In preparation for the production of Cape Cod 2020, the 2005 Cape Cod Sustainability Indicators Report, the Cape Cod Sustainability Indicators Council hosted a series of seven workshops in the winter of 2004 and 2005.   Each workshop was a visioning exercise designed to solicit public input about what is important to Cape Codders for the Council to use in writing the 2005 report. 

The content of Cape Cod 2020 will flow from the visiion, goals and desired outcomes that Cape Coddres identified during these workshops.  Cape Cod 2020 will track indicators that will tell us whether or not are achieving our vision and goals, and will contain a strong action plan.

The important thing to note is that the Sustainability Indicators Project is trying to ensure that dialogue about our goals and actions are integrated so that when we talk about one goal or action, we are also talking about how other goals and actions interact with it.   To use Directed Growth as an example, when we talk about growth and development, we are also talking about infrastructure such as wastewater systems and roads; we are talking about ecosystems and how we treat them; we are talking about affordable housing and the cost of living on Cape Cod; we are talking about the ability of people to access health services; we are talking about the ability of people to get around without a car; we are talking about the price of housing; we are talking about what we may be doing to drive people away from Cape Cod; we are talking about air quality; and we are talking about community character.

Because each goal and action intersects with the other goals and actions in the same manner, when we talk about one of them,we need to talk about all  of  them.  Hopefully, in the end we will come out with an action plan that leads to a sustainable Cape Cod.

Each workshop was dedicated to one of the goals identified in the 2003 Report, An Uncertain Future .   The Council is indebted to the many co-sponsors who worked with us to host the workshop series:

Valued Ecosystems:   Woods Hole Research Center; the Economic Development Council (a department of Barnstable County), and Cape & Islands Renewable Energy Collaborative.

 

Good Health:   Barnstable County Department of Human Services and the Economic Development Council (departments of Barnstable County); Cape Cod Healthcare; the Cape Cod Community Health Center Network; Lighthouse Health Access Alliance; and the Barnstable County Health and Human Services Advisory Council.

 

Continuous Education:   Cape Cod Community College; the Academy for Lifelong Learning; the Cape Cod Foundation; the Economic Development Council (a department of Barnstable County); and the Workforce Investment Board.

 

Accessible Services:   the Economic Development Council, the Department of Human Services and the Cape Cod Commission (departments of Barnstable County); Cape Cod Healthcare; Cape Cod National Seashore; the Cape Cod Foundation; the Lower Cape Community Development Corporation; and the Lower/Outer Cape Community Coalition.

 

Integrated Infrastructure:   the Cape Cod Technology Council; the Economic Development Council and the Cape Cod Commission (departments of Barnstable County).

 

Balanced Demographics:   the Cape Cod Commission and the Economic Development Council (departments of Barnstable County); the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce; Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands; and Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

 

Directed Growth:   the Homebuilders' and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod; the Association to Preserve Cape Cod; and the Economic Development Council and the Cape Cod Commission (departments of Barnstable County).