snake.eyes, via Flickr

by Majora Carter, via the Huffington Post

Some would argue — and I’m one of them — that many government programs over the years have had disastrous consequences because they’ve lacked good planning. For example, we have a long and shameful history of dumping coal-fired power plants, along with chemical plants and other poison-spewing facilities, in our poorest urban and rural communities. Those land use decisions made a handful of people wealthy but condemned the millions of people who live nearby to levels of environmental inequality that do not reflect the values of democracy. And they come with huge public health costs that have to be picked up by taxpayers.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

For more than a decade, I’ve worked with communities across the country to create jobs and social service cost savings through green infrastructure and environmental stewardship. Success in this arena depends on a good plan, developed with all those who have a direct stake in the outcome.

Can you imagine someone trying to build a house without a plan? It would be a recipe for disaster. The same is true for programs to create jobs, boost our economy and revitalize ...

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