How Will Bowie Look in the Next 100 Years?

Release: City of Bowie

This week, Bowie’s Planning Department began to distribute an online survey to individuals and businesses to collect opinions about sustainability topics. The survey has about 30 multiple-choice and demographic questions, and will be sent to all residents and businesses for which email addresses are available.

The link for the survey will also be on the Green Bowie webpage, and paper copies will be made available in local libraries and community centers. The survey will be available until Jan. 31.

The city has been working on sustainability initiatives - improving local waterways, eliminating invasive plants, increasing the energy efficiency of city buildings, creating rain gardens, managing a weekly farmers market, creating a green business certification program, increasing recycling opportunities, creating a Climate Action Plan, and much more.

In 2016, the city plans to prepare a Sustainability Plan. Community engagement, from individuals and businesses, is critical to its creation. One of the first steps in the process is to understand the extent to which individuals and businesses are familiar with the work that has been done to date, the opinions they have about that work, and an assessment of their own behaviors.

“We have conducted small, directed surveys in the past,” said Joe Meinert, the director of Bowie’s Department of Planning, “and we want to be sure that as we move into this next phase of planning, that we really understand how people feel about their conservation efforts today. We also want to be sure we include the community in the planning process, because their input will be vital to getting the priorities right, and to ensuring their investment in the final plan.”

The city’s Green Bowie effort offers environmental programs throughout the community, and the city received Sustainable Maryland Certification in 2012. The survey is one tool the city will use to validate and/or shore up its efforts for the Sustainable Maryland Certified program, and to begin to develop a Sustainability Plan to guide city priorities, in collaboration with the community.

For more information on the Citizen Survey, visit the Green Bowie webpage or contact Kristin Larson at 301-809-3044.