The mission of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities is to advance the sustainability of communities, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, by promoting land use policies and development practices that encourage locationally and environmentally efficient development, reduce sprawl, offer housing and economic opportunity for persons of all incomes, and support revitalization of neglected urban areas.

What Is Sustainable Development?

Green building is quickly moving from a progressive idea to a standard aspect of real estate development and construction.  But energy-efficient buildings are not enough to make a community sustainable. PSC is dedicated to changing land use policies and practices that encourage sprawl and dependence on private vehicles, contributing to steadily rising levels of GHG emissions.

PSC focuses on the sustainability of entire communities, looking beyond individual structures.

We define sustainability as encompassing social and economic development issues, in addition to resource usage, efficient use of existing infrastructure, and environmental impact.  PSC encourages the adoption of policies that promote high-density, infill, and locationally efficient development that integrates housing affordable to all, places of education, and employment opportunities and encourages the use of public transit.

Where We’re Coming From

PSC draws its inspiration from people like James Rouse, who pioneered the redevelopment of inner cities in Baltimore and other cities and founded the Enterprise Foundation. As Rouse said when he was trying to convince people that his vision for the new community of Columbia, Md., was not wildly utopian, “Cities are gardens in which to grow people.” Rouse championed the idea of sustainability before the word was in common use. There is a long way to go to shift practices in land use and planning so that they support his vision.

Now is the time for change.