1999 Grant Recipient Information
Utah

Envision Utah
Greater Wasatch Area, Utah

Abstract

Utah has become well known for its rapid economic growth, high quality of life, and unique beautiful environment. A desirable place to live, Utah has seen its population reach the two million mark during 1996, with a growth rate more than twice the national average. The increased demands that this population growth puts on Utah's infrastructure and natural resources will greatly threaten Utah's fragile natural environment, the efficiency of transportation systems, economic health, and high quality of life. A Baseline Study authored by the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget projects that the Greater Wasatch Area, where four out of five Utah residents live, will grow from the current 1.6 million residents, to 2.7 million by 2020, with the possibility of reaching 5 million residents by 2050.

The goal of Envision Utah is the creation of a broadly and publicly supported Quality Growth Strategy-a vision to protect Utah's environment, economic strength, and quality of life for our children. The Envision Utah Public/Private Partnership is made up of a diverse and bipartisan group of leaders working the community to create a replicable process for planning and managing rapid growth and development. Envision Utah will actively seek community feedback and participation to assist in the development of a publicly supported Quality Growth Strategy and pursuit of actual implementation of this strategy in the Greater Wasatch Area. Envision Utah will act as agents of change, educate decision-makers, lead, suggest, advise and encourage the development of public policy. The Quality Growth Strategy will guide businesses, residents, and government bodies well into the next century to improve growth management and land use policies and practices.

The Governor's Office of Planning and Budget and The Coalition for Utah's Future are coordinating efforts to sponsor Envision Utah. The Envision Utah Public/Private Partnership respectfully requests the Transportation and Community and System Preservation Pilot Program to consider a proposal of $425,000 to support Phase II of the Envision Utah Project: the development of a draft and final Quality Growth Strategy and pursuit of actual implementation of this strategy in the Greater Wasatch Area. Wasatch Front Regional Council and Mountainland Association of Governments, the two Metropolitan Planning Organizations in the Salt Lake Area, are utilizing their modeling tools to assist Envision Utah in the cost and impact analysis of the alternative growth scenarios. Local, private, and public entities have provided over $3,300,000 in cash and in-kind contributions to support project steps taken to date.

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