The Greater Carlisle Project
Choosing a Sustainable Future
The Greater Carlisle Project is bringing together community members for conversations about choosing a sustainable, healthier, economically robust and culturally vibrant future. The goals of the conversations are to galvanize interest in creating a sustainable Carlisle that is a source of strength for the entire Cumberland Valley, forge partnerships, and identify concrete steps to draw together the many positive actions and planning efforts already in motion and move forward toward a sustainable future.
Dickinson College is hosting three meetings to engage community members in the conversations. What comes next will be decided by participants. These web pages provide information about the conversations and about Carlisle, Cumberland Valley and sustainable communities.
What is a Sustainable Community?
There are many different notions of what a sustainable community is. During our conversations, we will share ideas of what a sustainable Carlisle should and can be. Values and characteristics that are commonly voiced as aspirations of sustainable communities, and which can serve as touch points for our conversations, include a robust, innovative local economy that provides good jobs and affordable access by all its members, now and in the future, to quality health care, housing, education, healthful food, and clean, renewable energy. Sustainable communities are forward thinking stewards of the environment that conserve natural resources and provide clean water, clean air, green spaces, greenways and wild places for their children and their children’s children. They are committed to creating a civic life that is inclusive, welcoming, socially just and culturally vibrant.