The Village Project is a citizens' group advocating land use and transportation reform in North Carolina. Our primary mission is the creation of more walkable communities and preservation of the rural landscape. We believe this is necessary for environmental, fiscal and public health reasons and is desirable for restoring and increasing the vitality and intimacy of our communities. Open space is best preserved by using land in traditional patterns that organize structures, people and activities in compact forms that encourage walking, biking, and use of public transit. In order to tread more lightly on the Earth, thus more responsibly for the sake of future generations, we must diminish the ecological footprint of growth.