Our Core Principles

Mission

PLAN-Boulder County seeks to:

• Build on our 60-year history of transformative community organization.
• Protect and enhancing Boulder County’s environment and unique character.
• Reduce our carbon footprint and environmental impact.

We are a future-focused, citizen-led grassroots activist organization that uses education, political action, and encouragement of good governance to advocate for public—not special—interests.

We’re here for you. We’re here for the environment. And we’re here to stay.

Our Core Principles

Vision

Our vision is of a largely open, undeveloped, and scenic Boulder County that coexists in harmony with the surrounding ecosystem. This includes vibrant, compact, self-contained communities, each with its own distinct identity. We support agricultural land preserved as working farms and important habitats conserved for wildlife and native flora. Within the City of Boulder and neighboring towns, we envision community-driven development and transportation planning that minimizes greenhouse gas emissions and promotes strong and welcoming neighborhoods. We foster diversity and inclusivity by supporting the preservation and creation of ample affordable housing and small businesses, and by promoting good governance. We want all citizens to have a voice in creating our community’s future.

Our Core Principles

Principles

• Preserve open space as a means to create buffers between communities, conserve important wildlife habitat, provide for sustainable local agriculture, and as a scenic backdrop and place for recreation and renewal.
• Growth should be carefully controlled and directed to meet community goals of housing affordability, environmental sustainability, neighborhood identity, and preserving the high quality of life in Boulder County. Growth should pay for itself to the greatest extent possible.
• A better balanced transportation system is required to promote public transit, bicycle commuting, and pedestrian travel, and provide for smarter  (and less) use of automobiles.
• Regional cooperation and planning are essential for open space acquisition, land use, transportation, recycling and waste management.
• Citizen engagement, information, transparency, and public involvement in planning processes and community governance is essential.
• PLAN-Boulder County supports diversity of people and housing choices within the City of Boulder and Boulder County, as well as opportunities for personal growth and achievement.
• Reduce per capita and community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by increasing energy efficiency, energy conservation, and adoption of renewable energy sources.