Commercial, cultural, and civic activity will be clustered in the village centre to foster a small town ambience. It is planned that half the population and two-thirds of the jobs will be within a five minute walk of Civano's "downtown". Ideally, Civano businesses will be engaged in solar power and other renewable resource fields, and will provide jobs for some of the residents, thus reducing automobile travel. The plan aims to create one job for every two housing units, although not all jobs will be held by Civano residents.
Harvested or reclaimed water will irrigate vegetation and conserve potable water. Improved collection and disposal methods will facilitate solid waste recycling. Extensive walking and biking paths will reduce car use for internal circulation and create a more livable community. As the population grows, alternate-fuel vehicles, such as natural gas trams, are intended to support local travel with less pollution.