9 Why is the SCCP important? The SCCP creates a collaborative understanding of what a model scenic city should prioritize. This establishes a set of standards made available for Texas municipalities to adapt and use while preserving scenic standards in their city. Through collective visioning, Scenic Texas and the 17 program partners worked together to design the structure of ten Visual Tenets that reflect a Scenic City. Collective visioning is an essential element of a sustainable future for Texas. The SCCP has helped cities throughout Texas create plans that align with the collective vision. The Scenic Cities also play a critical role in the constant improvements and revisions to the principles the SCCP adopts. Co-learning between the program and the Certified Scenic Cities has allowed the SCCP to be truly equitable and consistently advancing. Program Benefits: • • • •
Provides expert third-party evaluation of existing standards. Forms a basis for continual review and analysis of development plans. Serves as a platform to educate citizens on the impact of local regulations. Supports economic development efforts.2
Scenic Cities demonstrate a strong commitment to maintaining strong visual standards in their city. Visual standards create a platform for cities to address additional supporting standards. The SCCP uses important concepts to define Scenic Cities including strong scenic standards (1), environmental conservation (2), economic growth and management (3), and sense of place (4). These four critical factors that are the focus of the SCCP are displayed below in Figure 1. Strong scenic standards act as a foundation and a point of access to implement changes that support a sustainable future for Texas cities as our state continues to develop.
2
https://sceniccitycertification.org/certified-cities
