Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 10/09/2014

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Livability Livability focuses on the quality of our residents' lives and experiences in the region, and how places and infrastructure create and enhance the quality of life that makes our region a great place to live. Enhancing livability means: • Increasing access to nature and outdoor recreation through regional parks and trails • Providing transportation choices for a range of demographic characteristics and economic means • Supporting bicycle facilities to promote bicycling for transportation, recreation, and healthy lifestyles • Aligning resources to support transit - oriented development and walkable places, and • Promoting healthy communities and active living through land use, planning, and investments. Sustainability Sustainability seeks to protect our regional vitality for generations to come by preserving our capacity to maintain and support our region's well -being and productivity over the long term. The region's investments in prosperity, equity, and livability will fall short over the long term if the region exhausts its resources without investing in the future. Thrive Principles Thrive identifies the principles of integration, collaboration, and accountability to carry out the Council's work. The three principles reflect the Council's efforts to integrate policy areas, support local governments and regional partners, and promote and implement the Thrive regional vision. Each principle is explained below. Integration Integration is the intentional combining of related activities to achieve more effective results, using multiple policy tools to address complex regional challenges and opportunities. The Thrive outcomes described above are lofty ideals that cut across the Council's functions and responsibilities, thereby requiring the Council to use its full range of authorities and activities in more coordinated ways. Achieving integration involves moving beyond organizational silos and coordinating effectively with partners and stakeholders throughout the region. Collaboration Collaboration recognizes that shared efforts advance our region most effectively toward shared outcomes. Addressing the region's issues requires collaboration because no single entity has the capacity or authority to do the work alone. For the Council, acting collaboratively means fostering shared strategies, supportive partnerships, and reciprocal relationships. It also represents convening the region's best thinkers, experts, and stakeholders to address complex regional issues beyond the