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4 <br /> <br />d. Provide municipal buildings and facilities necessary to serve the community. 4. Housing: Achieve a thriving housing market within the City that offers appealing neighborhoods with diverse housing choices. a. Encourage housing options for all household types, abilities, age groups, and income levels. b. Facilitate a full range of housing types, varying in size, arrangement, style, and amenity. c. Support the renovation of existing housing stock to meet the community’s housing needs. d. Promote the development of workforce housing. 5. Economic Development: Promote a healthy and diversified, and inclusive economy that fosters a competitive business environment and offers opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship. a. Stimulate the creation, retention, and expansion of business, particularly in expanding and export industries. b. Market the City to businesses and developers through a deliberate strategy. c. Encourage economic opportunities in geographies across the City. d. Encourage the use of arts and culture as an economic generator. e. Protect and increase the personal and real property tax base of the area. 6. Sustainability and Environmental Management: Promote sustainable environmental management that enhances the quality of air, water, and land resources, and preserves the St. Joseph River as an irreplaceable resource. a. Utilize principles of sustainable design, development, and practice. b. Facilitate the productive reuse of brownfield properties. c. Expand the role of the St. Joseph River and other waterways as centers for recreation and natural habitat. d. Encourage the preservation and expansion of the urban tree canopy. e. Support the development of projects that promote the health of city residents. 7. Placemaking and the Built Environment: Promote an attractive public realm that preserves and enhances the City’s history and built environment. a. Support walkable urban development. b. Encourage urban design that creates or enhances a sense of place, provides vibrancy, incorporates arts and culture, and fosters safety. c. Integrate parks and trails into the city using urban design principles. d. Prioritize projects that preserve and rehabilitate existing buildings over ones of new construction. e. Support development that is context sensitive and conserves the historical, architectural, and social fabric of the City.