Community Initiatives/Lawrence, New Jersey
Sustainable Lawrence
From Sustainable Lawrence Website
Sustainable Lawrence is a large group of residents, businesses, congregations, and other organizations dedicated to creating a sustainable community in Lawrence Township. Our mission is to encourage the people and institutions of Lawrence Township to cooperatively adopt fundamental principles of sustainability and to develop policies and practices that fulfill those principles.
A Brief History
Despite the predictions of a possible blizzard, over 125 residents of Lawrence, braved the elements to participate in The Greening of Lawrence Township, an informative and energizing public environmental forum sponsored by the Lawrence Township Community Foundation and The Lawrenceville School on Saturday, January 22, 2005. This was the start of a true community conversation on sustainability.
Keynote speaker Sarah James, renowned planner and author of The Natural Step for Communities presented the results of community based efforts in Sweden and the US which could be replicated here in Lawrence. Ms. James stressed the importance of local government committing to systematic change by clearly defining sustainability objectives. This can be done using a bottom-up approach, in which the municipal government and community work together to become independent innovators and forces of change.
Mayor Pam Mount and Ralph Copleman, acting as forces of change, signed up over 70 participants at the event who were keen to continue the dialogue and address sustainability issues head on. The conversation continued at a late Spring gathering in 2005, which ultimately gave birth to the nonprofit organization Sustainable Lawrence. The newly minted Board of Directors were able to secure initial funding from local and national sponsors to continue the conversation.
One of the first acts of Sustainable Lawrence was to host a 3-day Future Search Conference starting March 30, 2006. The conference brought together well over 100 people willing to plan an ecologically sustainable future for Lawrence Township, New Jersey. They represented every part of the community - business, education, faith, families, farming, government, neighborhoods - as well as age groups spanning seven decades.
The 3-day conference identified a common ground agenda for the community and led to the birth of numerous task forces to begin tackling a variety of sustainability action plans. A interactive web site was created to facilitate communication between participants and to communicate the long term agenda to the community.
As of June 2006, the current task forces have just begun meeting in order to shape their vision and action plans. Each of them is currently looking for more people to contribute and become a part of a solution for our Township.
Common Ground Agenda:
Targeted Outcomes - 2016
Our Four "Natural Step" System Conditions
All items in our Common Ground Agenda seek to meet these conditions so we may achieve the highest level of ecological sustainability:
- Eliminate our contribution to fossil fuel dependence and to wasteful use of scarce metals and minerals;
- Eliminate our contribution to dependence on persistent chemicals and wasteful use of synthetic substances (made by humans);
- Eliminate our contribution to encroachment upon nature (e.g., land, water, wildlife, forests, soil, ecosystems);
- Meet everyone's human needs fairly and efficiently.
Automobiles
- Reduce auto emissions through using alternate fuel methods in Township fleets
- Create additional mass transit
- Encourage bicycling, walking
- Personal autos: promote use of alternative methods including electric, hybrid, bio-diesel, hydrogen cells, as feasible.
Clean Air, Water, Soil
Education & Communication
Environmental Education to make more sustainable/green-friendly choices
- “Sustainable Everyday” campaign to promote individual action in support of a sustainable Lawrence
- Offer clear definition of “sustainable”
- Create greater awareness of our connectedness to Earth and recognition of the impact of individual and prevailing lifestyles on ecology
- Education of public and community – all ages, all segments
- Promote understanding of the effects and consequences of consumption
Energy
- Identify options for a more community-wide approach to alternative energy
- Conservation
Food Farming
Community Food/Farming Awareness
- Establish a garden at every school
- Establish more community gardens
- Encourage more farms, farmers, and farmers markets in order to increase community awareness of where food comes from and appreciation of fresh, local, sustainably-produced food.
Solar Energy
- Produce alternate energy and integrate into existing grid
- Take advantage of upcoming opportunities for updating Township buildings
Community Integrated Pest Control
Reduce pesticide use
- Use pesticides only when needed
- Use cultivation techniques to control pests
- Use safer pesticides registered by EPA
- Integrate all above methods
Economics
Tax incentives for
- Hiring locally
- Solar Panels
- Green Construction
Green Building
Green Construction
- Prepare description of elements of 'green' building (environmentally friendly, long lasting, sustainable) including external and internal components (may rely on already extant definitions and develop a program for township certification and financial incentives for those who incorporate green elements and technologies.
- Each home an environmentally sustainable system (use of solar, gray water, geothermal, etc.)
Inclusion
- Ensure access and promote involvement of all groups in Sustainable Lawrence
- All citizens of Township involved in process of planning and implementing sustainable Lawrence
First Steps
- ID community segments
- Develop concise message to invite involvement
- Determine how to make contact with community segments
- Make sure we are not forgetting anyone
- Support inclusion efforts for all SL task forces
- ID Sustainable Lawrence Project that might meet the needs of community segments
Inter-Connected Bicycle/Pedestrian System
Linking all neighborhoods (geographic, ethnic, and religious) to each other.
- Bike/pedestrian trails and paths as a means of exchange across cultures
- Opportunities for exposure to Lawrence’s cultural and biological diversity
- Resource (e.g. tools) sharing and 2nd hand exchanges
Purposes
- Assure human, social needs are satisfied through out Lawrence
- Broadening support and commitment to achieve these goals
- Enhance opportunities for cross cultural enrichment and sharing ideas from multiple perspectives.
Multiple Town Centers
We envision Lawrence Township with multiple town centers, each with its unique combination of offices, homes, stores, and civic entertainment functions, offering a large portion of the Town's population the opportunity to spend time in their own neighborhood without having to travel long distances.
Town centers will be:
- Mixed use developments
- Human in scale, (welcoming, vibrant, meeting basic needs)
- Pedestrian and bike-friendly
- Serve as transportation hubs
- Green construction
- Safe
- Town square/Green for gatherings
Open Space
Mission: Preservation of open space contributes to positive sustainability in Lawrence. Open space and contiguous greenways provide natural habitats for birds and animals, help purify ground water running into streams, protect trees from destruction and allow growth of new seedlings in natural ways. Open space provides opportunities for passive recreation - hiking, walking, photography, x-country skiing, birding etc. It enables us to live in harmony with Earth.
Recycling
Recycling Revolution
"Lawrence Recycling Revolution" is dedicated to the reduction of waste through effective recycling. LRR operates numerous centers for convenient and accessible participation. LRR manages a dynamic web interface for the exchange of commonly used items.
Transportation
Public Transportation
- System of local and regional services
- Local routes connect neighborhoods to town centers, schools, etc.
- Regional Routes are part of Mercer Middlesex Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
- Connects to route 1 centers (employment), Trenton, Princeton, train stations (Trenton, Hamilton, Princeton Junction).
- Town centers include attractive and convenient BRT stations.
- Vehicles are fully accessible and zero or near-zero emissions.
- Fare collection is electronic (Like EZ pass) and low cost.
- Roads retrofitted to allow BRT to bypass congestion and provide competitive travel times.