What is Livability?

What makes a place livable depends on who you ask: a young professional, an older adult, a parent, or a newcomer may all value different things. At the same time, planning organizations have worked to define what livability generally includes. Groups like the American Planning Association and AARP identify core ingredients such as safe housing, reliable transportation, access to services, social connection, that form a shared foundation, even though every person’s experience builds on it in their own way.

Guilford County defines livability as the degree to which people of all ages, abilities, and incomes can experience the opportunity to live, learn, work, and play in a desirable and supportive environment that honors the uniqueness of individuals, a vibrant culture and access to amenities and resources.

Our Goals:

People shopping at an outdoor farmers' market for fresh produce.

Health and Thriving People

Guilford County supports individuals and families to thrive by ensuring access to high-quality health and human services and by promoting physical, mental, and social wellbeing.

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Lifelong Success

Guilford County empowers individuals across their lifespan from early childhood education through lifelong learning, supports upward mobility and long-term prosperity, and promotes sustainable economic development.

Emergency medical technicians providing care for someone on a gurney to be transported on their ambulance.

Safe and Resilient Communities

Guilford County creates a safe, prepared, and resilient community by investing in public safety, emergency response, disaster readiness, and community resilience.

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Sustainable and Vibrant Communities

Guilford County promotes intentionally designed, vibrant, and thriving communities by advancing infrastructure to meet growth demands, engaging in planning and development practices that balance environmental, social and economic factors for all residents, and establishing high quality recreational and green space amenities.

Community members and county staff at a Budget Town Hall meeting at the Jamestown Elementary School gymnasium.

Operational Support and Fiscal Sustainability

Guilford County is committed to attracting and retaining a talented County workforce, ensuring operational excellence and responsible fiscal stewardship for the delivery of sustainable, high-quality public services in partnership with the community.

Strategic Plan

This plan provides a data informed roadmap for where the organization is headed and how it plans to make our community desirable through clearly defined goals. outcomes, strategies and activities. This plan will help guide decision-making and resource allocation. This plan represents the first step in a continuous journey. Outcomes will continue to be refined based on new data. Strategies and activities will be updated annually through the Board’s annual retreat and budget process. Success will be celebrated through an annual report and new challenges will tackled.

Upcoming Public Meetings

Session 1Session 2

When:
To Be Determined (TBD)

Where:
To Be Determined (TBD)

When:
To Be Determined (TBD)

Where:
To Be Determined (TBD)

Submit Your Comments

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Guilford County seeks comments from the public on the strategic plan, and the livability issues that are important to you and your community.

To submit your comments, please fill out each of the fields in the form below.

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