The City of Binghamton's Commission on Sustainable Development and Smart Growth is working on recommendations to the city's mayor intended to improve development and economic life there. In a midterm report the Commission stressed the need for regional cooperation, and outlined a definition of sustainable development together with a list of Smart Growth principles that will guide their effort.
They adopted "Development which meets the needs of the present at the same time as safeguarding and improving economic, social and environmental resources and the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" as their definition of sustainable development.
The Commission listed 16 Smart Growth Principles as a framework for recommendations to the mayor.
They include:
- Mix land uses
- Take advantage of compact building design
- Provide for housing that meets the needs of a diversity of social and income groups
- Creative walkable neighborhoods
- Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place
- Protect and preserve environmental quality and important natural and historic features of the area, including natural areas, water resources, air quality, farmland, scenic resources, and historic sites and districts
- Provide the public with access to formal and informal open spaces, including parks, playgrounds, community gardens, spaces for urban agriculture, water bodies, forests and hills.
- Strengthen and direct development to currently developed areas to take advantage of existing community assets
- Enable choice in the mode of transportation available and insure that transportation options are integrated and consistent with land use objectives.
- Make development decisions predictable, transparent, fair and cost effective.
- Accomplish goals and strategies for Smart Growth through coalitions with stakeholders and the public to ensure accountability
- Maximize infill potential on vacant land and re-development opportunities on Brownfield and Grayfield sites
- Promote equity amongst all people and support ethnic and cultural diversity
- Support a diversity of viable business enterprises in downtowns, other neighborhood business districts, and the region, while promoting locally-owned business and disadvantaged business enterprises.
- Encourage and strengthen regional cooperation
- Encourage economic development in ways that produce livable jobs, strengthen low and moderate income communities, and protect the natural environment.
