Sustainable communities are livable places. Phoenix is committed to protecting, preserving and restoring the natural environment. A healthy environment is integral to the long-term economic interests of the City. In achieving a healthy environment, we must strive to ensure that inequitable burdens are not placed on any one geographic or socioeconomic sector of the population. A sustainable community can also strive to reduce its consumption of resources or lessen its impact on the environment.
Every community has different measures of sustainability.
The Environmental Element includes ten goals. Policies and recommendations are identified for each goal. Recognizing that development will continue to occur, it is important that as a community we recognize our responsibility to respect and understand the vital role that the natural, physical environment plays in our quality of life and in our physical and psychological well being. This goal focuses on the number one environmental issue identified through the resident survey - air quality. The discussion includes a description of THE variety of programs to improve air quality.