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About CG3
Concord Greenspace
Concord Greenspace (CG3) is a grassroots, all-volunteer, 501c3 Non-Profit organization advocating for smart growth, equitable development and local climate action in Concord, New Hampshire. "Smart growth" covers a range of development and conservation strategies that help protect our health and natural environment, and make our communities more attractive, equitable, sustainable, and financially resilient. We work to ensure a thriving city and healthy environment for generations to come.
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MISSION
To advocate for smart growth, equitable development, and local climate action in Concord, New Hampshire.
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HISTORY
CG3 was born in April 2022 when residents from all over Concord came together to oppose the City's long standing Langley Parkway Extension Phase 3 plan. We called the movement "Parks Not Parkways". The overwhelming response to this initiative inspired CG3 to continue to protect and promote green spaces in Concord by advocating for equitable, smart, sustainable development and local climate action. We take on projects that fit with at least two out of our three mission priorities: smart growth, equitable development, and local climate action. CG3 is an official chapter of Strong Towns. Please join us!
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VISION
​We envision a Concord in which all residents in all neighborhoods can enjoy living in a city that is healthy, safe, and thriving.
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VALUES
CG3 and its members act with, and are guided by, the following values:​
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Integrity - Acting with strong ethics is a priority for everyone representing the Coalition as well as the Coalition’s behavior as a whole. Honesty, transparency, trust and respect lead our efforts.
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Fairness - Treating everyone with the common decency we all deserve and expect.
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Inclusion - The Coalition will succeed by bringing different lived experiences and a range of backgrounds into a shared environment where everyone has equal voice.
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Humility - No one has all the answers. A culture of continuous learning is a bedrock principle of our Coalition.
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Collaborative Problem Solving - When people work together, they can create something greater than themselves as individuals. The Coalition eagerly partners with other community stakeholders.
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Positive Solutions - not problems.
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Passion - The Coalition takes joy in the work we do and also in the people around us. Together we can be bold, innovative, and creative advocates for our mission.
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"Change happens when ordinary people show up with compassion and courage."
Smart Growth
"Smart growth" covers a range of development and conservation strategies that help protect our health and natural environment and make our communities more attractive, economically stronger, and more socially diverse. It is a development approach that is:
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Environmentally sensitive,
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Economically viable,
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Community-oriented,
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Equitable, and
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Sustainable.
Development decisions will shape Concord for decades to come — our homes, our health, the schools our children attend, our taxes, our daily commute, the economic growth of our community, and our access to our city’s natural resources. What, where, and how communities build will affect their residents' lives for generations to come.
Smart Growth
Communities of all sizes across the country are using creative strategies to develop in ways that preserve natural lands and critical environmental areas, protect water and air quality, and reuse already-developed land. They conserve resources by reinvesting in existing infrastructure and rehabilitating historic buildings. We advocate for these principles in the City of Concord.
By designing neighborhoods that have homes near shops, offices, schools, houses of worship, parks, and other amenities, communities give residents and visitors the option of walking, bicycling, taking public transportation, or driving as they go about their business.
A range of different housing types makes it possible for senior citizens to stay in their neighborhoods as they age, young people to afford their first home, and families at all stages in between to find a safe, attractive home they can afford.
Through smart growth approaches that enhance neighborhoods and involve residents in development decisions, these communities are creating vibrant places to live, work, and play. The high quality of life makes these communities economically competitive, creates business opportunities, and strengthens the local tax base.
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The 10 principles in the diagram, developed several decades ago but unpacked in this guide from US EPA, are considered the foundation of a smart growth approach.
Equitable Development
Equitable Development
Equitable development is an approach for meeting the needs of underserved communities through policies and programs that reduce disparities while fostering places that are healthy and vibrant. It is increasingly considered an effective placed-based action for creating strong and livable communities.
At Concord Greenspace, we envision a Concord in which all residents in all neighborhoods can enjoy living in a city that is healthy, safe and thriving.
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Smart Growth America says it best: "Years of intentional segregation through zoning, redlining, and racial covenants have directed investment away from low-income and minority neighborhoods while keeping people of color out of white communities. Consequently, these disenfranchised communities are dealing with long-standing environmental injustices like living near pollution sources, social exclusion, participatory barriers in decision-making processes, disproportionate levels of poor health outcomes, and a lack of access to health care, neighborhood disinvestment, and inadequate access to jobs and social services."
All Concord residents should enjoy clean air, safe water and sufficient infrastructure, safe transportation, and attainable housing, jobs, and services—regardless of income, race, age, or gender. We must act as more than a collection of individuals, but rather as a unified community sharing and working toward a common future. This is possible through policies, investment and tools like zoning.​
Local Climate Action
Addressing Climate Crisis Locally
Climate change presents an urgent, existential threat to our communities, and those who are most vulnerable in our society today are disproportionately affected. CG3 believes that smart, sustainable development and local climate advocacy are our best strategies for reducing emissions and enhancing preparedness for future climate impacts. Concord Greenspace is working to connect local climate activists, climate focused city committees, with the wider community to come together and advocate for the future of our planet. Join our team!
Steps Toward Climate Action
The City of Concord government has taken several steps to reduce its climate footprint and energy usage, such as:
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Embracing the NH Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050;
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Investing in energy efficiency projects and purchasing green energy for City buildings; and
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Signing the Climate Mayors Agreement to uphold the Paris Climate accord and develop a climate action plan.*
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Concord's Climate Goals​
In 2018, the City adopted a 100% renewable energy goal by unanimous vote of the City Council. The City committed to the following community-wide goals:
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100% of electricity consumed in Concord will come from renewable energy sources by 2030;
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100% of thermal energy (heating and cooling) consumed in Concord will come from renewable energy sources by 2050; and
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100% of transportation in Concord will be clean transportation by 2050.*
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Smart Growth & Climate Refugees
According to the UN, “Climate change [is] now found to be the key factor accelerating all other drivers of forced displacement. Most of the people affected will remain in their own countries. They will be internally displaced.” Concord, like other New England cities, has already seen a surge of internally displaced Americans relocating North, and it is projected that there will be more climate refugees. Careful, smart growth and local climate advocacy now is one of our best strategies for climate resilience.
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