Sustainable Communities
What are Sustainable Communities?
Sustainable Communities are places where people want to live and
work now and in the future. They meet the diverse needs of existing
and future residents, are sensitive to the environment and
contribute to high-quality of life. They are safe and inclusive,
well-planned, built and run an offer quality of opportunities and
good services to all.
For communities to be stable, they must offer:
- decent homes at prices people can afford
- good public transport
- schools
- hospitals
- shops and a
- clean, safe environment.
People also need open public spaces where they can relax and
interact and the ability to have a say on the way they
neighbourhood is run.
Sustainable communities are diverse, reflecting their local
circumstances. No one size fits all but they should be:
- Active, inclusive and safe - Fair, tolerant and cohesive with a
strong local culture and other shared community activities
- Well run - with effective and inclusive participation,
representation and leadership
- Environmentally sensitive - providing places for people to live
that are considerate of the environment
- Well-designed and built - featuring quality built and
natural environment
- Well-connected - with good transport services and communication
linking people to jobs, schools, health and other services
- Thriving - with a flourishing and diverse local economy
- Well served - with public, private, community and voluntary
services that are appropriate to people's needs and accessible to
all
- Fair for everyone - including those in other communities, now
and in the future
Securing the Future (2005), the Government’s sustainable
development strategy, sets out the principles a policy should
respect to be sustainable. These are:
- L iving within environmental limits;
- Ensuring a strong healthy and just society;
- Achieving a sustainable economy;
- Using sound science responsibly; and
- Promoting good governance.
The strategy recognises that some sustainable development
policies, while underpinned by all five, will place more emphasis
on certain principles than others. Any trade-offs should be made in
a clear and transparent way.
E-mail: policy@dover.gov.uk
