Report from the Little Rock Sustainability Summit: Part II - Where Are We Going?

So where are we going?

Straight ahead! Mayor Stodola's remarks at the Little Rock Sustainability Summit reflected a commitment to continued investment in the Little Rock sustainasphere.

Among the plans:

Continued development of the Little Rock Sustainability Commission and the City of Little Rock “Green Team”;

Continued focus on sustainable city planning by managing city density and planning for sustainable growth and development;

Connecting all of the City’s pedestrian and bike trails so that they actually go somewhere;

Little Rock is one of 20 cities nationwide to have recently received a $200,000 Bloomberg competitive grant, and this funding will be used to hire a “chief service officer” to focus on sustainable issues and initiatives. This means the creation of at least one, full time city job focused on sustainability – that is, a position for at least one employee who does nothing but work on sustainability in Little Rock;

Creating a viable and comprehensive commercial recycling program;

Continuing to work with and to support local and national green builders and developers; and,

Developing a “Sustainability Ordinance,” that codifies the City’s commitment to sustainability, and provides direction and focus for the initiatives.

In other words, if you are a business, developer, inventor, venture capitalist, lawyer, or some other brand sustainability swami, are there opportunities for you in Little Rock (and in Arkansas)?

Absolutely.

Information on the City of Little Rock Sustainability Commission can be found here: http://www.littlerock.org/CityCommissions/Detail.aspx?ID=40