Vision:
Quality of Life & Environment
The Overview
Vision | Making
a Difference in the Future
The Vision
Economy | Education
| Health & Safety | Quality of Life & Environment | Infrastructure
Governance | Leadership
Quality of Life & Environment
Vision
The New Century Region is among the most
desirable places in the world to live and work.
Quality of Life & Environment
Strategies
Overall Strategies
Nurture the further
development of high quality arts, cultural and recreational programs, athletics and
tourist attractions while protecting and wisely utilizing our region's greatest assets:
its natural beauty, historic resources and countryside.
Create the New Century
Regional Arts Alliance.
Establish a regional
organization to develop cultural and recreational programs and manage major facilities.
Develop a
comprehensive strategy for planning growth that protects natural resources while
suggesting areas for future growth and development.
Create a master plan
for a system of greenways that connects all areas of the New Century Region and the
region's major attractions.
Use the greenways for
bikes and pedestrians as well as a possible route for regional utility connections.
Set up a system of
measures to determine the New Century Region's quality of life by setting benchmarks in
appropriate areas. Use benchmarks to form the basis for future monitoring to ensure an
improved quality of life.
Establish a Regional
Services Authority to develop and implement agreements among jurisdictions for utilities
and other infrastructure services.
Develop a
comprehensive unified planning process that facilitates orderly growth while protecting
our natural resources.
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Arts, Culture,
Recreation, and Natural & Historic Resources
- Strategy 1: Nurture diverse high quality arts, cultural
and recreational activities.
- Strategy 2: Develop comprehensive recreational programs
for all ages.
- Strategy 3: Move minor league sports up a class, support
NCR's college and university teams, and push for major league sports activities.
- Strategy 4: Preserve the Region's beauty, natural and
historic resources, and countryside.
- Strategy 5: Develop carefully planned access to the
NCR's rivers and lakes with improved recreational opportunities while protecting the
sources of water supply as a competitive advantage for the Region.
- Strategy 6: Develop the Explore Park and all regional
and state-designated cultural attractions such as Center in the Square and the Alleghany
Highlands Arts and Craft Center, Virginia Museum of Transportation, New River, Claytor
Lake, and Smith Mountain Lake.
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Community
- Strategy 1: Create a Positive Regional Identity
- Strategy 2: Encourage neighborhood development while
instilling a sense of community and caring in the neighborhood
- Strategy 3: Maintain a litter free Region
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Growth
- Strategy 1: Set up a system of measures to determine the
New Century Region's quality of life by setting benchmarks in appropriate areas. Use
benchmarks to form the basis for future monitoring to ensure an improved quality of life.
- Strategy 2: Because there will be a long term need for
action at a state level, The New Century Council should seek alliances with other
organizations to encourage the Virginia General Assembly to pass the necessary legislation
to facilitate the creation of a Geographic Information System (GIS), or at least a readily
available data base, across the Region to provide for comprehensive planning and for
furthering the goals of Sustainable Development.
- Strategy 3: Provide for the protection of the high
quality visual environment of the Region.
- Strategy 4: Formalize and expand regional cooperation to
further the goals of Sustainable Development.
- Strategy 5: Develop more skilled labor in the trades.
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People
- Strategy 1: Give the New Century Region citizens a world
view, foster an open society and encourage each person to reach maximum potential.
- Strategy 2: Develop a vibrant support system that would
reduce substance abuse and weapons problems
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Housing
Strategy 1: Increase housing opportunities in all areas
to meet the housing needs in those areas.
- Establish a Regional Housing Information Center with a dual
role: one, to gather and provide information about housing to individuals (e.g. on home
ownership counseling, affordable housing loan programs, low-cost rental housing, assisted
rental housing, fair housing requirements); the second, to serve local governments by
providing information on and assistance in pursuing available state and federal housing
programs.
Strategy 2: Increase housing opportunities in all areas
to meet the housing needs in those areas.
- Support the Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority in
offering its development expertise on a contract basis to other jurisdictions.
Strategy 3: Adopt and enforce building codes for rental
property, establishing basic standards for protecting the health and safety of tenants
regardless of income.
Strategy 4: Encourage employer assisted housing
programs to help lower- and moderate-income employees in buying houses.
Strategy 5: Develop prototype low-cost housing unit
designs that would be acceptable in established neighborhoods and new subdivisions.
Strategy 6: Reform land-development and residential
building regulations to reduce the cost of development while protecting the health and
safety of consumers.
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