Creating a Sustainable City

The Virginia Municipal League is the association the City of Fairfax belongs to that represents common interests among localities within the Commonwealth.

I'm here representing the City and accepting on its behalf the Go Green award for the City's leadership in environmental sustainability efforts. I'll post a memo on what I learned.

Speaking of sustainability, I'm listening to a presentation by James Johnson of the University of North Carolina, a highly distinguished professor who speaks about how communities can revitalize themselves. His remarks are fascinating. In short, sustainability is about more than the environment. It's about creating sustainability across the spectrum - economic, education, social justice, health care.

And cities need to do more to help create sustainable economies, too, that respond to people who feel like they can't get ahead and are under assault economically. For example, unemployment among white collar workers has gone up more than blue collar jobs. And the number one thing that companies look to when selecting to locate are obesity rankings because it is an indicator of productivity and health care costs.

As you can see, there is a lot to learn that I think will benefit my colleagues and the City. Fortunately, the City of Fairfax many of the things that Dr. Johnson speaks of that help create a "sense of place." But there is always more that can be done, especially as we look to expand our local economy and create opportunities for all citizens.