Mission and Vision
Our mission is to help realize, in conjunction with other City stakeholders and players, a sustainable Burlington by 2030. This includes high quality education for all, a healthy natural environment, strong economic growth, and a commitment to social equity. This vision is outlined in the Legacy Action Plan and reflects the input of hundreds of residents and others including business, non-profits, and government representatives.
The Burlington Legacy Plan is based on a common vision that Burlington residents hold for the future of the city. This vision is based on five major themes:
- Maintaining Burlington as a regional population, government, cultural, and economic center with livable wage jobs, full employment, social supports, and housing that matches job growth and family income
- Improving the quality of life in neighborhoods
- Increasing participation in community decision-making
- Providing youth with high-quality education and social supports, and lifelong learning opportunities for all
- Preserving environmental health
The Legacy Project uses ‘indicator data’ to illustrate and measure the successes and shortcomings in realizing our vision, which is founded upon comprehensive, integrated, and strategic community development philosophy. By analyzing these indicators, we are able to evaluate the present, make actions for the future, and coordinate with the community in order to achieve sustainability by 2030.
WHERE WE ARE:
In many ways Burlington is working towards achieving its sustainable 2030 vision and yet there is much work to be done. There are still multiple areas in the five themes that require more work, more coordination, more creativity, and more research before we reach 2030. In the 2010 Burlington Town Meeting, the Legacy Project unveiled its Report Card 2010 of Burlington’s 2030 Vision. For each of the five main themes a score from 1-5 was given, 5 being “accomplished” and 1 being “unaccomplished.” Out of the five themes, Governance and Neighborhoods were the lowest scoring categories (scoring 2.0 and 2.5 respectively), while the other three received a score of 3.0. The overall grade for the progress of the Burlington Legacy Project is 2.5.
ACTION:
Progress towards this vision will require broad-based collaboration among a diverse range of government entities, businesses, organizations, educational institutions, health care providers, neighborhood groups, and individual citizens. Each must take responsibility for portions of this vision by providing direction, commitment, and resources to fully grasp the plan, its potential, and our collective vision.
COORDINATION:
The Legacy Plan is a comprehensive, holistic take on creating a sustainable community for all. Therefore, many people of all walks of life must work together to create this vision in a timely and realistic, yet inspired fashion. Non-profits will work closely with government, schools and businesses to implement Legacy Plan actions. City schools will help shape curricula that provide youth with skills to thrive in life. Higher education schools will work as partners with the city in alternative housing to aid in the housing crush as well as tap into the expertise and energies of faculty, administrators, and a vibrant student body. The government will use both “top-down” and “bottom-up” approaches and will be an essential element in building understanding of and commitment to sustainability at the regional level.