The City of Bethlehem received an award at the Chapter’s annual conference in Pittsburgh for its new Climate Action Plan. This plan is a progressive, serious, and implementable plan that tackles one of the most complex planning issues communities face today – climate change. Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan embraces the principles of equitability, prosperity, resiliency, healthfulness, inclusivity, and science. It puts environmental justice and equity front and center while providing specific goals and strategies to reduce Bethlehem’s GHG emissions and adapt to the changing climate. To make the plan as inclusive and usable as possible, Bethlehem conducted an extensive and innovative outreach process, which led to a plan that is graphically compelling, easy to use, and applicable to a wide range of groups and individuals.
Smart growth is a key tool that local communities and planners can use to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases created from the built environment and transportation. Bethlehem’s Climate Action Plan recognizes this fact and specifically states that an implementation goal is to: “Promote compact urban design with higher densities and mixed uses through planning and zoning ordinances, especially in development centers and major corridors.” The plan also calls for complete streets, better walkability, open space preservation, and green infrastructure. This excellent plan can be viewed online.
