The Vineyard's beautiful, historic, and cohesive built environment is among the most remarkable in the country and is an important part of the scenic beauty at the heart of the Island's character, identity, and visitor-based economy.

Traditionally, Martha's Vineyard was made up of historic town and village centers - each with its own distinct character - surrounded by traditional neighborhoods and linked by rural roads lined with stone walls and dotted by roadside farmhouses.

In recent decades, development has sometimes reinforced and sometimes undermined these historic patterns. The Vineyard's unique, coherent, high-quality built environment is increasingly threatened by demolition of significant older buildings, and by the construction of new buildings that are too big, that don't fit their surroundings, or that are not environmentally sound.

The MVC seeks to preserve the Vineyard's distinct built environment in the following areas: 

1. Community Character: Maintaining general character of neighborhoods and the Island as a whole; ensuring that new construction is compatible with existing areas, including minimizing negative impacts on public areas and abutters.
   
   
2. Historic Resources: Paying attention to the areas, buildings, and public spaces with cultural value to the community, including those with historic value, and other resources such as stone walls, landscape features, and artifacts.
   
   
3. Green Building: Increasing the efficiency with which new and existing buildings use resources such as energy, water, and materials, while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment.
   
   
4. Accessibility and Visitability: Designing buildings and settings so they can be used by people with limited mobility, including the Island's aging population.