Coalition for a Livable Houston
Principles for Public Policy
Principles expanded:
Encourage full participation in all public planning processes:
Foster open, inclusive community dialogue; promote alliances and partnerships to meet community needs
Preserve and enhance the natural environment:
Ensure clean air and adequate clean water, protect and enhance natural resources
and recreational resources,
Leverage and enhance diversity in all its forms:
Recognize the value of cultural and social diversity as the backbone of creativity, production, and success
Focus on safe, healthy, walkable neighborhoods:
Protect and enhance diverse, safe, interesting neighborhoods; view them as the region’s comprehensive planning units; and avoid displacement of existing residents during development.
Support high quality education:
Develop and maintain high quality public education facilities to ensure the opportunity for a community of citizens qualified to meet the full range of skills and knowledge required in a global economy.
Support vibrant, walkable activity centers:
Develop mixed use development in pedestrian-oriented centers that provide a balance of jobs and housing opportunities for a mix of income levels, and connect these centers with safe, reliable, transportation options
Establish a secure and vibrant local revenue base:
Expand wealth and job opportunities for all social and economic levels, provide a full range of needed services, and establish a stable, balanced, fair public revenue base
Support equal and just opportunities for jobs, housing, and access to goods and services:
Encourage equal access to opportunity, commit to social justice, and focus on intergenerational fairness
Increase green space and open spaceparticularly in neighborhoods:
Develop flood plain as parks and habitat, increase neighborhood parks, enhance and augment regional and local parks
Make comprehensive plans for growth and redevelopment:
Use shared regional principles to guide local plans, recognize and preserve open space, watersheds, environmental habitats, and agricultural lands, plan and improve infrastructure for projected growth, emphasize continuing and timely maintenance and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure
Develop transportation choices:
Promote public and private partnerships to develop a wide range of mobility choices and ensure efficient multi-modal transportation systems. Focus first on developing opportunities for walking, bicycling, and use of public transit.
Collaborate, coordinate:
Plan regionally where necessary, particularly about transportation, housing, schools, air, water, wastewater, solid waste, natural resources, agricultural lands, and open space; increase communication and cooperation among government agencies, business, and community organizations; and develop regional shared principles and goals.