Urban Strategies for a Changing Country (Page 2)

Finally, it’s not only a matter of where people are moving, but who is moving; the two largest groups in the U.S. right now are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, and the Millennial generation, born between 1979 and 1996. They combine to represent more than 160 million people—a full 50 percent of the population. That has stunning implications for the future of our cities; as Boomers live longer (and look to downsize) and Millennials reach maturity and strike out on their own, research shows both sets are eschewing the suburbs for city centers.

So now that we know the score, what do we do? With our cities becoming more diverse and less dispersed, the challenge is to ensure a balance between our food, water and energy needs while making sure we maintain the simple majesty of our coastlines, rivers and prairies, for ourselves and our children. The Nature Conservancy is meeting that challenge using three proven strategies:

Water funds are voter-approved investments in the protection of local water resources; with four distinct models, the Conservancy has used them in cities across the U.S. and Latin America. New York City famously invested in the Catskill Mountains to protect a secure source of safe, clean drinking water that now serves more than eight million people, while San Antonio and Austin, Texas; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and other cities have also made investments to protect the sources of their water.
Hurricane Sandy has brought the idea of coastal resiliency into sharp focus—we know that it’s critical to protecting the low-lying areas along our nation’s coastline and the millions of people who reside in and around those areas. I wrote extensively about coastal resiliency in my previous blog; projects such as oyster reef and marshland restoration can help restore coastlines and mitigate the effects of erosion.
We are also focused on developing and expanding urban forests in cities across the country. Whether it’s a city park, a converted lot or a neighborhood with extensive tree cover, an abundance of native growth can contribute to a healthier city—residents have access to green space, trees help reduce air pollution and smog, and children can experience the simple joys of nature that abound outside their doors.

These strategies address real, tangible issues our cities are facing, while allowing us to honor the obligation we have to future generations and respect the innate connection we all have to nature. They also lend support to a simple truth that is often overlooked: conservation and a healthy economy go hand in hand. Without clean air and reliable water resources, businesses cannot prosper and plan for the future. Healthy families can’t thrive. And our country ultimately cannot flourish. Though most people plot conservation on one end of the spectrum and a healthy economy on the other end, I maintain that we can not only have both, we need both. Within 50 years, the demands on our water, our land and our energy will be untenable unless we invest today in smart development and even smarter conservation efforts.

Laura Huffman is the director of The Nature Conservancy of Texas. A native of Austin, Huffman has a long and distinguished record of public service. She earned a master’s of public affairs from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s in political science with a minor in history from Texas A&M University. She makes her home in Austin, with husband Kent and their four children.

[Photo by Flickr user EnvironmentBlog via Creative Commons.]

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by Laura Huffman, The Nature Conservancy

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Dave C.

7:32PM PST on Jan 22, 2013

thanks.....

January 22
send a green star

simon s.

12:29PM PST on Jan 22, 2013

The most serious issue in the world is that of overpopulation.
Exceeding even the greed and destructiveness of the 1%, this underlies all other problems.
Of all things we can do to safeguard our future, having less children (If you can't love one child then loving more will be impossible).
Thank you for this article.
Better future.

Shanti S.

12:32AM PST on Jan 21, 2013

Thank you.

January 21
send a green star

Ro H.

11:34AM PST on Jan 20, 2013

January 20
send a green star

Nimue P.

7:19PM PST on Jan 19, 2013

Too many people.

January 19
send a green star

Ken W.

1:39PM PST on Jan 19, 2013

Hello M

Olga L.

11:58AM PST on Jan 19, 2013

Over population? I don´tknow how far we can go. But it is something to worry about. Food, house, school, security, health care for 7 billions individuals is scaring.

JL A.

9:35AM PST on Jan 19, 2013

a perspective worth considering when approaching related issues

Vicky P.

8:29PM PST on Jan 18, 2013

thanks

January 18
send a green star

jo H.

7:28PM PST on Jan 18, 2013

Unlike many other countries around the globe, America has plenty of room to grow ... land, and lots of it! I see no big deal here ... let it grow, let it grow. Maybe in the next 50 years people will truly wake up and learn what it means to become a mixed diverse culture and be able to actually live together side by side with more compassion and greater feelings toward fellow man kind.