The greenprint for the Mid-South Regional Greenprint and Sustainability Plan has been revealed and is set to make Memphis more eco-friendly by 2040. The plan includes improving public transportation systems and enhancing sustainable uses for area green spaces.

The plan is geared towards enhancing “regional sustainability by establishing a unified vision for a region-wide network of green space areas.” The first draft of the plan was released in 2013, with a $2.6 million grant in order to have it prepared.

Within the text of the plan it states that “while downtown Memphis is a critical hub for population, employment, and commerce, the spread of population and employment densely extends throughout the region, suggesting the need for greater connectivity to population and employment across all modes of transportation.” One of the target goals is to foster a healthier Mid-South by means of more transportation options, better food options, and promoting more physical activity. Some of those physical activity improvements include 196 miles of bicycle-friendly streets.

Fair housing is also a main focal point, in which the plan describes efforts to offer fair housing by increasing access to neighborhoods for people with disabilities and lower incomes. Essentially, the plan outlines that it would like to have more people moving to nicer neighborhoods within the community. The offer aims to make neighborhoods more pedestrian-friendly, by increasing access to public transportation and walkability.

Lastly, the plan hopes to improve upon existing parks in the area. Some of the major hubs that will undergo improvements include: West Memphis Eco-Park, Friendship Park, and the new plan for the Loosahatchie River Greenway in Arlington.