 Environmental Sustainability
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 Goal 19: Develop community planning that will take into account the entire region.
Goal 20: Encourage individual water conservation through efficient household use of water resources.
Goal 21: Create and preserve more walking trails, parks and ball fields near where people live.
Goal 22: Preserve historic buildings, monuments and districts in communities throughout the region.
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Environmental Sustainability
Sustainable development requires that population growth be accommodated in ways that enhance, not degrade the national and built environment for future generations.
While the Atlanta region does not have natural boundaries that limit the direction of growth, water supply and water quality are both threats to the region's continued prosperity.
The CREATE Community survey showed, Atlanta residents genuinely appreciate the mild temperatures, lush vegetation and outdoor recreational activities that contribute greatly to the overall quality of life here. Residents chose several goals that emphasized the protection and preservation of the natural and built environment of the region. Key among these concerns were more communication about planning efforts among governments, water conservation, more greenspace and historic preservation.
In 2005 when we asked the question "Is there a water supply problem in the Atlanta region?" survey respondents were almost equally divided in their responses: 45 percent said yes, and 44 percent said no. Interestingly, when we asked this question in the 2002 survey, fewer than 10 percent of residents in the region perceived that water supply was a challenge in the region.
In interpreting these answers, of course, it is important to recognize that a simple yes-no response cannot capture participants' varying levels of understanding about an issue. With plentiful rainfall and a years-long drought now over, even well-informed respondents might not perceive a "water supply problem" at the present time -- even though they clearly understand the potential for future problems as the region gains population and requires more water.
Still, the prospect that almost half the region's population is unconcerned about future water resources is a wake-up call for more and better public education on this crucial environmental issue.
 Click here for Excel Worksheet of this chart
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