2010 North Carolina Code
Chapter 143B Executive Organization Act of 1973.
Article 7 - Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
143B-344.34. (Expires June 30, 2016) North Carolina Sustainable Communities Task Force - findings.

143B‑344.34. (Expires June 30, 2016) North Carolina Sustainable Communities Task Force findings.

(a) The General Assembly finds that the rapid growth of the urban and suburban areas of North Carolina and the economic challenges facing many of the State's urban cores, rural areas, and smaller communities create a significant need for the strategic use of resources to plan and accommodate healthy and equitable development without compromising natural systems and the needs of future generations of North Carolinians.

(b) The General Assembly finds that the following principles describe sustainable development for North Carolina's communities:

(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. (2010‑31, s. 13.5(a).)