Official City of Albuquerque
Five Year Goals and Desire
Community and Customer Conditions

People of all ages have the opportunity to participate in the community and economy and are well sheltered, safe, healthy, and educated.

1. Residents are literate and educated and engaged in the educational processes.
2. All levels of government, educational institutions, and the community collaborate to ensure that youth achieve desired educational outcomes.
3. Residents are healthy and have access to health care, mental health care, and recreation.
4. Safe, decent and affordable housing is available.
5. The community collaborates to support the responsible social development of youth.
6. Families are healthy and stable.
7. Senior citizens live and function in optimal environments.

Citizens are safe, feel safe and secure, and have trust and shared responsibility for maintaining a safe environment.

1. Residents feel safe in their neighborhoods, schools, and the community.
2. Residents are safe from crimes against persons and property.
3. Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians operate knowledgeably, safely, and courteously, so that travel on city streets is safe.
4. Residents, including youth, and public safety agencies work together to prevent crime and respond to life safety issues in order to create a safe community.
5. Domestic animals are responsibly cared for and provided safe and healthy home environments.
6. The community is prepared to respond to emergencies, natural disasters, catastrophic acts and other events that threaten the health and safety of the public.

Ensure that all existing communities are adequately and efficiently served with well planned, coordinated, and maintained sewer, storm, water and road systems and an integrated multi-modal regional transportation system. Ensure that new development is efficiently integrated into existing infrastructures and that the costs are balanced with the revenues generated.

1. A reliable water system meets health and safety standards
2. Wastewater systems meet quality standards.
3. The storm water systems protect lives and property.
4. Technological infrastructure, is accessible to all.
5. Residents have safe and affordable transportation options that meet the public’s needs.
6. The street system is well designed and maintained.

Guide growth to protect the environment and the community’s economic vitality and create a variety of livable, sustainable communities throughout Albuquerque.

1. Parks, open space, recreation facilities, and public trails are available, accessible, and strategically located, designed and maintained.
2. Neighborhoods with civic and commercial destinations within walking distance are an available choice.
3. Medium to high-density neighborhoods that contribute to a more compact urban form are an available choice.
4. The downtown area is vital, active, safe, and accessible.

Protect and enhance Albuquerque's places and natural environment — its mountains, river, Bosque, volcanoes, arroyos, clean air and underground water supply.

1. Air, land, and water systems protect health and safety.
2. Water resources are sustainably managed, conserved & protected to provide a long term supply & drought reserve.
3. Solid wastes are produced no faster than natural systems and technology can process them.
4. Open Space, Bosque, the River and Mountains are preserved and protected.
5. Residents participate in caring for the environment and conserving natural resources.

Achieve a vital, diverse, and sustainable economy in which businesses and residents have opportunities for success.

1. The economy is diverse and broad-based.
2. The economy is vital, prosperous and consistent with local and regional resources.
3. There are abundant, competitive career oriented employment opportunities.

Residents are fully and effectively engaged in the life and decisions of the community to:
• promote and enhance our pride, cultural values and resources; and,
• ensure that Albuquerque’s community institutions are effective, accountable and responsive.

1. Residents are active participants in civic and public affairs.
2. Residents participate in community organizations and sporting
and cultural events.
3. Residents are well informed of current community conditions.
4. Residents appreciate, foster, and respect Albuquerque’s arts and cultures.

Government is ethical and accountable; every element of government contributes effectively to meeting public needs.

ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS
1. Leaders work together for the good of the community.
2. Leaders cooperate and coordinate with the other governments in the MRCOG region.
3. Government and its leaders are responsive to changing community and customer conditions.
ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT
4. Customers conveniently access city services and officials.
5. Customers can participate in their government by accessing information about services, policies, community conditions, regulations, etc.
INTERNAL SERVICES
6. Financial assets are maximized and protected, and analyzed and reported accurately, understandably, and usefully.
7. City assets are protected while responding fairly to inappropriate City actions.
8. Products, services, and materials are obtained efficiently, fairly, and in a timely manner.
9. City services, operations, and finances are measured and audited, as needed, and meet customer needs.
10. Competent, well-trained motivated employees contribute to the achievement of City goals and objectives.
11. The work environment for employees is healthy, safe and productive.
12. City staff is empowered with information and have information processing capacity.
13. Rights of way are obtained and managed and their use maximized for the public’s benefit with fair compensation for use.
14. City real property is effectively obtained and managed in the public’s interests, & disposed of when public purpose has changed.
15. City fixed assets, property, and infrastructure meet City goals and

ABOUT THE VISION AND GOALS

The sources of the vision statement and goals are the Albuquerque Goals Forums in June 1998 and 2002. At each event, approximately one hundred and fifty people, representing a cross-section of the Albuquerque community from many different organizations, participated in discussions regarding their desired future. The City Council has officially adopted these statements as a guide to City programs and budget. The goals provide purpose to city programs, answering "Why are we doing this?" and "What are we trying to accomplish?" with limited resources.
Implementation of the vision and goals is shared between the city and other groups. The goals are interdependent, and coordination across institutional lines is needed. Progress will be made only if there is ownership, responsibility, commitment, and accountability throughout the community behind the goals.

KEY ATTRIBUTES OF THE VISION

At both the 1998 and 2002 Goals Forums two key ideas emerged as the major strengths of Albuquerque: the diversity of the people and the beauty of the natural environment. The vision emphasizes those assets so that the quality of life that we now enjoy continues to be here and even improved for our children. At the 2002 Forum, participants offered a way of bringing these two concepts together in the phrase open minds, open lands.

Diversity

A commitment to diversity is strongly valued by the Albuquerque community. People believe that this is our greatest human asset that makes us different from other places.
The following comments are representative from the 1998 and 2002 Goals Forums:
• We want to preserve and celebrate our differences. We want to keep our individual types and hope that differences wouldn’t generate conflict. We don’t want to be a city of one.
• Albuquerque is a mosaic, not a melting pot.
• Albuquerque has creativity and vibrancy in its openness to new ideas and sense of hope.
Other places, such as New York, may be more "diverse" in terms of the number of types of people. But we can do a better job of coming together as a city, Albuquerque has a unique awareness and appreciation of differences—in a positive way-- that can be built upon and strengthened in our vision.

Community building

How people relate to each other is key to making the diversity of our people a strength. All children should have the opportunity to learn about other cultures. We need places where those of different cultures, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. can come together to build relationships with those who are different and find what we have in common. We need a strong civic life.

Interaction among diverse groups is essential for our community to thrive. The key ingredient is "mutual respect" in how people treat each other. A state of "harmony" should not be the goal because too often the maintenance of harmony masks the reality of tensions beneath the surface. Instead, we need to manage conflict and work together with respect. The concept of respect for differences is key.

Our community needs a strong commitment to civic participation. All people should have access to education and civic process. We should strive for "everyone to have a voice and be heard."

Environment

Our natural setting is the other outstanding asset that makes Albuquerque uniquely beautiful and enchanting. Phrases descriptive of Albuquerque's particular natural setting are its high, dry desert climate, light, clear skies and "oasis" location. We need to enhance or improve our environment to maintain these highly valued qualities.

Both the 1998 and 2002 Goals Forums were concerned about growth--the need for sustainable community development at the neighborhood level and the importance of growth strategies, including infrastructure and transportation alternatives.

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