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Visioning Project - Progress Measures

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The Future of San Mateo County:       Shared Commitments and Measurable Goals For the Next Decade       The Board of Supervisors initiated the San Mateo County Vision Process to give residents the opportunity to define a shared vision for the future of the County. What will the County be like in a decade? What do we want it to look like?       San Mateo County is one of the most attractive, prosperous, and diverse counties in the nation, but it is undergoing tremendous change -- with the emergence of a new information based economy, the influx of new residents, and the physical transformation of its communities. The County is no longer agricultural nor is it simply composed of a set of bedroom communities serving San Francisco. A new kind of regional community that is not traditionally suburban, urban, or agricultural, but rather a blending of all three is emerging in San Mateo County. While struggles among competing visions for the County could arise, the opportunity now exists for San Mateo County to blend the best of each community to achieve a unique and successful cohesive whole.       To this end, the Board of Supervisors set out to create a shared community vision and foster the desire on the part of residents to work together to realize it. The first step was to initiate a process as inclusive as the vision they were hoping to achieve. The Board of Supervisors set up a series of eight community forums across the County and invited ongoing public comment over fours months, including feedback on-line. Some 400 residents came together in town hall style community forums conducted on Saturday mornings and weekday evenings to develop and vote on what should be the County's future priorities.       Out of the visioning process came a set of 10 commitments and 25 goals intended to bring us together -- individual residents, city and county governments, neighborhoods, businesses and community organizations -- to build the best future possible for San Mateo County. Top     An Inclusive Vision: People, Places, Prosperity, and Partnerships       An inclusive vision for San Mateo County will require a blending of our individual aspirations. The challenge is to translate individual values into shared commitments -- to assemble a set of inter-related goals that represent an effective blend of the diverse people and perspectives of the County. Therefore, an inclusive vision for the future of San Mateo County must focus on people, place, prosperity, and partnership.             The vision must focus on people -- the standard of living, education, health and the well being of all the residents. The vision must consider place --- where people live and socialize homes, neighborhoods, natural environments and city centers. The vision must focus on prosperity -- the economy, jobs and quality of life. Finally, the vision must see us all working together in partnerships -- individuals, groups, organizations and governments -- to ensure that San Mateo County achieves the future it desires. These are the four guiding principles under which all of the 10 commitment and 25 goals presented in this report coalesce       Top     PEOPLE   Commitment One: Realize the Potential of Our Diverse Population   Commitment Two: Provide Equal Access to Educational Opportunity   Commitment Three: Ensure Basic Health and Safety for All       PLACE   Commitment Four: Offer a Full Range of Housing Choices   Commitment Five: Redesign Our Built Environment to Increase Vitality, Expand Variety, and Reduce Congestion   Commitment Six: Preserve and Provide People Access to the Natural Environment       PROSPERITY   Commitment Seven: Create Opportunities for Every Household to Participate in the Growing Prosperity   Commitment Eight: Sow the Seeds of Our Future Prosperity       PARTNERSHIPS   Commitment Nine: Responsive, Effective, and Collaborative Government   Commitment Ten: Leaders Work Together Across Boundaries to Preserve and Enhance the Quality of Life     Top IMPLEMENTATION           Visioning Home Page | Board of Supervisors | San Mateo County HOME