Baton Rouge: Committed to a More Sustainable Community

By their very definition, sustainable communities are cities that have purposely been designed to be healthy and resilient environmentally, economically and socially. Instead of focusing on fixing the issues one at a time, these cities evaluate the commonalities of the problems and offer integrated solutions. By using this approach, they can address today’s issues while also preventing the same issues from recurring in the future. This means that the next generation will be able to live a more healthy life than the one before it.

The definition of a sustainable community dictates that these cities have been purposely built to be both healthy and resilient. This applies to the environmental, economic and social issues faced by residents. In addition, these cities don�t work on single issues; instead, sustainable communities choose integrated answers which both address problems today and prevent them in the future. This means the city will become more sustainable with each generation.

Building a sustainable community is not as difficult as it sounds. In fact, Minnesota has become a much more sustainable community in only a few years. Progress can be seen all around the city. Compared to two decades ago, Baton Rouge residents today used far less fuel and create far fewer greenhouse gases which pollute the air. Local waterways are no longer filled with garbage and chemicals. Almost every neighborhood has a public park or greenspace. Across Baton Rouge, cultural and social opportunities bring people of all ages and income levels together.

All across Baton Rouge, people of all cultures and income levels are sharing in new cultural and social events. Local groups have planted neighborhood gardens in areas that were previously food deserts. Bike lanes have been added, and walking tracks have been built. Alternative power sources can be spotted all across Baton Rouge, from solar panels on businesses to windmills at schools.

There are three keys to building sustainable communities. These are the economy, the environment and social needs. By ensuring all of these aspects are addressed with an eye on permanent, sustainable solutions, the city of Baton Rouge becoming a better place to live for all of its residents.

Today, Baton Rouge is much more environmentally friendly than ever before. All residents have access to cleaner air and water than they have in the past. The air is cleaner thanks to a reduction in the reliance on cars and fossil fuels which create greenhouse gases and pollution. Rivers, streams and lakes have been cleaned up, and industrial pollution has been greatly reduced.

The city has also strived to encourage and sustain a thriving economy through creating jobs. Good jobs with better wages raise the standard of living and offer residents better lives. When people have more money to spend, they invest more in the local community and in local businesses, further bolstering the city’s economy.

The final piece of this puzzle in ensuring that all residents have their social needs met adequately. This means that everyone has access to high quality health care, education and transportation, no matter their background or income level. This is made possible by encouraging all residents to participate in their local decision making processes.

In order to build a truly sustainable community, all three of these factors must be equally strong. If even one of them is weaker than the others, then the entire community can become less sustainable. To ensure Baton Rouge is a strong city both today and in the future, economic, environmental and social concerns must all three remain foremost in the eyes of local leaders.

The City of Baton Rouge has become a much more sustainable community over the last few years, but its leaders continue to strive to be even more sustainable in the future. The leadership of the city, as well as its residents, are committed to ensuring environmental health, improving economic equality and offering programs to meet social needs. This movement will continue, regardless of election cycles or political climates.

To ensure the city continues to make progress toward its sustainability goals, Baton Rouge is using a list of 26 indicators to judge their progress. These indicators bolster confidence because they show that progress has been made, but they also show there is still much work ahead. By keeping an eye on this list of indicators, city leaders and residents alike and ensure all people in Baton Rouge can live healthy lives both today and in the future.

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