North Carolina Sustainable Development Principles

as stated in General Statute 143b-344.34

(1) Better transportation choices. Offering safe, reliable, and economical motorized and nonmotorized transportation options to decrease household transportation costs, reduce dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote public health.

(2) Equitable, affordable housing. Encouraging the provision to North Carolina citizens of all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicities expanded location-, water-, and energy-efficient housing choices that increase mobility, decrease the impact on existing water and energy infrastructure, and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.

(3) Enhanced economic competitiveness. Expanding business access to markets and improving North Carolina's economic competitiveness through reliable and timely access to employment centers, educational opportunities, services, and other basic needs by workers.

(4) Support of existing communities. Targeting public funds toward existing communities that are using strategies such as transit-oriented, mixed-use development, and land recycling to increase community revitalization, enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of public works investments, and protect rural landscapes.

(5) Coordination and leverage of State policies and investment. Aligning State and local government policies and funding to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage funding, and increase the accountability and effectiveness of government in planning for future growth.

(6) Recognize and support communities and neighborhoods. Preserving and enhancing the unique characteristics of rural, urban, and suburban communities by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhoods.

These North Carolina principles were based on the Livability Principles (below) adopted by a new Federal partnership consisting of
U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

HUD-DOT-EPA Interagency Partnership
for Sustainable Communities:
Livability Principles

(1) Provide more transportation choices. Develop safe, reliable, and economical transportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote public health.

(2) Promote equitable, affordable housing. Expand location- and energy-efficient housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicities to increase mobility and lower the combined cost of housing and transportation.

(3) Enhance economic competitiveness. Improve economic competitiveness through reliable and timely access to employment centers, educational opportunities, services and other basic needs by workers, as well as expanded business access to markets.

(4) Support existing communities. Target federal funding toward existing communities—through strategies like transit oriented, mixed-use development, and land recycling—to increase community revitalization and the efficiency of public works investments and safeguard rural landscapes.

(5) Coordinate and leverage federal policies and investment. Align federal policies and funding to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage funding, and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth, including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy.

(6) Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristics of all communities by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhoods—rural, urban, or suburban.