 7 to 9 p.m. on each of the following days: Monday, October 1 at Union College in Schenectady; Tuesday, October 2, at the Fort Ann School District in Fort Ann; and Wednesday, October 3, at Columbia-Greene Community College in Hudson. Citizens are also able to provide feedback and input in an online open house from September 17 through October 6. Details may be found on the project website at input received during this second phase will be considered by the technical teams for inclusion in the final regional sustainability plan.
Top ideas and strategies identified during the first phase of the planning process by workshop participants and online contributors include: Improved public policy on the changing climate; Increased high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, ride shares and public transit opportunities; better distributions systems from farms to school districts and inner cities; improved bike, trail and rail networks; reduction of rural/suburban sprawl and investment in vibrant city centers; and an expansion of “buy local” food and forest products initiatives.
Additionally, the public discussed eight focus areas during the first round of workshops. These focus areas are being incorporated into the final regional sustainability plan, and include the following: water; food systems; land use and livable communities; waste; economic development; transportation; energy; and climate adaptation.
The regional sustainability plan is part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Cleaner, Greener Communities program. This program, funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), empowers regions to create more sustainable communities through smart growth practices.
A coalition of Capital Region local governments and organizations has received funding from NYSERDA to create the regional sustainability plan for the following eight counties: Albany; Columbia; Greene; Rensselaer; Saratoga; Schenectady; Warren and Washington.
The Regional Sustainability Plan is intended to inform municipal sustainability and land use policies, serve as a basis for local government infrastructure decision making, guide infrastructure investment of both public and private resources, outline specific and tangible actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions consistent with New York State’s goal of 80% carbon reduction below 1990 levels by the year 2050, and identify strategies for adapting to the effects of climate change.
Project information also can be found on Twitter at @sustaincapreg; or on Facebook at facebook.com/sustainablecapitalregion.
###