The 1998 Sustainability Accords:

The 1998 Sustainability Accords are both a first step and a final product. The fifteen statements were distilled from a far larger set of objectives and concerns, using two criteria: the urgency or immediacy surrounding the objective and the degree to which it is related to the other objectives. Highest priority was assigned to those objectives for which reliable, factual information could be obtained. These data allow for the measurement of trends, either toward or away from sustainability.

Encourage and maintain strong ties between the region’s urban and rural areas

Strive for a size and distribute the human population in ways that preserve vital resources

Retain the natural habitat

Ensure water quality and quantity are sufficient to support people and ecosystems

Optimize the use and re-use of developed land and promote clustering

Promote appropriate scale for land uses

Retain farm and forest land

Develop attractive and economical transportation alternatives

Conserve energy

Provide educational and employment opportunities

Increase individual participation in neighborhoods and communities

Creation of the Sustainability Accords

The Thomas Jefferson Sustainability Council was created in 1994 by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. The diverse group of farmers, business people, foresters, environmentalists, developers and elected officials - 34 citizens representing the six localities of the district - was given the charge to "describe a future where our economic, human, social, and environmental health are assured." The Council addressed the areas of: human population, basic human needs, economic development, transportation, land development, waste, values/ethics, community awareness, interdependence/balance, government, natural environment, and agriculture/forestry. Over a four-year period and with the assistance of hundreds of members of the public at forums and in working groups, a mission statement, a delineation of the Principles which govern a sustainable community, and the Goals, Objectives, and Indicators and Benchmarks of a sustainable region were developed.

Taken together, the Accords create an agenda on which the community can agree. Taken individually, each one provides an opportunity for individual and community action toward sustainability for the region. The Accords were presented to the public on June 16, 1998, where they were signed by many citizens and local elected officials. They have since been included as part of the comprehensive plans of the County of Albemarle and the City of Charlottesville.