Four Clinton School students are assisting Metroplan to develop Central Arkansas in a more sustainable way through advancement of a regional green initiative.
Clinton School students Stephen Bailey of Charlotte, N.C., Burt Hicks of Hot Springs, Ark., Gina Lopez of New Orleans, La., and Britney Sink of High Point, N.C., will work with Metroplan, a regional planning organization focusing on transportation and the environment, to advance the Central Arkansas Green Agenda.
The students are working over the next several months to inventory local governments’ current green practices and create a green certification manual to outline measures to foster sustainability.
The manual will provide a framework for local governments to address needs within the four focus areas of the Green Agenda: movement, power, nature and knowledge. The certification process will create new strategies in all four areas to ensure both small and large city participation.
The students’ work will supplement the Central Arkansas Green Agenda, which was developed by Metroplan in early 2011. By engaging with residents and local leaders throughout the region, Metroplan compiled feasible ways communities, businesses, organizations and individuals can contribute to a greener future for Central Arkansas.
“Developing a certification process is the essential next step for implementation of our Central Arkansas Green Agenda,” said Jasmin Moore, Metroplan community planner and Green Agenda coordinator. “It will set clear strategies for local governments to lead their communities toward a more vibrant, sustainable region.”
Metroplan’s service area consists of Grant, Faulkner, Lonoke, Perry, Pulaski and Saline counties. Metroplan is a council of local governments and the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization responsible for the long-range transportation planning process in central Arkansas.