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Memphis, TN. - Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton today launched a program to develop a sustainability agenda that will "create a community that is more livable and more competitive with a high quality of life."
The four-month program - named Sustainable Shelby: A Future of Choice, Not Chance - builds on the Wharton Administration's emphasis on a brand of smart growth that is sustainable from a financial, environmental, and neighborhood perspective. It is the first time local government in Shelby County has turned its attention to the creation of an agenda for sustainability.
"So many of the challenges facing Shelby County today result from unsustainable decisions that were left to chance in the past," said Wharton, who kicked off the program at Memphis Botanic Gardens to 130 people who will serve on the seven committees outlining the agenda. "One of my first acts as Mayor in 2002 was to issue an executive order setting smart growth as a top priority for my administration, and the development of a sustainability agenda is the logical outgrowth of that interest. This program is about making the best choices for the future of our community."
Wharton said he conceived of the program after talking to citizens across Shelby County. "There is no question in my mind that our citizens want a sustainable county - one with walkable neighborhoods, healthy communities, energy efficient buildings, and complete streets that serve bikers, pedestrians, and transit; and that is sensitive to the needs of our environment, economy, and community. Most of all, they want a community that meets its present needs, but makes sure that future generations can meet theirs."
To develop the agenda, Sustainable Shelby set up seven committees - transportation and traffic; public buildings and public policies; neighborhood rebirth; public incentives; environment and natural resources; building codes; and land use and development. "Their jobs will be to translate the values and the vision of Shelby County into specific objectives," said Wharton.
"At the end of this process, we will have an agenda that ensures that sustainability permeates every decision made in our community so that we don't treat decisions as 10-year choices but 100-year choices. To tell the truth, we don't have an option, because to do the same and expect different results will not only bankrupt Shelby County Government, but it will create disposable neighborhoods and weaken our county's ability to compete."
Joining Wharton in the announcement was Joe Cortright, economist and researcher for Brookings Institution and CEOs for Cities, who announced that the "green dividend" for Shelby County is $280 million. "Out of pocket costs and time savings by a relatively modest change in commuting patterns would inject more than one-quarter of a billion dollars in your economy," he said in emphasizing the potential economic impact that sustainability can have on the regional economy.
Wharton said that the agenda of the Sustainable Shelby process will be announced in June and after that his staff will be charged with developing an implementation plan within 60-90 days. He added, "As I approach the end of my tenure as Mayor of our great County, I am fearful that without sustained focus the imperative of planning for growth that benefits not only the present generation, but generations to come, will be viewed as some itinerant carnival that visits our town in times of political expedience. Sustainability, Smart Growth, whatever you wish to call it must not be an orphan without a home; it needs not only a physical home, but more importantly a home of thought and basic guiding principles. Sustainable Shelby lays the foundation for that home and files the permanent building plans for that home."
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