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A livable community is one that is safe and secure. It offers choices in where to live and how to get around.

Livable and sustainable communities are safe and healthy. They offer residents choices in where to live and how to get around.

Planning refers to how policymakers design, regulate, and manage the built environment. Land-use, zoning, and developer requirements and incentives help planners guide development patterns.

Extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, and health emergencies can devastate communities. They can destroy housing, transportation networks, businesses, and institutions.

Redevelopment reuses previously developed land to catalyze new economic growth. It can provide new housing options or community amenities.

When done well, community planning spurs economic development that helps all members of a community thrive.

Enhancing livable communities—through projects to improve transportation options, ensure more affordable and accessible housing, and build and maintain public spaces such as parks—requires both ade

Democracies require openness and honesty in government. This means government policymaking and institutions function in public view.

Political advocacy is a cornerstone of democracy. This includes the ability to lobby public officials. However, professional lobbyists may exert outsized influence on policymakers.

Civic engagement can take many forms: individual volunteerism, organizational development and leadership, public service, and electoral participation.