1000 Friends Of Wisconsin Inc

1000 FRIENDS OF WISCONSIN PROMOTES LAND USE POLICIES AND ACTIVITIES THAT ADVANCE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, POSITIVE ECONOMIC OUTCOMES AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS IN WISCONSIN.

WE CONTINUED OUR FOCUS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNITY DESIGN AND TRANSPORTATION TO HELP BUILD BETTER PLACES TO LIVE. WITH AN EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPING TRANSIT CONNECTIONS, WE CAN HELP RESIDENTS SAVE MONEY BY REDUCING THEIR DEPENDENCE ON CARS AND GASOLINE. WE CONTINUED OUR WORK PROMOTING STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION POLICY THAT USES "FIX IT FIRST" METHODS RATHER THAN WASTEFUL HIGHWAY EXPANSION AND PROVIDES MORE EQUITABLE, ACCESSIBLE TRANSIT OPTIONS. WE ARE LEADERS OF THE COALITION FOR MORE RESPONSIBLE TRANSPORTATION THAT WORKS ACROSS THE STATE HOLDING FORUMS AND GATHERING STORIES TO BUILD OUR CASE FOR EQUITABLE AND AFFORDABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. OUR ACTIVE WISCONSIN PROGRAM PROMOTES BIKE, PED AND ROLLING INFRASTRUCTURE. THIS IS THE KEY TO HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, FEWER GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, AND ACCESS BEYOND JUST MOTOR VEHICLES.

WHEN DISCUSSING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION STRATEGIES, THE FOCUS TENDS TO BE ON ENERGY I.E., SWITCHING TO RENEWABLES. A CRITICAL AREA THAT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED IN COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE IS URBAN AND REGIONAL LAND USE PLANNING. HOW COMMUNITIES ARE DESIGNED AND HOW PEOPLE MOVE AROUND THEM HAS BOTH SHORT AND LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES FOR MITIGATING AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE. WE ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF FIGHTING FOR AN EQUITABLE CARBON NEUTRAL TRANSPORTATION FUTURE. WE LEAD THE WISCONSIN CLIMATE TABLE, A NETWORK OF OVER 30 ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TOGETHER FOR EQUITABLE SOLUTIONS TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS. THE CLIMATE TABLE HAS DEVELOPED A TOOL TO HELP MUNICIPALITIES CENTER EQUITY IN CLIMATE ACTION TOOL KIT FOR EQUITY AND JUSTICE IN LOCAL CLIMATE PLANNING.

WE ARE FOCUSED ON MAKING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN GOOD COMMUNITY DESIGN AND PROTECTION OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. EVERYTHING THAT WE DO ON THE LAND TOUCHES SOMETHING ELSE. WE ADDRESS POLICIES IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE TOO FREQUENTLY UNDERESTIMATED IN THEIR IMPORTANCE TO PROTECTING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. WE HAVE NEVER STRAYED FROM OUR OBJECTIVE TO CURB SPRAWL THROUGH BETTER USE OF OUR LANDS, BUT WE HAVE TAKEN STEPS THAT MANY OTHERS TEND TO OVERLOOK ACHIEVING BENEFITS THAT GO FAR BEYOND ANY ONE COMMUNITY'S BORDERS. WE PROMOTE SOUND LAND USE POLICY THAT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION HOW DEVELOPMENT AFFECTS THE LIVABILITY OF A COMMUNITY. IT CONSIDERS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, EQUITABLE ACCESS TO SERVICES (SUCH AS HEALTH CARE, HEALTHY FOOD, SCHOOLS, ETC.), HEALTH IMPACTS, THE CULTURE OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE WILL OF THE RESIDENTS.