Community of Choices - High Points from the Video   The video "Community of Choices" was shown at each of the Public Outreach meetings. Some key points from the video are shown below.   There are important connections between Conservation and economic development Community appearance and quality of life Man made and natural landscape People and the places where they live Growth is both certain and desirable. Progress does not require degraded surroundings. Communities can grow without destroying the things that people love. The question is not how your town will grow - because it will, or whether it will change - because it will. The real question is how. Communities need to plan for growth and manage the patterns of development. Where should it go and what it should look like. Sometimes we think there are only two choices - either preserve the land or develop all of it. There is a third choice: Growth and development that enhances the character of the community and complements the quality of the landscape. This is often called sustainable development or smart growth or building quality livable communities. The image of your community is fundamentally important to its economic well being. The more a community does to preserve and protect what makes it unique, the more reason there is to go there. Failing to plan means planning to fail. Communities can grow without destroying the things people love. Successful communities: Make an inventory of their assets Create a vision for the future Build all of their plans around their assets Use education incentives and voluntary initiatives, not just regulation Pick and choose among development options To return to the Public Meeting Summary Page click here