Safe
Our community is welcoming and inclusive, ensures everyone is safe and cared for during emergencies and in day-to-day life and provides reliable infrastructure to keep our air, water and land clean.
Policies Related to Safe Value
The city and county prioritize climate action that reduces and works to eliminate the production of climate warming emissions while growing the community’s resilience and adaptive capacity, preparing people, buildings, infrastructure and natural systems for changing conditions. The city recognizes that those least responsible for climate change often face the worst impacts. The city will advance climate justice by prioritizing support for those most affected by climate impacts and advance climate equity by distributing resources, benefits and burdens of climate actions in ways that ensure everyone has a fair outcome.
The city and county plan and design public buildings, facilities and infrastructure that integrate nature-based solutions and natural infrastructure elements to enhance natural systems, increase biodiversity, increase resilience to hazards, reduce urban heat, increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, improve water use efficiency, manage stormwater and provide health and social benefits for community members.
The city manages stormwater and flood risk through a comprehensive approach that emphasizes site-level drainage practices and the safe conveyance of flows through Boulder Creek and its tributaries. Urban development incorporates stormwater practices, such as natural infrastructure, that slow, absorb, store and treat runoff at the source.
The city preserves and manages greenways to manage and mitigate flooding, support multifunctional landscapes and ecosystem services, protect cultural resources and offer passive recreation and off-street multi-use transportation amenities.
The city enhances and maintains tree canopy, healthy vegetation and other cooling strategies to reduce the impacts of extreme heat. Efforts to improve or increase cooling and heat management strategies will prioritize vulnerable populations while balancing the need for wildfire risk reduction and water conservation.
The city and county prioritize source water protection and watershed planning efforts to protect and improve water quality of creeks and reservoirs for drinking water, aquatic life, agricultural uses and recreation. The city will pursue wastewater treatment processes to achieve water quality improvements, energy efficiencies and resource recovery, including biosolids reuse.
The city and county partner with state and federal agencies to promote wildlife and land use management practices that minimize human conflicts with wildlife while conserving, restoring, and connecting habitat in the Boulder Valley. When the presence of wildlife conflicts with people or land use, or is a public health concern, the city and county will partner with state and federal agencies to use a range of humane, effective, cost-conscious and ecologically responsible management approaches.
The city and county consider hazards that present a danger to life and property like flood, drought, wildfire, steep slopes, erosion, unstable soil, subsidence or similar geological constraints when analyzing proposals for development. The city carefully regulates urban development and redevelopment in these areas to mitigate risks and avoid hazards to the extent reasonably practicable.
The city and county protect people and property from flood hazards through the implementation of high priority flood mitigation projects that also consider equity, ecosystem function and climate change. These actions will be supported by outreach and education initiatives to enhance community preparedness. To the extent feasible, floodways will be preserved or restored to maintain natural floodplain functions, major drainageways will be adequately maintained and infrastructure located within floodplains will be designed, upgraded or managed to improve resilience to current and future climate conditions.
The city and county seek to reduce emissions and improve both indoor and outdoor air quality to protect public health, enhance community well-being, and support climate goals. Strategies should pursue local and regional solutions to address everyday pollutants as well as acute risks such as wildfire smoke.
The city and county pursue energy resilience so that critical services and emergency infrastructure can operate during power outages. The city supports development of resilience hubs and evacuation sites capable of delivering power, essential services and supporting community members during outages and other emergencies.
The city and county prioritize safety when investing in the transportation system and pursuing Vision Zero. Vision Zero aims to reduce the number of traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries to zero. The city uses a holistic, data-driven approach to identify safety risks and proactively implement improvements to reduce risk and improve crash outcomes. Safety is prioritized in investments, project design, project delivery and programs, such as Safe Routes to School.
The city designs, builds and maintains infrastructure that withstands and recovers from disasters and disruptions, such as extreme weather events or socioeconomic challenges. Infrastructure is built to contribute to long-term sustainability goals while incorporating measures to enhance resilience to shocks and stresses.
The city manages risk and employs progressive and holistic, community-based problem solving and crime prevention strategies that address the root cause of harm to support a safe community, safe schools, safe public spaces and safe participation in active public life.
The city and county collaborate with local, regional and state partners to avoid, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from natural and human-made disasters and public and environmental health risks. The city and county support community education, pre-disaster planning and preparedness for disasters. Following disruptions or disaster, the city and county facilitate a supportive and efficient response and recovery.
The city and county are committed to creating and sustaining a fire adapted community through a coordinated, region-wide approach to fire and wildfire resilience and prevention throughout the Boulder Valley. Strategies will address the full spectrum of fire and wildfire risk, including urban conflagration, while enhancing public safety, promoting equitable protection and supporting efficient and effective response and recovery. The city considers an integrated approach to wildfire risk, including emergency management planning and egress capacity, when evaluating development within mapped wildfire ignition zones.