Community Development Goal 1: Reduce the number of low-skilled, low-income citizens in the city.
Action Step 1: Creation of a series of grants for inhabitants living/businesses operating in lower-income neighborhoods of the city to provide funds for property improvement/maintenance projects.
Action Step 2: Upon agreement with Community B, we would like to establish branch campus(es) of their universities, with courses focusing on technology and other high-skilled trades within the city. Ideally, tuition would be entirely covered for specific low-income
residents in the city who show drive and excel in school. This bypasses low-skill jobs by creating high-skill workers, as well as a new source of employment via the branch campus.
-Like COTA/CABS at OSU, create campus transportation tied to existing public bussing
Action Step 3: Expansion of infrastructure maintenance/improvement projects, providing low-education, well-paying city jobs for those who cannot/will not benefit from educational programs
-With a particular focus on the roads, utility, and structural maintenance, sustainable and appealing infrastructure will bring local business, helping unify neighborhoods, supporting both natural and social capitals.
-Projects such as demolishing derelict buildings and replacing them with parks/green space can address the lack of natural capital
-Projects that address vacant lots and unused housing can improve the appearance and efficiency of New Highland
Community Development Goal 2: Strengthen “green” natural capital that New Highland lacks.
Reconstructing aged infrastructure from New Highland’s urban sprawl with the goal of making
each building and road more eco-friendly with incorporated green spaces and recreations. New
Highland’s lowest capital; natural capital, is the main focus of New Highland’s future. This
goal’s success will encourage alternative sources of renewable energy to the community,
increase natural capital, and promote financial and cultural capitals.
Action Step 1: Create plans for a solar field integrated into the infrastructure in downtown, public spaces to advocate an environmental mindset and bring awareness to nature and development.
-Places of interest for the solar field include urban areas such as parking garages, large corporation headquarters, public squares, and possible rural areas near natural resources.
Action Step 2: Renovate old infrastructure with sustainable engineering to improve greenhouse gas emissions and reinvigorate the city’s history.
-This includes energy-saving lighting and windows, rain barrels, permeable pavement, public gardens, less consumptive raw materials in construction, etc.
-Act on mandated water and sewer improvement throughout the region by communicating water/sewer infrastructure plans and prioritizing development projects with stakeholder groups
Action Step 3: Design educational green spaces where the community can enjoy nature, learn about environmental impact, and strengthen social ties.
-Creating parks throughout strategically located areas with pre-existing natural resources such as ponds, trees, and grassy areas for community members to enjoy natural ecosystems, escape urban surroundings, and socially interact.
Community Development Goal 3: Identify areas with limited access to fresh foods and create affordable markets that encourage cultural cohesion, sustainable production, and educational health information.
Action Step 1: Upgrade the existing GIS data to create an up-to-date spatial analysis of grocery stores, markets, and basic supplies in relation to residential areas.
Action Step 2: Design public gardens for youth programs working with the Soil & Water Conservation District, other environmentally-focused organizations, the public education systems, and diverse stakeholders.
Action Step 3: Expand employment opportunities through food services and identify “food deserts” throughout the city, implement Nutrition Information in all public schools (program with school lunches) and increase government funding for Ohithere organizations
working to address food security in the urban area.
Community Development Goal 4: Minimize negative externalities associated with New Highland’s overpopulation.
Action Step 1: Pollution of CO2 from the transportation sector will be minimized. Implementing mass public transportation subsidies promote more use of cheap and fast electric trains and buses to reduce personal CO2 footprints. Taking this step will benefit natural and built capital, two struggling areas of New Highland.
Action Step 2: Congestion of transportation and people will be minimized. Traffic efficiency is important in New Highland because of sensitivity to overpopulation hence action was taken for modern transportation systems. Establishing carpool incentives such as reserved
carpooling lanes on the highways reduces the total number of personal vehicles used in and around New Highland. Inside of the city, mobility is made fluid by the action of updating transportation infrastructure, designing efficient in-and-out roads supported heavily with sidewalks and bridges accessible for everyone. New Highland is distinguishing itself from other big cities that struggle with old infrastructure design and inaccessibility.
Action Step 3: Income inequality is the most important action step of this minimization goal. Fixing income inequality is the most significant action because income inequality is the biggest negative externality and daunts New Highland’s social capital. Housing segregation of New Highland is being addressed by leveling property tax and sales tax in every party of the city. Integration through fair tax zones of New Highland’s urban sprawl is the action taken to fix New Highland’s social capital, allowing low-income citizens to live with high-income citizens is the integration New Highland scopes. Affordable taxes that promote integration brings multiple benefits. When a city is integrated, access to equal education is available for both high and low-income citizens. When a city is integrated, access to local amenities like green spaces will be equal for all citizens.