Although the issue of community revitalization may at first appear somewhat removed from environmental concerns, closer examination reveals that there is a strong relationship between the strength of cities and the health of the environment. Many neighborhoods in U.S. urban areas are in a state of economic stagnation or decline. As middle and upper class residents move farther away from downtowns and into distant suburbs, businesses tend to follow. This process pulls tax dollars and employment opportunities away from the centers of cities causing infrastructure to deteriorate, public schools to be underfunded, and unemployment levels in existing communities to increase. In many metropolitan areas development is expanding so far out onto new acres and financial resources are getting spread so thinly that neighborhood deterioration is a problem now facing many inner suburbs as well as central cities. Without state action, this cycle of urban decay and suburban sprawl will continue to perpetuate itself leading to increased traffic congestion, higher levels of pollution, and loss of farmlands, forests, and wildlife.
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture |
Fortunately, there are a variety of tools state legislators can employ to revitalize communities and bring economic vigor back to the interiors of urban areas while limiting sprawl on their fringes. Many community revitalization techniques use incentives or subtle shifts in regulations to accomplish their goals. Therefore, community revitalization legislative initiatives are often accomplished at little or no expense to taxpayers. Not only is community revitalization a necessary element of any state’s overall strategy for controlling the environmental problems associated with sprawl, it also helps cities become more fiscally efficient and promotes social and economic equity. |
This web site offers tools to help you to introduce and pass legislation to help revitalize communities in your state. These tools include a summary of legislative approaches, talking points, press clips, a fact pack, research, and other background information.
We may have other useful materials on this subject which are not posted on our web site. Please feel free to contact us at info@serconline.org or call our office in Madison, Wisconsin, at (608) 252-9800.
If you’ve used this site and found it helpful, or if you have suggestions
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Email: info@serconline.org