Little Rock is on the Road to Sustainability: Public Hearing, May 20, 2014

At the 2014 Little Rock Sustainability Summit, the City unveiled its “Roadmap to Sustainability” initiative. The initiative is organized around five topic areas – Energy, Quality of Life, the Natural Environment, the Built Environment, and Economic Development. The goal is to develop a sustainability plan that looks 5, 10 and 20 years into the future of the sustainasphere.

The journey begins on at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 20, 2014, with a public meeting in the Board Room at City Hall. The purpose of the meeting will be to identify (“inventory”) sustainable practices and achievements already in place, and to gather ideas about sustainable goals. The meeting will be the first in a series of four or more public meetings.

The development of a Sustainability Plan is an important step forward for Little Rock. While the City can rightfully highlight a number of “sustainable” achievements – the free, annual Sustainability Summit and the recent passage of a multifamily recycling ordinance are top-of-the-mind examples – the various efforts and programs have lacked the comprehensive coordination needed to be a true plan. There is an abundance of “low-hanging fruit” in the Little Rock sustainasphere, and a thoughtful Sustainability Plan comprised of measurable, achievable goals holds the promise of a serious picking party.

In case you missed it the first time around, the May 20, 2014, meeting is a public meeting. It is an opportunity to take ownership of the sustainasphere and to contribute to a project that should have benefits that are immediate and measurable.

(Also, I am told there will be snacks.)

May 20, 2014, 10:00 a.m.: Public Hearing, City of Little Rock Roadmap to Sustainability, City Hall Board Room.