Fee simple purchase is the outright purchase of property by an entity with the purpose of conservation. This is generally the most favorable method for some land owners since it provides them nearly all their property value. Importantly, fee simple purchase is also the only 100% guarantee for protection of important lands held in private ownership. However, it requires significant monetary resources. Many communities are now funding fee simple and purchase of development rights land acquisition programs through general obligation bonds and/or taxes.

Climate Action Plans encompass numerous recommendations and implementation strategies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a community. The City of Albuquerque has composed a Climate Action Plan that includes measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by food and agriculture, which accounts for over 20% of greenhouse gas emissions by Albuquerque residents.

In 2006 the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report on the state of food insecurity of the United States ranking New Mexico last of 50 states in food insecurity. In response to this ranking, Santa Fe made the decision to make changes locally to build better food security in the state.

Fee simple purchase is the outright purchase of property by an entity with the purpose of conservation. This is generally the most favorable method for some land owners since it provides them nearly all their property value. Importantly, fee simple purchase is also the only 100% guarantee for protection of important lands held in private ownership. However, it requires significant monetary resources. Many communities are now funding fee simple and purchase of development rights land acquisition programs through general obligation bonds and/or taxes.

Known for being low cost and easy to implement, water conservation measures like rainwater harvesting are a good first step communities can take to supplement existing water supplies. Santa Fe County was one of the first municipalities to pass a water conservation ordinance that restricts outdoor watering and creates a monitoring program. Ordinance No. 2002-13 recognized that water was a finite resource and made the community vulnerable to drought. The Santa Fe County Board of Commissioners concluded that it was of critical importance to conserve water resources to protect the future of the county. This ordinance focused on residential and commercial uses of water and excluded farmland and ranchland. The Board of County Commissioners felt that the ordinance was necessary to provide sustainable resources for posterity and that it could directly address present concerns related to public, health, safety and welfare.

Water is the key to sustaining a community, ecosystems, and wildlife habitats; without it cities, plants and animals could not exist. The important role of water in our lives is a central reason why it is imperative to conserve the precious resource for future generations.

Santa Fe is an example of a community that integrates concepts of water conservation into their children's classroom curriculum. Teaching young residents about water conservation will likely carry through into their adult lives making them more water responsible residents as adults. Thus, Santa Fe is encouraging a new generation of residents to have a better understanding of the importance of water conservation to their community.

Water is the key to sustaining a community; without it cities could not exist. With the United States population increasing, water resources are precious and scarce in many regions. To meet the growing demand for water, cities particularly those located in arid, desert climates employ water conservation efforts to curb their water consumption.

Santa Fe is New Mexico's capital city with a population of approximately 69,000. The City is working to efficiently use the water supply to serve its residents by reducing water consumption in the region. Santa Fe's Long Range Water Supply Plan is an effort to balance the City's resources and practices to meet current needs and serve residents 40 years into the future. This Plan spurred different water conservation initiatives, in particular an extensive water efficiency rebate program.

Rio Rancho is one of the most desirable and affordable communities in New Mexico, as well as one of the fastest growing communities in the state. Upon incorporating in 1981, Rio Rancho was a city of 10,000 people. To date, Rio Rancho's population has been growing at an exponential rate with dramatic increases expected to be seen in the 2020 Census. To support this growing community, the City of Rio Ranch is engaged in work to acquire, provide, finance, reuse, and conserve their finite water supply to ensure that Rio Rancho grows in a sustainable manner.

Santa Fe's Long Range Water Supply Plan is one in a series of water supply plans implemented by the city over the past few decades. Due to these long-term efforts the per capita water use has dropped from 168 gallons per capita daily (GPCD) in 1995, to 98 GPCD in 2009. This drop in water consumption is largely due to the community's unwavering efforts to implement full and comprehensive water conservation initiatives. As the City of Santa Fe has been successful in its efforts to implement comprehensive water conservation and management plans, it continues striving to meet the demands of a growing community. The plan is an effort to balance the city's resources and practices to meet current needs as well as to supply residents 40 years into the future.

Wind energy is a free, renewable resource for non-polluting electricity that does not emit greenhouse gases, unlike conventional power plants. Wind energy is one of the most cost-effective sources of electricity generation, competing with new installations of other energy sources in wind-rich regions. In 2011, San Miguel County took steps to encourage wind energy generation by approving an ordinance regulating the development of wind farms in the northern part of New Mexico.

In 2011, the County of Lincoln passed an ordinance for the placement, construction, use and modification of wind energy conversion systems (WECS). The county wanted to ensure that WECS were consistent with the County of Lincoln’s land use policies, minimize the potential negative impact of WECS, and establish a fair and efficient process for review and approval of applications.

For many Americans, housing is the number one family expenditure. As the cost of living continues to increase, the demand for affordable housing will also continue to rise. The minimal economic return for developers constructing affordable housing units requires aggressive approaches to meet affordable housing needs. Examples include removing regulatory barriers like impact fees, offering development incentives, implementing mandatory requirements, and providing dedicated funding options.

Los Alamos County is the smallest county in New Mexico and home to Los Alamos National Laboratory. The county's population of 17,950 has the same housing needs as larger counties, which includes affordable housing for the working population. Los Alamos County has taken a number of steps to address the issue of affordable housing. The county waives all building fees for affordable homes, amounting to a savings of $1,000.00 and $1,400.00 per unit. There is an expedited permitting process for residential new construction decreasing the process from four to six months to 15 days from receipt of application. The county underwrites the cost of off-site utility extensions rather than passing that on to the developer and thereby the buyer or renter. Additionally, Los Alamos County provides an incentive for the creation of affordable accessory apartments on existing lots. While development code regulations limit its use, lot splitting is another means that the county provides to promote affordability.

For many Americans, housing is the number one family expenditure. As the cost of living continues to increase, the demand for affordable housing will also continue to rise. The minimal economic return for developers constructing affordable housing units requires aggressive approaches to meet affordable housing needs. Examples include removing regulatory barriers like impact fees, offering development incentives, implementing mandatory requirements, and providing dedicated funding options.

One of the most difficult, yet important aspects of land subdivision is the provision of public open spaces. Similar to other urban amenities, parks are an important quality-of-life factor contributing to a city's livability. The City of Albuquerque passed the Park Dedication and Development Ordinance in 1976 to support urban amenities.

Regulatory policies for steep slopes serve a multitude of purposes. Steep slopes can increase fire danger, contribute to erosion and stormwater runoff, and, depending upon geology, be susceptible to slides. Foothills and ridgetops that contribute to the scenic character of a community can be negatively impacted by development.

In 2009 mining claims were filed on 10,000 acres of Lincoln National Forest, adjacent to private land. The area was in the National Forest where the original Smokey Bear was found in the 1950's. Many homes in the area did not want the forest disturbed by surface mining. To respond to this situation, County of Lincoln, NM passed Ordinance No. 2009-01 to “provide a regulatory framework for the balance between protection of the unique resources of Lincoln County with the furtherance of commercial mining in the county; providing penalties for violation of this ordinance; providing for the severability of parts hereof; repealing ordinances in conflict herein; and providing and effective date.”

The mission of the City of Albuquerque's Capital Improvement Program (CIP), adopted in 1975 and renamed to Capital Implementation Program in 1996, is to enhance the physical and cultural development of the City by implementing the Albuquerque/ Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan as well as other adopted plans and policies. Through a multi-year schedule of public physical improvements, CIP administers approved Capital Expenditures for systematically acquiring, constructing, replacing, upgrading, and rehabilitating Albuquerque's built environment.

Albuquerque, the largest city in New Mexico, struggled in the 1990s with a dismally vacant city center. Decentralization and sprawl has affected a number of downtowns across the nation; however, the City of Albuquerque's efforts to turn around that trend that has proven very successful, causing vacancy rates to drop and greatly increasing visits to the downtown core, bringing back life into the district.

Albuquerque, the largest city in New Mexico, struggled in the 1990s with a dismally vacant city center. Decentralization and sprawl has affected a number of downtowns across the nation; however, the City of Albuquerque's efforts to turn around that trend that has proven very successful, causing vacancy rates to drop and greatly increasing visits to the downtown core, bringing back life into the district.

Santa Fe, with a population of about 68,000, focuses much of its economic development and entertainment on the approximately 1 million tourists that visit per year. Starting in the 1930s, Santa Fe redeveloped the downtown historic plaza in order to draw more tourists to the urban core. However, city residents wanted commercial and entertainment to serve the needs of the local residents. In this pursuit, the Santa Fe Railyard became a center of transit-oriented development that supports local business and represents the community's culture.

In January of 2002, Los Alamos County, New Mexico began a six month process to develop a community vision that would guide an update to the County Comprehensive Plan. The previous planning efforts in which the county had engaged all ended in failure. This time, they wanted to do it right. They contracted with The Community Store, a small consulting firm with expertise in visioning and facilitation. The consultant devised a planning framework for the development of the vision that followed chronologically through four principles: