enVisionGreen

Announcing our new home

2009-10-22T11:11:00.000-04:00

enVisionGreen is happy to announce the launch of our new home; enVisionGreenWorld.

While this site will remain in existence, it will serve as the archives for all of our previous discussions. Please direct your browsers to the new site and enjoy!

Examining New Urbanism...Overall Conclusions

2009-09-09T13:28:00.005-04:00

In today’s society, we are faced with a challenge that will ultimately determine how sustainable our cultural choices regarding our development patterns, transportation choices and consumer-based economy will prove to be.

Suburban sprawl is the product of the combination of all of these choices that continues to negatively affect the environment and threaten the sustainability of our society.

The sustainable response to suburban sprawl is the embracing of smart growth principles as well as the principles of New Urbanism.

This shift in development patterns as well as an overall paradigm shift from consumptionism to conservationism is especially significant in the emerging age of globalization.

As cultures begin to export their economic systems and the associated negative effects of these systems, the embracing of a sustainable form of development and overall environmental practices will help to ensure the overall sustainability of the global community.

Never before has an international effort to reverse the negative effects of unsustainable development patterns and practices been so significant to the health and welfare of the planet’s inhabitants.

The depletion of the rain forests, the desertification of areas due to increased unsustainable industrial practices and the hyper-consumption of non-renewable resources are important environmental issues that must be addressed by the global community.

All of these issues are directly linked with the unsustainable development patterns that have evolved from the practices of the United States. The United States has an opportunity to regain its international status as a responsible leader through the implementation of sustainable development principles.

Through the analysis of the four New Urbanist communities, a matrix has been created that will help developers and designers create truly sustainable communities.

This matrix highlights the six essential qualities that every sustainable community must possess;

(1) a compact and consolidated intensity of uses;

(2) a comprehensive and complimentary diversity of uses;

(3) a contained and consistent extent of uses;

(4) a connected and combined system of communication;

(5) a centered, configured and comprehensible sense of place;

(6) a re-configurable plan that allows for flexibility of uses.

Through the application of smart growth design principles and the embracing of New Urbanism principles, these qualities can be generated in nearly every development that is designed in the new millennium.

The importance of creating sustainable communities has never been more evident in this country than it is today.

We are faced with daily reminders of the negative effects of suburban sprawl as commuters sit in hours worth of traffic delays during seemingly endless commutes, wars are fought over the control of non-renewable resources and access to clean water and productive agricultural lands, communities become faceless and meaningless collections of individualist detached housing that ensures the residents privacy and social segregation and the country faces an obesity epidemic for the first time in its history.

Embracing the qualities of sustainable communities is the most effective tool in combating the negative effects of suburban sprawl that threaten our physical, social, cultural and economic health.

After 1980, you never heard reference to space again. Surface, the most convincing evidence of the descent into materialism, became the focus of design. Space disappeared. -Arthur Erickson

Examining New Urbanism...Design Considerations

2009-09-07T10:02:00.005-04:00

Pedestrian Circulation & Open Space Planning Analysis

A major component of smart growth, New Urbanism and sustainable design are the integration and celebration of the pedestrian and accessible open space.

All of the developments described in this study have successfully created progressive pedestrian circulation systems and development open space plans.

The celebration of the pedestrian environment within each of these developments helps to reduce the dependence on the private automobile as the primary form of transportation.

This celebration is achieved primarily through the clear separation of uses that is enhanced by the implementation of buffers between the pedestrians and vehicles.

These buffers can take various forms that include on-street parking to act as a barrier between the pedestrian and the road, landscape buffers that provide for a cleaner pedestrian environment or by removing the automobile from the equation all together.

The open space systems of these developments help to demonstrate that developments can achieve high levels of density without sacrificing the preservation or creation of accessible open spaces within the community.

Whether it is through the creation of pocket-parks, waterfront parks or large community spaces, the importance of accessible open space cannot be ignored.

Accessible open space benefits not only the members of the immediate community, but it contributes to the improvement of the global environmental community by discouraging the unchecked development of our natural lands.

Normative qualities can be associated to the successful design of pedestrian and open space systems that will ensure their sustainability.

Pedestrian and open space systems should be planned to provide for a connected, combined, contained, consistent and re-configurable system.

Paying careful attention to these qualities will allow designers to create viable pedestrian circulation systems that will reduce the dependence on the private automobile and result in an improvement of our global environmental community.

In addition to improving the environmental community, pedestrian circulation systems enhance the opportunities to engage in inter-personal communication that helps to improve our social community.

These systems should be clearly defined and should strive to integrate multiple uses into the system.

Finally, the systems should maintain a high level of flexibility so that they may be re-configured to respond to developmental challenges that they will face over time.

Our houses are such unwieldy property that we are often imprisoned rather than housed by them. -Henry David Thoreau

Carpenter Village and The Village of I'on

2009-09-04T08:51:00.000-04:00

Carpenter Village

The community of Carpenter Village can expect to maintain a fairly high level of sustainability throughout the life of the development.

Carpenter Village has achieved a compact and consolidated form of development that will ensure a high level of intensity of the uses within the development.

Provided that the development can attract retail and commercial uses to occupy the commercial core of the development, it will have achieved a comprehensive and complimentary use of the land throughout the development.

However, if this objective is not met, then the community will suffer greatly with regards to its overall sustainability.

The extent of the use of the land in Carpenter Village has been designed to achieve a contained and consistent development plan, provided that development does not occur in the north side of the northern boundary of the community.

The communication network of the development has been designed to provide for a connected and combined system of transportation throughout the community that fosters and encourages inter-personal communication.

Carpenter Village’s inability to attract commercial users to the commercial core has greatly limited the community’s ability to create a unique sense of place.

The implementation of the design of the development has failed to create a centered, configured and comprehensible sense of place that will ensure the development’s ability to sustain itself.

In addition to the lack of a unique sense of place, Carpenter Village’s future development plans for the opposite side of Morrisville-Carpenter Road detracts from its ability to formulate a flexible use of the land that is re-configurable.

This is the most important quality that the development needs to address in order to ensure its sustainability and to prevent the development from becoming yet another sprawling neighborhood that has no identity of its own.

I’on Village

I’on Village is a disappointing attempt at the creation of a sustainable community that is integrated into the existing community fabric.

The many legal factors that contributed to the development’s failure to meet a majority of the qualities overshadow the poor execution of an unsustainable development plan.

I’on fails to create a compact and consolidated development through the proliferation of large single-family detached homes on mostly over-sized lots.

In addition to a disappointing density yield, the lack of a diverse mix of housing-types and mix of uses results in a development strategy that is neither comprehensive nor complimentary.

I’on does manage to create a development that is contained and consistent with regards to its extent of use of the land and the definition of its boundaries.

Unfortunately for the I’on community, this is not sufficient enough to create a truly sustainable community.

The implementation of a connected and combined communication network is the only other successful achievement of the I’on development plan.

Even though the communication network can be considered a success, the lack of density and diversity within the development detracts from its communication successes.

I’on does not achieve a centered, configured and comprehensible sense of place largely due to the lack of density in the development and the lack of diversity on various levels throughout the development.

The lack of flexibility in the uses at I’on is the final attribute that the development fails to meet. The development plan for I’on is not nearly as re-configurable as the other developments analyzed.

The failure to meet the minimum criteria for the creation of a sustainable community places I’on’s future in jeopardy and indicates that the development is just another planned unit development that does very little to improve the global community.

Alternative Methods of Execution

Carpenter Village and I’on have failed to meet the criteria necessary to ensure the community’s sustainability throughout the life of the development. Both of these developments would benefit greatly by redirecting their design and implementation efforts in order to achieve a higher level of sustainability.

With regards to the creation of a unique sense of place, both of the developments could facilitate the creation of this sense of place by simply adding a diverse mix of housing types to their commercial cores.

The addition of mixed-use housing to the commercial cores would help to create a centered, configured and comprehensible sense of place within the community.

The two developments would also benefit from an improvement of their flexibility of uses within each community. Providing for a re-configurable development plan will help to ensure that these communities could achieve a higher level of sustainability than the level that they currently face.

Allowing for flexibility over time would make these developments more attractive to observers and would help to change the predominant development pattern of suburban sprawl.

I’on Village needs to address the issue of density if it expects to achieve any level of sustainability. In addition to density, the development must provide for a greater level of diversity within the community.

This diversity is not limited to a mix of housing-types, but to the inclusion of a diverse range of economic and social groups as well.

Without addressing these concerns, these two developments may evolve into typical sprawl-driven neighborhoods that contribute nothing to the global community.

You cannot simply put something new into a place. You have to absorb what you see around you, what exists on the land, and then use that knowledge along with contemporary thinking to interpret what you see. -Tadao Ando

The Village of Woodsong and Southern Village...

2009-09-03T11:58:00.001-04:00

The Village of Woodsong and Southern Village

The Village of Woodsong and Southern Village have been designed in a manner that assures the long-term sustainability of both communities.

Through the implementation of a compact and consolidated design of the intensity of uses, these developments have maximized the density of the development that is essential to the sustainability of the community.

The diverse mix of uses that each development fosters has created a comprehensive and complimentary use of the land available to the community. These uses have been located in close proximity to one another in order to facilitate a stronger level of pedestrian movement within the development.

The two developments have provided the community with a contained and consistent form of development that provides clearly defined boundaries regarding the extent of use of the land.

A contained and consistent development has a greater potential of achieving sustainability through the ability to respond to the needs of the development without sprawling into the surrounding landscape.

The communication system for Woodsong and Southern Village has been designed to be connected and consistent throughout the development and throughout the lifespan of the community.

Both of these developments celebrate the pedestrian by providing a clear and safe pedestrian environment that is connected to every part of the community.

Each of these developments has created a unique sense of place that is centered, configured and comprehensible and celebrates the diversity of the community as well as creating a strong sense of civic pride with regards to their efforts to improve the global community.

Finally, these communities have been designed in a manner that allows for the greatest amount of flexibility so that the development can be easily re-configured in order to meet the needs of the community as it evolves over time.

The success of these communities in achieving a high level of sustainability should serve as examples of the application of smart growth design practices. In addition to smart growth, these developments have embraced the principles of New Urbanism throughout every phase of their development.

The embracing of these principles has helped each of these communities reach a level of sustainability that will help to improve the global community by shifting the ideals of consumerism to conservationism.

We are searching for some kind of harmony between two intangibles: a form which we have not yet designed and a context which we cannot properly describe. -Christopher Alexander

Examining New Urbanism...Sustainability Scores

2009-09-02T11:27:00.001-04:00

Critical Comparison of the Four Developments

The first portion of the critical comparison of the four developments will be to determine whether or not the implementation of the development’s design has created a community that has met all of the criteria established previously in this report.

A sustainable community should reflect the following qualities:

(1) a compact and consolidated intensity of uses;

(2) a comprehensive and complimentary diversity of uses;

(3) a contained and consistent extent of uses;

(4) a connected and combined system of communication;

(5) a centered, configured and comprehensible sense of place, and

(6) a re-configurable plan that allows for flexibility of uses.

It is through the comparison of the achievements of the developments from which a determination regarding the sustainability of the developments can be reached.

In order to facilitate a simple method for the comparison of the four developments, a chart of the qualities of sustainability has been generated.

The comparative chart will indicate whether or not the developments have met the criteria for sustainability and through this method a score can be applied to each development regarding its level of sustainability.

The scores for each development can then be compared to determine the most-sustainable community that has been described in the body of this report.

While the application of an empirical formula to the analysis of the developments was previously mentioned to be difficult, this system will allow the critical analysis of these developments to be expressed as a preliminary checklist for sustainability.

Sustainability Scores

The four developments analyzed in this report have all achieved some level of sustainability through the implementation of their progressive design strategies.

The developments that can expect a high level of sustainability are The Village of Woodsong in Shallotte, North Carolina and Southern Village in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Both of these developments successfully met all six criteria established to determine their sustainability, giving them an overall score of 6 out of 6.

Carpenter Village in Cary, North Carolina has failed to meet all of the criteria, yet with a score of 4 out of 6 the development can expect to achieve a level of sustainability that is higher than the level of sustainability that sprawl-driven neighborhoods can expect.

I’on Village in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina has failed to meet a majority of the criteria and has received a score of 2 out of 6 with regards to the level of sustainability that the community can expect.

“Most people are on the world, not in it - having no conscious sympathy or relationship to anything about them - undiffused, separate, and rigidly alone like marbles of polished stone, touching but separate.” -John Muir

Southern Village...Normative Qualities and Conclusions

2009-09-01T09:24:00.013-04:00

Communication

The communication network that has been implemented at Southern Village was designed utilizing New Urbanist principles regarding the protection and celebration of the pedestrian environment. It is through this design that the development has achieved a connected and combined communication network.

The implementation of the design has created a clear separation of uses between pedestrian and vehicular circulation that will facilitate a higher level of inter-personal communication among the members of the community.

The celebration of the pedestrian environment is evident throughout the entire development by the presence of wide buffers between roads and walks, the utilization of street trees to provide protection from the elements, and the implementation of an extensive greenway network that allows pedestrians to access any portion of the development.

The mixed-use core also celebrates the pedestrian environment by creating active storefronts, the use of on-street parking to act as a barrier between pedestrians and traffic, and through providing a number of landscape amenities such as benches, planter seating walls and pet-stations for members of the community.

The integration of the existing public transportation system into the overall communication network enhances the sustainability of the community. The transit system allows residents to utilize alternative forms of transportation when traveling to and from the community.

The development is located approximately 1-mile from the University of North Carolina campus in the heart of Chapel Hill and the integration of the public transportation system into the community benefits the region as a whole through the reduction of dependence on the private automobile.

Sense of Place

The design of Southern Village has facilitated the creation of a unique sense of place within the overall community. This has been achieved through the creation of a centered, configured and comprehensible community that has embraced a high sense of civic pride.

The walkability of the community combined with the creation of the mixed-use cultural center has further enhanced the creation of the development’s sense of place.

A diverse mix of housing-types has helped to increase the diversity of residents who are members of the overall community and who contribute to the development’s unique sense of place.

The multiple civic uses located in the development help to foster the feeling of community and civic pride among the residents of the development.

The ability of the design of the development to facilitate a wide variety of community-oriented activities in the various open spaces and civic buildings has helped Southern Village create a truly unique sense of place that ensures the development’s sustainability.

Flexibility of Use

The development design has facilitated the carefully monitored growth of the community through the utilization of New Urbanist principles regarding smart growth.

The application of these principles to the overall design strategy has allowed the community to be re-configurable throughout the life of the community and has improved the overall sustainability of the development.

One of the main factors that contribute to the developments ability to be re-configurable is the inclusion of civic uses within the development and the integration of the existing public transportation system. These factors allow the community a level of flexibility that traditional sprawl-driven neighborhoods lack, even if these uses were easily accessible.

The proximity of the mixed-use core to these uses also contributes to the community’s ability to respond to developmental challenges that they may face over time. The mixed-use core has the potential to be re-configured in a manner that will make the civic uses and public transportation system more sustainable.

Conclusions

The design and development of Southern Village have achieved all of the qualities necessary for the creation of a sustainable community. The diverse mix of housing-types utilized to create a high level of residential density in combination with the diverse mix of uses within the community are two of the strongest elements that contribute to the community’s sustainability.

The re-configurable nature of the various uses in the development, especially the mixed-use center and the civic uses located in the community, increases the level of sustainability the development can expect to achieve.

The communication network in the development should be used as a model for the integration of multiple forms of transportation all of which encourage inter-personal communication. The open space planning and extensive greenway network add to the level of sustainability that the communication network achieves.

Southern Village has achieved a level of sustainability through the application of New Urbanist design principles that should be used as an example of smart growth and progressive planning.

The financial success of the development simply demonstrates how sustainable communities can still be profitable for developers while ensuring the protection and preservation of the global community.

We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success. -Henry David Thoreau

Southern Village...Analysis of Sustainable Qualities

2009-08-31T11:07:00.008-04:00

Intensity of Use

The empirical data regarding the overall density of Southern Village is misleading and does not accurately reflect the developments overall density. The inclusion of civic uses such as the elementary school and the church in the development lead to a lower overall density yield of 3.8 units per acre for the 312-acre development.

The development has been able to achieve the sustainable goals of creating a compact and consolidated community through the implementation of its progressive design strategy.

The inclusion of multi-family housing options is the main contributing factor to the developments ability to achieve a higher density. In addition to the multi-family housing options, the lot sizes for the single-family homes have been greatly reduced in relation to the coverage of the residence itself.

The mixed-use core is an additional factor that leads to an inaccurate density-yield calculation. The mixed-use core features a large portion of the transportation system, parking areas, community open space and 350,000 square feet of office and retail space that causes a lower density calculation to be reached.

The mixed-use core contributes to the overall density of the community by providing housing options within the commercial center of the development.

Diversity of Use

The design of Southern Village provides for a diverse range of uses that are available to the residents of the community. Through the implementation of a diverse mix of housing-types, an integrated open space system, the development of a mixed-use core and the siting of various civic uses within the development, Southern Village achieves a comprehensive and complimentary development strategy with regards to the diversity if uses in the community.

The different uses throughout the development are sited in a manner which provides each member of the community access to the uses.

Throughout the multiple portions of the residential areas, small pocket-parks have been created to ensure that each neighborhood will have access to community open space.

The elementary school is located within the confines of the development and is easily accessible from any of the complimentary land uses situated throughout.

The greatest range of diversity in the development is achieved through the implementation of a diverse mix of housing-types. Southern Village provides affordable alternatives to single-family detached housing in the form of townhomes and apartments.

The apartments are located in close proximity to the mixed-use core as well as the elementary school. The townhomes, situated in close proximity to the mixed-use core as well, are equivalent in cost to a single-family detached home in a traditional sprawl-driven neighborhood.

The diverse mix of housing types in addition to the diverse range of land-uses throughout the development help to ensure the community’s sustainability.

Extent of Use

The location of Southern Village provides the development with natural and man-made features that help define its edges. These features allow the community to form into a contained and consistent development, thereby enhancing the overall sustainability of the community.

Existing natural areas that have been preserved or protected through the extensive open space network contain a large portion of the development.

The greenway trail network has been integrated into these natural areas and designed to have a minimal amount of impact on the environment.

The southeastern edge of the development is bounded by a major thoroughfare that is currently being re-adapted to accommodate the population growth of the area and to facilitate access to the mixed-use core of Southern Village.

Beyond the preserved natural buffers, the development is contained by existing residential neighborhoods and civic uses. The contained and consistent boundaries of the development enhance the ability of the community to sustain itself throughout the development’s lifecycle.

“The Federal Government, directly and indirectly, through the laws it writes, the programs it enacts and the regulations it issues, has contributed more than its share to the ugliness of our landscape.” -Sen. Harrison Williams (1919-2001)

Examing New Urbanism...Southern Village

2009-08-27T11:36:00.005-04:00

Southern Village, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Development History

Southern Village is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina approximately 32-miles from the city of Raleigh. Chapel Hill is a small southern town that encompasses approximately 21 square miles and has a population of approximately 52,000 residents.

Chapel Hill is home of the main campus of the University of North Carolina and its predominant development pattern is in the form of single-family detached homes.

Bryan Properties originally developed southern Village’s residential development and the Montgomery Development Carolina Corporation developed the mixed-use core. The development covers an area of approximately 312-acres and features 1,175 residential units in the form of 550 single-family detached homes, 375 townhomes and condominiums and 250 apartments resulting in an overall density yield of 3.8 units per acre.

Within the mixed-use core, over 350,000 square feet of retail and commercial space is occupied by businesses that range from a cinema to medical offices. In addition to the mixed-use core there is a church located within the development as well as a public school.

Design Analysis

The design strategy for Southern Village employed principles of New Urbanism in its planning and implementation. The design created a mixed-use core that would be accessible via pedestrian movement from any location within the development.

The mixed-use core serves as the cultural center for the community and features a wide variety of retail shops, professional offices and civic open spaces. The main open space in the mixed-use core has a hardscaped performance space that is utilized for a variety of events and activities throughout the year.

The residential portions of the development offer a diverse range of housing-types to meet the needs of every segment of the population. The design has sited the apartments and townhomes in close proximity to the mixed-use core, as well as providing residential options in the upper floors of the buildings that comprise the core.

The single-family detached homes are sited farther from the mixed-use core and feature a wide-range of home sizes and locations. All portions of the development are linked through an extensive pedestrian circulation that utilizes greenways in addition to traditional roadside walks that course through the development.

The greenway system links the large number of pocket-parks and major open spaces that are accessible in the development. The final component of the overall design of the development is the siting of an elementary school within the boundaries of Southern Village.

The obsession with performance left no room for the development of the intuitive or spiritual impact of space and form other than the aesthetic of the machine itself. -Arthur Erickson

Carpenter Village...Summary of Sustainable Qualities

2009-08-24T12:23:00.009-04:00

Communication

The communication network of Carpenter Village has been designed utilizing New Urbanist principles in order to foster greater inter-personal communication among the residents of the development.

With the notable exception of the two cul-de-sacs that occur in the development, the development has created a connected and combined communication network that helps to unite all portions of the development and contributes to its overall level of sustainability.

The inclusion of public transportation options in the transportation network is another highlight of the communication network for the community. The bus system will eventually provide residents with the option of utilizing the regional light-rail transit system that is scheduled to begin service in the next few years.

This transportation option will provide the opportunity for residents to commute to the Research Triangle Park and the city of Raleigh without depending upon the use of private automobiles. The integration of the public transportation system into the residential and commercial uses of the development also contributes to the sustainability of the development.

Sense of Place

The commercial core of Carpenter Village may prove to be a vibrant and integral part of the overall community fabric. Unfortunately, the developer’s inability to successfully attract a variety of occupants to the commercial core is threatening the sustainability of the development.

However, the remaining portions of the development such as the residential components, the open space trail system and the community center are all significant contributors to the community’s sense of place.

Provided that the commercial core can be successfully developed and occupied, the development should be able to achieve a centered, configured and comprehensible community that will begin to develop its unique sense of place.

Until the successful infill of commercial spaces, the community is lacking a unique sense of place that can be fostered and enhanced with the development of the commercial core.

Compromises made by the developer during the design phase of the development are the primary cause for the lack of commercial occupants in the development. The commercial core is sited in a manner that will allow it to become the civic center of the community.

Without this uniting element present in the community, this development has taken on the feel of a typical planned unit development that does not have a unique character or strong indication of a sense of civic pride among the residents. This is not to say that the development will not fill the commercial space eventually, but until that occurs, the development has failed in creating a unique sense of place within the community.

Flexibility of Use

The design of Carpenter Village has allowed for further expansion of the development to be located on the north side of Morrisville-Carpenter Road, separate from the existing development. This feature of the design has greatly detracted from the development’s ability to be re-configurable over time.

Responding to development challenges by sprawling across a major thoroughfare is not a sustainable solution or contingency plan for TNDs.

The inclusion of this contingency plan in the overall design of the development, and more importantly the implementation of the plan, will change the classification of this development from a smart growth community to a typical suburban development.

In order to ensure the development’s sustainability, the developers and designers of the community should formulate a more logical plan that will address the needs of the residents who are currently living in the community.

Conclusions

Carpenter Village meets many of the criteria for being considered a sustainable development, however there are some significant flaws in the implementation of the overall design plan that need to be addressed in order to ensure that the community will be truly sustainable.

The issue of the creation of a unique sense of place must be addressed in order for the community to develop and maintain its identity. The development of the commercial core will greatly increase the chances of achieving sustainability for the community.

A possible design solution may be to add affordable housing to the implementation of the commercial core in order to provide a true mixed-use area and to take full advantage of available public transportation options.

The second issue that must be addressed to ensure the sustainability of the community is addressing the future needs of the community through a more responsible plan for flexibility of use. The plan to expand the development across a main road would threaten the development’s sustainability and disqualify it from being considered a smart growth community.

Provided these issues are addressed, the community should be able to develop a unique sense of place and become a shining example of sustainable development.

Copiers do not collaborate. -Antonio Gaudi

Carpenter Village...Analysis of Sustainable Qualities

2009-08-22T16:51:00.007-04:00

Intensity of Use

The development will achieve a build-out density of 7.4 units per acre through the implementation of the current design plan. These units are in the form of single-family detached homes, townhomes and rowhouses sited throughout different portions of the development.

The diverse mix of housing types has allowed the development to achieve a compact and consolidated form that will promote the development’s sustainability.

The residential portions of the development surround the commercial core that helps to increase access from the dense residential areas. The side-setbacks of the single-family homes have been reduced in order to promote higher-density development and the residences have been located closer to the road as well.

The homes are not modest in size, but with the reduction of lot sizes and setbacks the development is able to achieve a level of density that will promote long-term sustainability for the community.

The location of the lake and related trail system have allowed the designers to create a consolidated form of development that utilizes pedestrian connections to both the open space system and commercial core and enhances the development’s overall density.

Diversity of Use

Carpenter Village provides residents with a diverse mix of housing types and a mixed-use core that will feature office and retail space. While the housing types available offer a range of diversity from single-family detached homes to multi-family options, the affordability of these units detracts from its ability to foster a broad overall economic diversity.

Even though the entry-economic level for homeownership in Carpenter Village is slightly higher than most developments, the design is still able to achieve a comprehensive and complimentary use of the land within the development.

Another factor that will determine the ultimate sustainability of the development, is whether or not the developers will be able to successfully convince businesses to locate in the commercial core. Currently the commercial core features only a small arts and crafts shop and a single office on the second floor.

The development plan calls for the addition of coffee shops, a restaurant and possibly a small village grocer, however the developers have been unsuccessful in finding occupants for the 110,000 square feet of available space.

The well-designed open space system adds to the overall diversity of use for the community. Access to the 22-acre lake via walking and bicycling trails greatly increases the complimentary nature of the land-use plan.

These trails are accessible on foot form all portions of the development as well as from the smaller community open spaces within the development. The combination of all of these diverse land-uses help to ensure that Carpenter Village will achieve a higher level of sustainability throughout its life.

Extent of Use

Carpenter Village is bounded on the north by Morrisville-Carpenter Road and Carpenter Lake to the south. The architecture of the residential portions of the developments provides the eastern and western edges of the development.

The clearly defined edges of the development help to create a contained and consistent extent of use within the development.

The preservation of natural areas on the edges of the site has allowed the designers and developers to increase the sustainability of the development. The siting of the residential uses in close proximity to the commercial core of the development also contributes to the contained nature of the community.

The development plan does call for future expansion of the community to the north side of Morrisville-Carpenter Road. If this future expansion does in fact take place, this will threaten the overall sustainability of the development with regards to achieving a contained and consistent community.

The residential development on the north side of Morrisville-Carpenter Road would be separated from the core of the development and would exist outside the boundaries of the contained development.

“The ravage of scenic country roads has become a very serious matter in recent years; for as the city spills over into rural areas, the scenic roads are invaded not only by home owners but also by commercial and industrial establishments.” -Charles A Glover

Examining New Urbanism...Carpenter Village

2009-08-13T15:32:00.006-04:00

Carpenter Village, Cary, North Carolina

Development History

Carpenter Village is located in the town of Cary, North Carolina approximately 13 miles from the city of Raleigh. The predominant development pattern in Cary is single-family detached housing in Planned Unit Developments with the intention of combating the negative effects of suburban sprawl.

Cary is the seventh largest municipality in North Carolina covering an area that is roughly 48 square miles and has a population of over 106,000 residents. Cary is one of the most affluent communities in North Carolina and the residential development patterns reflect that affluence.

Carpenter Village is being developed as a joint venture between The Farrell Development Company and W & W Partners and was designed by Charles M. Elam and Associates. The development encompasses approximately 370-acres and will feature 888 residential units that will be in the form of single-family detached homes, multi-family units and townhomes. The ultimate density yield from a complete build-out of the development will be approximately 6.6 units per acre.

The development features a commercial center that covers approximately 12-acres and provides space for a total of 110,000 square feet of space for office and retail uses. The development is situated adjacent to a 22-acre lake that provides residents with ample opportunities for outdoor recreation activities.

Design Analysis

The design of Carpenter Village aims to create a unique sense of place by creating a livable community as opposed to the normal planned unit developments that are common in Cary. The residential component of the design takes the form of single-family detached homes, townhomes located adjacent to a main thoroughfare (Morrisville-Carpenter Road).

Rowhouses are sited adjacent to the community recreation facilities located at the terminus of the main boulevard leading into the development. The costs of residences in Carpenter Village are slightly higher than those of other planned unit developments with the lowest-cost townhome starting at $180,000.

The vehicular-use system has been designed to accommodate the private automobile in addition to accommodating the existing public transportation system. There are bus-stops located at the entry of the development along the main boulevard as well as in the commercial core.

The commercial core of the development is accessible from within the development as well as from Morrisville-Carpenter Road, serving as the northern boundary of the current phase of development.

The circulation system within the residential portion of the development has been designed utilizing the principles of New Urbanism, specifically a clear separation of uses between vehicles and pedestrians, homes sited close to the road edge, garages located in the rear of the residences and access via alleys. However, a few of the roads do terminate in cul-de-sacs, which are an undesirable solution to smart growth road design.

The design of the development features over 98-acres of open space that comprises approximately 26-percent of the total development area. A 22-acre lake is part of the overall open space system and 12-miles of walking and bicycling trails wind around the lake and connect to a majority of the residential areas.

The community also features a community center building that provides such amenities as a community pool, tennis courts and volleyball courts as well as an outdoor playscape.

If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger. -Frank Lloyd Wright

Village of Woodsong...Qualities and Conclusions

2009-08-12T19:04:00.013-04:00

Communication

The application of smart growth principles in the design of the communication network of Woodsong creates a connected and combined system uniting the entire development.

A strong emphasis placed on the enhancement of the pedestrian environment in the development fosters a high level of inter-personal communication between the residents of the development

The communication network of the development combines the pedestrian and bicycle circulation system with the vehicular-use system yet calls for design guidelines, ensuring a clear separation of uses throughout the development.

The communication network does not include the integration of public transportation mainly due to the fact that the regional public transportation system is essentially non-existent.

The region does not have a significant permanent resident population that would facilitate the implementation of a viable public transportation system. Regardless of this fact, the design of the communication network for Woodsong allows for the creation of a sustainable system within the bounds of the community.

Sense of Place

The difficulty associated with determining a development’s sense of place is further compounded at Woodsong considering the development has only reached the 25-percent build-out level.

Through the analysis of the design plan in combination with data collected during site visits, a preliminary assessment of the sense of place for Woodsong can be reached.

The creation of the mixed-use core, accessible civic open spaces and the ability for residents to reach the core in five-minutes by foot should allow the community to develop a centered, configured and comprehensible development.

Woodsong has been designed in an ecologically sensitive manner that preserves existing natural areas yet provides pedestrian access from within the development. The inclusion of a diverse range of housing-types that will be available to a multiple segments of the population should contribute to the creation of a unique sense of place as well as an increase feeling of civic pride.

The increased feeling of civic pride will originate from the pedestrian-biased design principles employed in the design and implementation of the development as well as the ecologically sensitive design elements that the development features.

Flexibility of Use

The diverse range of housing-types, the creation of a mixed-use core and the pedestrian-friendly design of the communication network have helped Woodsong to be designed with a re-configurable development strategy.

Through the utilization of smart growth design principles, Woodsong should be able to respond to any developmental challenge that it will face throughout its life span. The capability of Woodsong to adapt to the needs of its residents will ultimately determine the level of flexibility that the development can expect to achieve over time.

The development has been designed to maximize density throughout the community that also contributes to the re-configurable nature of the plan. The inclusion of a significant portion of retail, office uses as well as high-density housing allows for a flexible use of the land that will help Woodsong achieve a high level of sustainability.

Conclusions

The forward-thinking design of the Village of Woodsong will allow the developers to create what should prove to be a truly sustainable community. The design of Woodsong has successfully met the criteria and qualities that will facilitate the implementation of a sustainable development.

Through the application of smart growth design principles, ecologically sensitive siting of buildings and open space and the celebration of the pedestrian environment, the Village of Woodsong should prove to be one of the most successful TNDs in the region.

The significance of the success of this development indicates that the community may become a model for New Urbanist developments and an example of the economic feasibility of designing and developing a sustainable community that places more emphasis on the pedestrian, civic pride and open space planning than on the pursuit of maximum profits at the expense of the environment and the global community.

“Community rehabilitation seems to call first for drastic steps to stimulate the community interest of every citizen by letting him participate actively.” -Walter Gropius

Village of Woodsong....Sustainable Qualities

2009-07-20T17:05:00.013-04:00

Intensity of Use

The density yield of the development has been determined to be 7.4 units per acre when the final build-out of the development is achieved. The design of the development successfully creates a compact and consolidated community in which every portion of the development is easily accessible.

The maximization of build-able space in the development has greatly increased the potential for the development to become truly sustainable throughout its life. In addition to the maximization of available space within the development, the inclusion of townhomes and rowhouses within the mixed-use core as well as other portions of the development help to increase the density of the development.

The development has minimized lot sizes, provided designs for modest-sized residences and reduced street-edge setbacks in order to facilitate a higher density. The design consolidates all of the residential portions of the development around the mixed-use core that is intended to become the cultural center of the community.

It is essential that the developer not deviate from the intended build-out density in order to maintain assurance that the development will be sustainable when completed.

Diversity of Use

Woodsong features a diverse mix of housing types, including single-family detached homes, townhomes and a mixed-use core, that greatly benefit the overall design. In addition to a diverse mix of housing types and the inclusion of retail and office space, there are multiple options regarding the planning of community open spaces, nature trails and public performance spaces.

These factors have allowed the designers of Woodsong to achieve a comprehensive and complimentary use of the land within the development. The design of the development sites the elements in a manner that provides access to adjacent land uses that greatly increases its ability to provide a complimentary use of the land.

The development of the mixed-use core will provide the greatest amount of diversity in the development and will include apartment-style living that will be affordable to a diverse range of economic groups. The community will benefit from the inclusion of these apartments in that there should be a diverse mix of residents living in the development as well as working in the development.

Extent of Use

Due to the fact that the development has only reached a build-out of approximately 25-percent, it is difficult to determine if the boundaries of the development will be clearly defined.

The design of the development indicates that existing natural areas will contain two portions of the development and the remaining two edges will be defined primarily by architecture.

A preliminary analysis of the site plan and design intent leads to the conclusion that Woodsong will successfully create a development that is both contained and consistent.

The design of a single entry-point to the development creates a clearly defined gateway that will lead directly to the mixed-use and civic core of Woodsong. The preservation of existing natural areas provides a consistent edge in areas where there are no existing neighboring residential uses.

The edges that will be defined with architecture are directly adjacent to existing residential neighborhoods yet they do not encroach upon these uses and show no sign of negatively impacting the existing community.

When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe. -John Muir

Examining New Urbanism....Village of Woodsong

2009-07-17T12:01:00.007-04:00

Development History

The Village of Woodsong is a small walking community located in the town of Shallotte, North Carolina approximately 37 miles south of Wilmington. Shallotte is a predominantly white coastal community that has a population of approximately 1,500 permanent residents and covers an area of 5.4 square miles. The town relies heavily on visitors to the coastal region and can be considered a vacation destination along the North Carolina coast.

Shallotte features a number of championship golf courses, beaches and outdoor recreational activities related to the Shallotte River that courses its way through the town. The predominant development pattern of the town is single-family detached housing which contributes to the town’s low density.

The Milliken Company, a local real estate and development company that “specializes in development based on Smart Growth principles” is developing the Village of Woodsong. Thomas E. Low, a Charlotte-based architect who was formerly a member of Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company, designed the development.

The firm of Soil and Environmental Consultants, Inc., located in Raleigh, performed the environmental design of the development and the conceptual land planning was provided by the Department of Landscape Architecture at North Carolina State University under the supervision of Professor Robin Moore.

The development phase of Woodsong is 25-percent complete and the design calls for 164 dwellings to occupy the 22-acre site that will yield a build-out density of 7.4 units per acre. The development will feature a mixed-use core that will provide office and retail space with residential facilities located on the upper floors of the buildings.

The different portions of the development have been sited in order to facilitate pedestrian movement throughout the entire site and each portion of the development can be reached via within a five-minute walking distance.

The predominant architectural style of the development pays careful attention to the coastal vernacular and features modest-sized residences with wrap-around porches to facilitate inter-personal communication.

Design Analysis

The design of Woodsong calls for the development of 164 residences in the form of single-family detached homes, townhomes and mixed-use buildings that surround the development’s Market Square. The designs of the residences reflect the vernacular architecture of the region and are designed with New Urbanist principles in mind with regards to their relation with the street edge.

The vehicular-use system for the development places the pedestrian at the top of the transportation hierarchy and any portion of the development can be accessed via a five-minute walk. In addition to providing connections to the different portions of the development, a environmentally-sensitive trail network has been designed to facilitate outdoor recreational activities.

The design of the development features a number of community open-spaces and includes a small performance stage that lies on the peninsula of the development’s pond. This space is utilized for small concert performances, public readings and various small-scale performances.

The natural hardwood area directly adjacent to the performance space will be preserved and will be accessible through nature-trails that connect to the overall pedestrian circulation system.

The mixed-use core will feature the largest buildings in the development and will house office and retail uses as well as a residential component. A coffee shop, specialty retail stores, a village market and professional offices will occupy the commercial portion of the mixed-use core.

The residential component will consist of apartments located on the upper floors of the buildings and a series of rowhouse-style condominiums will be adjacent to the mixed-use core around a large community open space.

The gross heathenism of civilization has generally destroyed nature, and poetry, and all that is spiritual. -John Muir

Examining New Urbanism...I'ons Sustainable Qualities & Conclusions

2009-07-15T12:21:00.014-04:00

Communication

The communication network in I’on aims to unite the boroughs of the development through a vehicular-use system and a extensive pedestrian circulation system. Due to the large size of the development and the developer’s desire to minimize the number of main roads in favor of multiple inter-connected smaller roads, the communication network can be slightly confusing during the first navigation of the site.

Regardless, I’on does create a connected and combined communication network throughout the entire development. There is a clear separation of uses at I’on and this is achieved through the design of smaller roads, the utilization of on-street parking and street trees, as well as the diversion of the pedestrian circulation system through open spaces that are completely removed from vehicular traffic.

While there is no designated bicycle lane, the design of the road system encourages drivers to experience the development at slightly slower speeds than a normal residential neighborhood.

A majority of the residents prefer bicycle transportation over pedestrian transportation largely due to the fact that the development has a lower density than most TNDs.

The predominant form of travel is still the private automobile which residents utilize to access the farther points of the development as well as commercial areas outside of the development.

Sense of Place

It is difficult to identify and codify a development’s unique sense of place due to the fact that this characteristic develops over time. Environmental identity, social diversity and economic diversity are all factors that contribute to the creation of a community’s sense of place.

Taking into account all the factors involved in determining a development’s sense of place, I’on fails to create a centered, configured and comprehensible development that has fostered the creation of a unique sense of place.

Aesthetically, while the careful attention that has been paid to vernacular architectural features is commendable, this does not contribute to the creation of a unique sense of place.

The development does not feature progressive environmental solutions to the reduction of storm-water runoff, the reduction on the dependence of non-renewable resources nor does it have a unique community character.

The development strategy of creating individual and separate boroughs within the development is another contributing factor the development’s lack of a unique sense of place. I’on may eventually develop a unique sense of place in the future; however it currently has no specific or unique identity that sets it apart from other residential neighborhoods in Mount Pleasant.

Flexibility of Use

The development plan for I’on designates a majority of the land as residential uses with very little room to respond to future development needs. For this reason, I’on has failed to create a plan that is re-configurable throughout the life of the community.

Large residential lots, low overall density and the lack of significant commercial-use areas are factors that contribute to this determination. Due to the manner in which the development has been planned, the addition of new commercial space or large civic institutions would be difficult without the annexation of additional land.

Much of the open space in the development is in forms of neighborhood-scale pocket-parks or preserved sensitive natural areas and this leaves I’on with very little opportunity to implement additional uses or re-configure the circulation system if it became necessary.

This severely limits I’on’s ability to create a sustainable development that can adapt and evolve over time and respond to the needs of its residents, users and the community at large.

Conclusions

I’on has failed to implement a progressive plan that will prove to be sustainable throughout the life of the development. The main contributing factors to this are the developments inability to successfully address the issues of density, diversity, identity and flexibility.

While I’on is a fine attempt at combating suburban sprawl and has aesthetically pleasing architectural features throughout the development; it does very little to ensure the long-term sustainability of its community as well as the larger community of Mount Pleasant.

Many of I’on’s failures can be attributed to the lack of response to the social, environmental and economic factors associated with sustainable developments. I’on does very little to foster and enhance social and economic diversity within the development, and while the preservation efforts of the development are impressive, there is little evidence that the development is striving to reduce their consumptionism and focus on the positive aspects of conservationism. It is for these reasons that I’on cannot be considered a truly sustainable development.

We are not going to be able to operate our Spaceship Earth successfully nor for much longer unless we see it as a whole spaceship and our fate as common. It has to be everybody or nobody. -R. Buckminster Fuller

Examining New Urbanism...I'on's Sustainable Qualities

2009-07-10T15:01:00.011-04:00

Intensity of Use

The original design for I’on that included 1,240 residences, 440 of which would have been multi-family units, would have yielded a density of around five units per acre. However, the approved design produces a density yield of only 3.1 units per acre that results in a considerably less-dense development. Due to this adjustment, I’on fails to create a compact and consolidated development strategy.

The development strategy does successfully yield higher-density within each of the individual neighborhoods, but the regulations that govern the design and implementation of TNDs in Mount Pleasant severely handicaps the developments ability to provide a density yield that is considerably higher than existing residential neighborhoods in the municipality.

The blame for the lack of a compact and consolidated development plan does not rest solely on the regulations set forth by the planning commission. The developers of I’on chose to create six separate neighborhoods in the hopes of increasing the density of the development, but on a compartmentalized level.

The large lot sizes of a majority of the boroughs also contribute to its disappointing overall density yield. These large lots, coupled with the construction of sometimes unnecessarily large homes with wide side-setbacks are contributing factors to the lack of a compact and consolidated development.

Diversity of Use

I’on provides 30,000 square feet of commercial space in the development’s commercial core on the southern edge of the development. I’on, however, does not provide a diverse mix of housing types anywhere in the entire development. There are no rowhouses, townhomes or mixed-use units within the commercial core.

The only type of dwelling available at I’on is single-family detached housing, and the residences at I’on are anything but modest. Due to the small amount of commercial space, lack of multiple housing types and absence of mixed-use housing, I’on fails to create a development that is comprehensive and complementary with regards to the diversity of use of the land.

I’on does achieve some success through the planning of the development’s overall land-use plan. While the commercial core is insufficient in size to address the needs of the entire development (the commercial core covers approximately one-acre compared to the developments size of 243-acres), the development plan provides ample amounts of open space throughout the development by creating small pocket-parks within each individual neighborhood.

In addition to open space planning, I’on plans to open a school and two churches within the development in the future, however there is ongoing litigation concerning the legalities of implementing these uses.

Extent of Use

I’on’s 243-acre site has been carefully planned to ensure that existing natural ecosystems will not be disturbed by development and the boundaries of I’on are clearly defined to ensure that the neighborhood will not sprawl-out into the landscape. Because of this, I’on has been successful at creating a contained and consistent development with regards to the extent of use of the land.

Many opponents of I’on felt that the development would have a significant negative impact on the existing neighborhoods, but that has not been true to this point. The effort to protect the natural features of the site is one of the most successful facets of the overall design strategy.

The walking trails that wind throughout the development, many of which are in sensitive portions of the overall ecosystem, have a minimum impact of the environment. The only foreseeable issue that I’on may face with regards to extent of use of the land is whether or not additional commercial space will be required as the development grows in population and where the additional commercial space will be located.

People should think things out fresh and not just accept conventional terms and the conventional way of doing things. -R. Buckminster Fuller

Examining New Urbanism...I'on

2009-07-08T21:35:00.015-04:00

Design Analysis

The design of I’on calls for the creation of six neighborhoods, or boroughs, within the boundaries of the overall development. These six neighborhoods are connected to one another through the vehicular-use system that features main roads with street trees, on-street parking and alley-access to each residences garage.

The design intention of the residential portion of the development aimed to create these neighborhoods in order to encourage each neighborhood to assume its own identity and character.

The architectural character of each of the neighborhoods varies, yet each style is closely linked with the vernacular style of Charleston. The character of each individual neighborhood directly reflects the natural surroundings within which each borough is located.

The neighborhood of Ionsborough is the only neighborhood located in close proximity to the commercial core. This neighborhood features slightly smaller residences than the other portions of the development and reduces the distance of the required setbacks from adjacent properties and the street edge.

The smaller residences and smaller lot sizes in Ionsborough give this neighborhood the highest density out of all six neighborhoods within the overall development.

The commercial core that is located within the Ionsborough neighborhood features a gourmet food store, a hair salon, day spa, florist, art dealer, pub, bakery and professional offices that include the development realtor, architects, a custom home builder and a dentist’s office.

These commercial uses are accessible by foot from Ionsborough, however the residents in outlying neighborhoods of the development mostly rely on bicycle or automobile transportation to access the commercial core.

The Eastlake neighborhood surrounds the largest of the man-made lakes located in the development. The architectural style of the residences in this neighborhood reflects the low-country vernacular style of many of the larger homes of the southeastern coastal regions. While there is no direct visual connection to the commercial core of the development, pedestrian access from the Eastlake borough to the core is more manageable than the outlying neighborhoods.

At the northern edge of East Lake, a community open space features waterfront access and the development amphitheater which provides the community with the opportunity to host a myriad of events throughout the year including arts and crafts festivals, small concerts and outdoor films in the warmer months.

The Ponsbury borough is located to the west of the Eastlake neighborhood and is bordered by the third of the three man-made lakes in the development. This neighborhood also reflects the low-country architectural vernacular with slightly smaller residences than the neighboring boroughs.

Two canals connect the two lakes yet the smaller of the lakes, West Lake, is the only lake with a public boat ramp to facilitate personal watercraft. The neighborhood of Westlake is currently under construction and will feature residences that are in scale with the two remaining neighborhoods located to the north.

Two neighborhoods in the northern portion of the development, Montrose and Shellmore, feature residences located within a wooded setting and feature the largest residences within the entire development. This portion of the development is the farthest removed from the commercial core of I’on and includes a small collection of custom-built, estate-style mansions.

It is the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most men live only for the gratification of it. -Aristotle

Examining New Urbanism...I'on

2009-07-06T13:07:00.004-04:00

The foundation for a critical analysis of the four developments that are the subject of this study has been established and now an exploration of the developments can begin.

The methods of data collection utilized in the preparation of this report included a critical analysis of site plans and development planning objectives, site visits, photographic studies of the various physical and aesthetic features of each development, impromptu interviews, the collection of empirical data from various planning organizations in addition to the collection of printed materials related to the developments. The data was then analyzed utilizing the aspects of sustainability and the normative qualities associated with each aspect.

(Note: This study was originally published in 2005 and the data represented here reflects the “best available” data at the time of publication.)

I'on Village, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Development history

I’on Village is a green-field infill development in the bedroom community of Mount Pleasant that is located seven miles east of Charleston, South Carolina. Mount Pleasant has a population of approximately 56,000 people and covers an area of approximately 26,000 acres.

The development is sited on 243 acres that was originally comprised of 60 percent former agricultural fields, 30 percent was 30-40 year old hard wood growth, and 10 percent was in the form of three man-made lakes.

The development is surrounded by suburban neighborhoods that follow the sprawling development ideals of the 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. The main access road to the site from outlying areas is U.S. Highway 17 which is characterized by further evidence of suburban sprawl through the proliferation of chain restaurants, convenience stores and gas stations which populate the roadside.

I’on is being developed by the Charleston-based development company Civitas and was planned by a land development team that consisted of Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company; Dover, Kohl and Partners; Seamon, Whiteside and Associates; and DesignWorks. The development phase of I’on is nearing the 75 percent completion mark and will feature an ultimate build-out of 759 single-family units on the 243-acre site yielding an overall density of 3.1 units per acre.

The site features a commercial core with 30,000 square feet of office and retail space located directly adjacent to the main entry of the development. The architectural style of the development pays careful attention to the historic architectural styling and details of the regional vernacular, yet does not offer multi-family or townhouse style residences. The development currently provides 5-miles of walking trails that will be increased to 12-miles by the time the construction phase of the project concludes.

The developers of I’on faced considerable legal trouble from both the residents of existing neighborhoods and the limited guidelines set forth by the Mount Pleasant planning regulations. When I’on was originally being planned, there were no Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) guidelines in existence in the town of Mount Pleasant and the original plan for 800 single-family units, 440 multi-family units and 90,000 square feet of commercial space had to be abandoned in favor of the lower-density, sprawl-driven plan currently being implemented.

Alas! how little does the memory of these human inhabitants enhance the beauty of the landscape! -Henry David Thoreau

New Urbanism...What a Sustainable Community Should Be...

2009-07-02T08:59:00.002-04:00

The groundwork for the analysis of traditional neighborhood developments has been established through the identification of the qualities of sustainability and the identification of the normative qualities associated with each aspect. With these qualities in mind, we can begin to generate an idea of what a sustainable community should strive to become by responding to the social, environmental and economic aspects related to each quality.

While this provides us with a starting point in the generation of an ideal sustainable community, it is important to understand that the complete list of characteristics for a sustainable community is exhaustive and evolving with each passing day.

A sustainable community should have a unique sense of place that will provide the community with an opportunity to create a community and social purpose that facilitates and enhances social interaction. It is through the creation of a sense of place that a sustainable community begins to become more than just a residential development; it begins to become an actual community.

Associated with the creation of a sense of place, the community should begin to develop a sense of civic pride and they should begin to take pride in where they live. It may be through the establishment of a diverse cultural matrix that the community can begin to create its unique sense of place coupled with the enhancement of an overall sense of civic pride.

The encouragement of efficient use of time ensures that the sustainable community will be flexible in its uses. This flexibility fosters a paradigm shift from consumerism to conservationism that helps to ensure the long-term sustainability of a community.

The move away from consumerism allows the community to focus on the quality of goods versus the quantity of goods consumed. It is through the education of the members of the community regarding the benefits of utilizing ecologically friendly products and design solutions that this paradigm shift will be possible.

A pro-active recycling and re-use plan helps to ensure a community’s sustainability through the application of progressive waste management practices that reduce the regional need for land consumption dedicated to the treatment and disposal of waste products. These products can be adapted and utilized in various stages of construction, fertilization and the manufacturing of goods from recycled material.

A sustainable community should be biased against the use of the private automobile as the main source of transportation. The encouragement of a pedestrian-friendly environment ensures that the dependence on the automobile can begin to be reduced. Public transportation should not be designated as a separate land-use in the sustainable community. The integration of viable public transit options with other land-uses will help to reduce the dependence on private automobiles as well.

The reduction of the dependence on the private automobile will allow the sustainable community to reduce its dependence on non-renewable energy sources. The encouragement of the use of alternative energy sources for every component of the community will not only help to reduce the dependence on non-renewable energy sources, but it helps to foster a community’s sense of civic pride and lends itself to the evolution of a unique sense of place for the community.

The sustainable community should strive to preserve the global environment through the implementation of these aspects and take pride in the fact that their community will serve as an example of how our development patterns can change in order to ensure our sustainability as a global community.

We are guilty for sending teams into foreign countries to advise them how to be like us. -Arthur Erickson

Examining New Urbanism...Flexibility of Use

2009-07-01T10:56:00.005-04:00

A development can ensure its potential for sustainability by planning for a greater amount of flexibility in its use of the land. Attention to flexibility will ensure that the development can evolve over a period of time and that there has been a high level of pro-active planning involved to ensure that additional uses can be accommodated into the existing development.

This contributes to reducing or eliminating the need for the development to sprawl beyond its boundaries. The normative quality associated with the flexibility of the use of land in a development is measured by the development plans ability to be (re)-configurable.

A development plan that is re-configurable ensures long-term sustainability by allowing for the adaptation of different uses and methods to be implemented through the life span of the development. This will allow the development to evolve over a period of time while responding to the needs of the users without compromising the other qualities that are essential to a development’s sustainability.

The flexibility of use of the land should pro-actively respond to the challenges the development may face in the future without abandoning the principles of sustainability.

Providing for a diverse social structure will help to encourage a developments ability to re-configure itself when responding to the community structure. A diverse community structure or fabric allows a development to re-configure the uses of land through an organic manner that responds directly to the needs of the community itself. In order to maximize flexibility, the planning process of the development is essentially an ongoing process throughout the life of the development.

There is, however a certain level of community involvement with the ongoing planning process that will ensure the development’s flexibility. While logical and sustainable contingency plans can be formulated, it will be the evolution of the development’s community that will drive the need and direction of the flexibility of the use of the land.

The flexibility of use within a development allows for the conservation, preservation and the adaptation of the natural environment. Through ecologically sensitive design, the use of the natural environment can be monitored in order to ensure its sustainability.

It is only through a pro-active planning strategy that a high level of flexibility can be achieved, and it is through the planning process that the development can re-configure its objectives and practices in order to maximize its flexibility.

Flexibility of use within a development fosters a long-term plan for economic vitality throughout the life of the development. Throughout the design and implementation of the development, adjustments can be made to respond to the needs of the users in a manner that reduces unnecessary spending on elements that may not be relevant to the overall community.

The house itself is of minor importance. Its relation to the community is the thing that really counts. -Clarence Stein

Examining New Urbanism...Sense of Place

2009-06-30T15:51:00.005-04:00

Sense of place is one of the most difficult qualities to address when analyzing the level of a development’s sustainability. There is no empirical formula for measuring sense of place; however when one experiences and interacts within the development, a certain amount of community character will lend itself to an intangible quality that will either elicit a positive or negative reaction from users.

The evolution of a development’s sense of place may rely on the utilization and implementation of the normative qualities associated with determining the creation of a sustainable and unique sense of place. The normative qualities that developments should embrace throughout the planning process are the creation of a development that is centered, configured and comprehensible.

A planning strategy that is centered, configured and comprehensible will first and foremost encourage the creation of a diverse population mix within the development. The layout of the development should encourage an increased sense of civic pride in order to help foster the evolution of a unique sense of place. This can be achieved through the creation of shared open-spaces that residents can utilize for a diverse range of social functions.

The execution of a centered, configured and comprehensible plan relies heavily on the successful design and implementation of the qualities discussed to this point as well. The creation of a civic or commercial-oriented core will also foster the evolution of the development’s sense of place through the encouragement of civic participation from all segments of the population.

The creation of a unique sense of place for a development addresses social issues throughout every phase of implementation. It is through the creation of the community that the development will begin to form its sense of place.

Ensuring social diversity will help to foster the creation of a sense of place in that a unique community character will emerge through the interaction between different groups who share the civic responsibilities and benefits of a tight-knit community.

A sense of place may evolve from the implementation of alternative and progressive approaches to conserving the environment. This approach helps to further encourage and foster a sense of civic pride within the development in that the residents can celebrate their collective efforts in helping to reduce the negative impacts on the environment.

A development that celebrates ecologically sensitive design principles and practices will have a greater chance at the creation of a truly unique sense of place within the global community.

Addressing economic factors within the creation of a development’s sense of place is difficult to measure due to the lack of empirical evidence applicable to a development’s “feel”. However, economic development could be a useful vehicle for the evolution of a development’s sense of place through the creation of unique activities that only occur within the development.

A sense of civic pride can also be created through the use of alternative technologies that reduce the need for over-consumption of goods and services or through the creation of an economically diverse community fabric. It is through economic diversity that a development has one of the greatest chances to create a truly unique sense of place while ensuring its long-term sustainability.

There is no there there. -Gertrude Stein

Examining New Urbanism...Communication

2009-06-27T23:11:00.005-04:00

For the purposes of this research endeavor, communication can also be referred to as transportation. Sustainable developments encourage inter-personal communication in the design of the transportation network of the development. This is usually achieved through the promotion of pedestrian movement over the reliance on the private automobile.

In addition to pedestrian movement, various forms of public transportation may be utilized to encourage inter-personal communication within the development. The communication system of a sustainable development embraces the normative qualities of providing a connected and combined system of movement within the boundaries of the development.

The connected and combined communication plan for a development is one of the most important elements that contribute to an increase in social interaction between the users of the development. Through the implementation of a connected pedestrian circulation system, opportunities for greater amounts of inter-personal communication can be achieved. This increase helps to unite the residents of the development while encouraging higher levels of social diversity throughout the community as a whole.

A communication plan that is both connected and combined reduces the amount of land that will be disturbed in the construction of the vehicular-uses system. Coupled with the reduction in land consumption, the combined and connected plan aims to decrease environmental impacts by encouraging pedestrian circulation in favor of automobile use through a clear separation of uses, reducing the travel-time required for each automobile trip by providing a more efficient transportation network and therefore reducing carbon-based emissions and finally by encouraging the interaction between users by providing access to open-spaces as well as naturally preserved areas.

It is through the connected and combined system that a development can achieve a higher level of economic sustainability. The elimination of the costs associated with the construction and maintenance of excessive roadways provides the development with the opportunity to invest the capital required into other aspects of the development such as open-space planning and the construction of civic structures.

Residents also benefit from a combined and connected communication network through a decreased dependence on the private automobile as well as decreased operational expenses associated with private automobile ownership.

I want my children to be able to meet and play and communicate with many other children on their own, not only when they are driven somewhere. I want them to grow up in an environment that is not just a place where people sleep but where people work... and where people enjoy themselves. -Moshe Safdie

Examining New Urbanism...Extent of Use

2009-06-24T09:15:00.004-04:00

The extent of use of the land required to implement a sustainable development should strive to maximize the land upon which it is built. This will ensure that as the development grows in terms of population and uses, it will not consume more land than is necessary.

This is an important factor in ensuring a development’s sustainability as well as a tool in combating the negative effects of suburban sprawl. To maximize sustainability, a development should strive to achieve the normative qualities associated with extent of use by formulating a plan that is contained and consistent.

A contained and consistent development plan limits the amount of land ultimately utilized for the implementation of the development; however it does not limit the amount of growth that can occur within the determined bounds of the development. Suburban sprawl does nothing to address the extent of use of the land and encourages low-density growth as a re-active planning measure as opposed to a pro-active measure.

The contained and consistent plan ensures that a larger and more diverse community matrix will evolve through the life of the development. Additionally, by providing clear boundaries to denote the place itself encourages the community to develop its character in an organic manner as opposed to a place with no clear boundaries that has a difficult time identifying itself.

As previously mentioned, the contained and consistent plan encourages a certain level of social interaction as well as the creation of a unique social character. Providing boundaries for the development will ensure that uses will remain in close proximity to each other and will encourage inter-personal communication and interaction. This helps to ensure the communities ability to sustain itself on a social level through the continuous interaction of people who belong to the same place but may originate from completely different backgrounds or be members of different socio-economic groups.

From an environmental standpoint, a contained and consistent plan maximizes the amount of land that will be consumed through the implementation of the development. This does not limit the ultimate population of the development nor does it limit the amount of diverse uses located within the development.

What it does limit is the overall amount of land the development requires in order to achieve a higher level of sustainability. The utilization of the existing land that is available to the development throughout its evolution is an excellent tool in combating the sprawling nature of developments that consume new land as they see fit.

The economic benefits of the contained and consistent plan are that the development will have the opportunity to retain the positive aspects of the commercial uses located in the development. The boundaries of the development allow for the continued growth, both physical and economic, of the development while ensuring that the services provided within the development will probably not relocate to an area that is not easily accessible.

While the notion that businesses will not relocate is not totally guaranteed, as the population of the development increases within the boundaries of the development the consumer-base available to businesses will most likely increase within close proximity to the commercial uses. This helps to ensure the economic sustainability of the businesses by being located to a “built-in” customer base.

There is an increasing awareness of the interrelatedness of things. We are becoming less prone to accept an immediate solution without questioning its larger implications. -Arthur Erickson

Examining New Urbanism...Diversity of Use

2009-06-23T10:57:00.005-04:00

Within the context of our study, diversity of use refers to the overall land-use plan associated with the design of the development. Developments that embrace a diversity of use are often referred to as mixed-use developments or they have designated a portion of the development as mixed-use.

In order to measure a development’s level of diversity of use, empirical formulas don’t provide a clear methodology for determining the diversity of a development. Utilizing analytical methods helps to determine how diverse the use of land is and what level of sustainability the development can expect to achieve.

The normative qualities that can be applied to the study of the diversity of use of a development are whether or not the development has been planned to provide for a comprehensive and complimentary land-use plan.

A comprehensive land-use plan details the scope of the intended uses that will be located within a development. Addressing the needs of all the residents and users of the development in order to promote the community’s sustainability involves the mixing of uses in order to ensure that goods and services will be readily available to all portions of the development.

These uses should be sited in a manner that is complimentary to one another to help promote pedestrian movement within the development as well as providing a safer environment by ensuring that there will be “eyes on the street”. Sprawl discourages the implementation of land-use plans that promote a diversity of uses and results in a higher reliance on the use of the private automobile.

The sustainable development that utilizes a comprehensive and complimentary use of the land encourages a higher level of social interaction within the development. The mixing of residential and commercial uses ensures that users can interact with each other in close proximity to their residences.

Often times, the mixed-use portion of the developments become one of the primary landmarks in the community due to the fact that every resident and user of the development engage in social interaction on a face-to-face basis within this portion. This inter-personal communication can only be achieved by siting complimentary uses in close proximity one another.

The reduction of environmental impacts through the implementation of a comprehensive and complimentary land-use plan help to ensure that the development will be able to achieve a higher level of sustainability than a typical sprawl-inspired development. The amount of land consumed in order to provide commercial uses within the development is one of the most significant advantages associated with the implementation of a comprehensive and complimentary land-use plan. Providing accessible open-spaces in which residents may engage and interact with the natural environment is another benefit of a sustainable land-use plan.

The economic development of a design that successfully promotes sustainability through its land-use plan will not only benefit the development itself, but the larger economic community as well. Through the implementation of a comprehensive and complimentary plan that ensures a diversity of uses, business owners can reduce operating costs and maximize profits by providing goods and services that will be essential to the development as well as more affordable to the residents due to the reduction of the cost of transportation that the consumers incur when obtaining these products in a sprawl-driven neighborhood design.

In the long run, men hit only what they aim at. Therefore, they had better aim at something high. -Henry David Thoreau

Examining New Urbanism...Intensity of Use

2009-06-22T12:15:00.004-04:00

Intensity of Use

Intensity of use refers to the overall density of the development, specifically as to how the development utilizes the land. The empirical measurement of density for housing developments is expressed as housing units per acre of land. While the use of the empirical measurement of density will be important to our study, there are design factors that will need to be addressed when determining the sustainable qualities of the density of the four developments.

The siting of uses and their proximity to one another is one of the qualities that we will explore when assessing the intensity of use within each development. For analytical purposes two qualities have been identified when determining density within developments. The normative qualities associated with the intensity of use within the developments are whether or not the developments have been planned to be compact and consolidated in order to promote sustainability.

A compact and consolidated development promotes sustainability on multiple levels while addressing the three factors discussed earlier. Providing a compact and consolidated development encourages a higher level of social interaction between the residents and users of the development. Suburban sprawl actually deters social interaction between residents by siting residences on larger plots of land and lowering the overall density of a neighborhood.

Sprawl promotes this lower density due to the fact that individualism is the over-riding principle behind typical suburban development. A high-density development encourages and embraces the notion of civic pride; in that the uses are located within close proximity to each other and the residents feel that they not only live in the development but they are an integral part of the neighborhood and the overall development.

From an environmental standpoint, a compact and consolidated development consumes less land for the overall development and therefore reduces the negative impacts associated with sprawling development. This reduction of negative impacts is attributed to the encouragement of pedestrian forms of transportation in order to access portions of the development.

A truly sustainable higher-density development reduces the dependence on private automobile use thereby reducing the negative environmental impacts associated with automobile use. Suburban sprawl encourages the use of the private automobile through the implementation of low-density designs that separate uses and increase the distance required to travel in order to utilize different facilities.

This emphasis on individualism can be directly attributed to the ideals that capitalism was based upon, private ownership and individual freedoms. While these freedoms are essential for a capitalist economic system, it detracts from the democratic ideals of equality and civic pride.

Sustainable developments encourage economic diversity by providing a compact use of the land that reduces the cost of purchasing or renting a residence due to the fact that more residences may be located on a smaller amount of land.

The heart is the chief feature of a functioning mind. -Frank Lloyd Wright

Examing New Urbanism....continues

2009-06-18T09:54:00.004-04:00

When addressing economic concerns in the establishment of a sustainable development, the needs of every segment of the population should be considered during each stage of design and development. Creating a community in which economic disparity is embraced contradicts the precepts of a sustainable development. Economic diversity contributes to social diversity within the community and provides opportunities for members of different socio-economic groups to participate in a sustainable society.

The findings of this research endeavor are meant to serve as a guide for future application to the design and implementation of sustainable developments. While design guidelines will be addressed through the analysis of the four developments, it is the intent of this project that this guide will be utilized to help designers ensure projects will address environmental, social and economic factors in regards to ensuring their sustainability.

Through the application of the analytical criteria established for the project, a critical assessment of existing and future developments can be made and a determination of their ability to achieve a high level of sustainability can be understood. It is only through the application of sustainable design that our society can hope to reverse the effects that suburban sprawl has had on the natural environment.

Designers and developers of traditional neighborhood developments often embrace and employ the principles of New Urbanism. New Urbanism is a design movement that aims to combat the negative effects of sprawl on multiple levels, including on the regional level as well as the neighborhood level.

New Urbanists believe “neighborhoods should be diverse in use and population; communities should be designed for the pedestrian and transit as well as the car; cities and towns should be shaped by physically defined and universally accessible public spaces and community institutions.” This form of sustainable development has become one of the foundations for regulations regarding TNDs in many municipalities, especially on the east coast.

This brief exploration will analyze four TNDs, all of which have been designed utilizing the principles of New Urbanism. The four developments are; I’on Village in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; Woodsong Village in Shallotte, North Carolina; Carpenter Village in Cary, North Carolina and Southern Village in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Congress for New Urbanism has recognized each of these neighborhoods as alternatives to suburban sprawl.

Through the careful analysis of the qualities of sustainability observed throughout this exploration, a determination regarding the level sustainability each of these developments achieves within its response to the social, environmental and economic factors involved in the design and implementation of these developments.

The Qualities of Sustainability

In order to determine how sustainable each of these developments are, we must establish a system with which to compare and contrast the qualities of the four developments. For the purposes of this study, six aspects that determine the level of sustainability of each development have been categorized and will be analyzed based on normative qualities that are associated with each aspect. These six aspects are; (1) Intensity of Use, (2) Diversity of Use, (3) Extent of Use, (4) Communication, (5) Sense of Place and (6) Flexibility of Use. In order to understand the qualities of sustainability, we must first understand what each of these six aspects represents.

Now there is one outstanding important fact regarding spaceship earth, and that is that no instruction book came with it. -R. Buckminster Fuller

Examining New Urbanism...

2009-06-16T10:09:00.005-04:00

Traditional neighborhood developments, or TNDs, have become a design and planning strategy to combat the negative effects of suburban sprawl. There are, however, questions as to whether or not these new developments will prove to be an effective tool in the long-term struggle against sprawl and if the developments will prove to be sustainable. The American Heritage Dictionary defines sustainable as “capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment.”

While all development has some effect on the natural environment, sustainable development aims to minimize the long-term effects on the environment by encouraging more intelligent growth within the determined boundaries of the development and addresses not only environmental issues but social and economic factors as well.

Therefore, the definition of sustainability that we shall use for the purposes of this research endeavor reads as “human settlement that is designed, built and operated in a way that environmental, social and economic practices used in all phases of development provide for efficiency and equity for present and future generations of humans and other species.”

The revised definition of sustainability employed for our research endeavor emphasizes the importance of people, place and process in all phases of the development’s design. Every phase of design should consider the importance of the social, environmental and economic factors involved in order to ensure the development’s sustainability.

The developments should strive to create a diverse social structure within which a strong community can be built. It is through the creation of a strong community identity that a development can begin to ensure its long-term sustainability. The establishment of a strong and diverse community creates a sense of civic pride within developments that is difficult to measure with empirical methods, however, communities that lack a sense of civic pride are often characterized as places that are unsafe, in a state of disrepair and lack a strong economic base.

Suburban sprawl does not foster the creation of a strong sense of community due to the fact that it places a greater emphasis on individualism than it does on civic pride. In addition to creating a sustainable community, new developments should address the needs and concerns of existing developments and communities through every phase of design and construction in order to minimize any negative effects the new developments may have on neighboring areas.

The physical location of sustainable developments should aim to reduce the over-consumption of land that suburban sprawl encourages. The sustainable development, while integrated into the existing community fabric, should have clearly defined boundaries that will determine the ultimate size of the development and establishes a place within the environment.

A current criticism of traditional neighborhood developments is that they still encourage the use of the private automobile due largely to the fact that they are located on former agricultural tracts of land that are too far removed from the urban core. While this is a valid criticism of TNDs, the do offer a sustainable alternative to suburban sprawl through the integration of commercial cores that are accessible by foot from any portion of the development.

It should be noted that establishing a commercial core that is accessible via pedestrian movement is not the determining factor that should be considered for addressing the issue of place. The boundaries of a place, and the community that is created within the place will determine whether or not the development will truly be sustainable.

Milestone...

2009-05-06T08:55:00.002-04:00

Some of you may have noticed a new addition to the enVisionReading list on the right side of the page. Indeed it is true, I have successfully made the transition from writer to author.

The book, Towards a Sustainable New Orleans, is available via the major online book merchants (certain advertising agreements prohibit me from telling you exactly which one's they are, but I will say that one is named after a South American river and the other rhymes with Narnes and Boble).

Here is a brief synopsis;

Focusing on the examination of land use and development choices that have been made in New Orleans in the recent past that relate to the economic system of hyper-capitalism, Towards a Sustainable New Orleans proposes a sustainable and equitable redevelopment strategy for the city and the region. Many of these land-use and development choices have placed a majority of the city¿s residents in harm¿s way of a natural disaster. Hurricane Katrina has demonstrated the need for coastal cities to adopt sustainable development plans in order to counteract poor choices made under the hyper-capitalist system. This book proposes a policy framework for the further development and implementation of a sustainable redevelopment plan for the city that utilizes the ideals of environmental justice as an organizing principle. Towards a Sustainable New Orleans is essential reading for designers, planners, government officials as well as people living in coastal areas.

Earth day is upon us...

2009-04-22T09:15:00.006-04:00

Well, today is the 39th Earth Day.

I find it a bit perplexing that as members of the world-wide ecological community, we require a single day to be set aside to celebrate the planet we live on.

And honestly, with what we have done to this planet I not sure we should be celebrating, but instead begging forgiveness and seeking penance.

So before anyone gets into a tizzy regarding whether or not global warming really exists; or whether or not owning 4 cars in a 2 driver household really contributes to sprawl; or whether or not the trickle-down theory is really the most democratic economic system; or whether or not our development choices have really led to an alarmingly high child obesity rate; or whether or not our use of coal-burning power plants in the Ohio valley has really poisoned every body of freshwater in the Northeast with mercury; or whether or not developing nations really allow rampant deforestation in the name of hyper-capitalism masked as progress; or whether or not our hyper-capitalist driven land-use choices have really destroyed important wetland ecosystems whose function is to protect low-lying areas from flooding; or whether or not our government has really allowed hyper-capitalist auto manufacturers to convince us that an efficient, low-emissions internal combustion engine is not feasible; or whether or not our nation really has the largest privately funded rail network in the world yet we can't seem to implement a reliable high-speed rail network; or whether or not in our democratic and just society that our health care system is really ranked 38th in the world just ahead of Slovenia and Cuba; or whether or not we really allow hyper-capitalists to bulldoze the mountains of West Virginia in search of cheap coal; or whether or not we really celebrate the automobile so much that when a developer actually installs sidewalks or a trail system they want a commendation from the Sierra Club; or whether or not allowing National Home Builders to mass grade, change designated land-uses and leverage their projects based solely on speculation informed by reports that their own lobbyists generate has really contributed to the crash of the housing market; or whether or not hyper-capitalist driven greed has really fueled the subprime lending market in which housewives-turned-mortgage brokers fleece unsuspecting, uninformed homebuyers into products that they could never afford; or whether or not the lack of congressional oversight is really the true culprit behind many of the misdealings of the financial crisis; or whether or not relying on the guise of religion and freedom is really a just means to slaughter innocent people with roadside bombs, dirty bombs, hazardous chemicals, conventional weapons, plutonium-enriched shells or any other means of destruction; or whether or not globalization has really led to the exportation of American-style hyper-capitalism resulting in the further socio-economic stratification of developing nations; or whether or not our coastal development choices have really placed cities, towns and residents in danger of catastrophic weather events; or whether or not saving 10-cents a month on your electricity bill really means you are living a sustainable lifestyle; or whether or not greenwashing your development project with a certified "green" checklist is really a step in the right direction for facilitating a system-wide paradigm shift; or whether or not protesting taxes when nation's survival is at stake as opposed to protesting deficit spending to invade sovereign nations based on lies is really justifiable; or whether or not the United States really has over 1,300 endangered species of plants and animals yet we continue to plan to exploit wildlife refuges for hyper-capitalist gains; I would like to remind everyone of one thing.

Everything is connected to everything else.

If there is one phrase which should become part of the American lexicon, that is it.

The sooner we accept that our actions affect the larger eco-community and that in order for our species to survive we must change our habits, the sooner we can begin celebrating Earth Day everyday of the year.

The universe is wider than our views of it. -Henry David Thoreau

Shades of gray...

2009-04-20T08:36:00.011-04:00

So they question remains, how do we facilitate the necessary paradigm shift towards a more sustainable homebuilding model?

This task is much more difficult than one can imagine. In order to demonstrate just how murky the waters truly are, we need to examine one of the organizations whose entire purpose is to defend national builders and their hyper-capitalist ways. This is none other than the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Just to give you an idea as to exactly what this organization is about, the "NAHB strives to create an environment in which...Housing and those who provide it are recognized as the strength of the nation." Unless you've been living in a cave for the past three years, we all know how this vision has panned out for our nation!

Regardless, the NAHB is making an effort to embrace and promote "Green Building Practices". However, if we take a closer look at this effort we will quickly discover yet another greenwashing smokescreen intended to distract us from the real issues.

(You didn't really think that I would simply point out the NAHB's efforts without immediately proceeding to systematically dissect its true intentions, did you?!?!)

Let us begin with the NAHB's "Green Home Building Guidelines", which is structured somewhat like the LEED rating system. The NAHB's system allocates points for green building "line items", resulting in a gold, silver or bronze rating.

Points for site selection, site design, building materials and so on comprise the overall strategies to achieve a "green" community. But, if we take a closer look at their overall "green" goals, we quickly discover how they truly feel about the movement;

It should be noted that although many green building programs have been in existence for 10 years of more, the concept and practice of green building is not clearly defined and straightforward. Many gray areas remain in identifying and quantifying the precise environmental impact for each particular line item. (NAHB, Model Green Home Building Guidelines.)

Huh, that's funny because as we have come to learn, everything is connected to everything else. That seems like a pretty straightforward concept, but then again it could be construed as a gray area. I mean, does everything include stuff that we haven't invented or produced yet? And does it include thoughts or electrical impulses?

I've changed my mind; it is pretty gray.

Let's look at it another way. How about the view that sustainable development is "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Brundtland, 1987.)

That doesn't help at all. For instance, what if scientists invent a way to solve all of the world's pollution problems in the future?!?! If that were to happen, then anything we do now won't really hinder the ability of future generations!

Yup, pretty gray.

How about if we look at the very first criteria for site selection; "Avoid environmentally sensitive areas". One could state with some certainty that this would include wetland areas.

Ahh, we remember wetlands don't we? Those diverse ecological communities which perform a variety of functions from cleaning water to providing protection from flooding.

But hold the phone, we may have discovered a gray area.

The NAHB, in all its infinite wisdom is quick to point out that "wetlands are a controversial issue for builders and federal agencies." Furthermore, they are quick to point out that wetland degradation and loss is a "common misconception". In fact, they feel that there has been "no net loss" of wetlands in our nation recently.

Well, those smoke-screening scientists over at the pesky EPA would probably like to step-up to the microphone to refute that statement by saying, "Huh?".

For instance, in Louisiana alone "every thirty minutes, an area of coastal land the size of a football field vanishes. Since the 1930s, more than 1.2 million acres (1,900 square miles), an area the size of Delaware, has disappeared from the Mississippi River Delta."

Yup, so very gray.

Perhaps the NAHB neglected to read the entire memo concerning the federal government's policies on wetlands. If they had read past the first two lines, they would have learned that both President Bushes wanted to implement a regulatory policy which accounted for no net loss of wetlands.

Oops. Missed that one.

A builder can still apply for a permit to "fill" a portion of a wetlands and either construct or "mitigate" their impact somewhere else on their site. Or they can even mitigate that impact to somewhere that is not even in the same area as their site!!!

In an effort to return to our original point, how do we expect the new homebuilding giant Pulex to embrace the concepts of sustainability and "green" building if the organization who supports them doesn't even wholeheartedly believe in these concepts?!?!

Well, in a democratic society operating under an capitalist economic system, We the People are the ones who possess the power to instigate change. That change must come from the consumer who demands nothing less than a truly "green" and sustainable product from organizations who are truly concerned with the impacts they are making on our society.

Remember, yes we can.

Are we not the whores of big business, selling our product for their commercial lust? -Arthur Erickson

Monopolizing sprawl....

2009-04-14T08:45:00.007-04:00

During these difficult times for national builders, a feel-good story emerges from the organizations who gave us the concepts of fortified, age-restricted sprawling communities; McMansions and builder-based financing. In case you haven't heard, Pulte Homes is in the process of acquiring Centex. This will create the largest national home builder in the country (and most likely the world).

Hyper-capitalists everywhere are rejoicing!!! Perhaps we can continue to treat the land as a commodity and resume consuming it at an alarming rate!!!

Don't fire-up the mass-grading bandwagon just yet...I think I have some bad news for this sprawling mega-builder.

Perhaps the CEOs of the housing industry were too busy traversing the country in their private planes over the last few weeks to take notice of something that the new administration is fairly keen on...fixing failed business models.

I think that Rick Wagoner, the now former CEO of General Motors could give the new Pulex (which is a new company name that I freely offer the new mega-sprawler) some advice on revising their business plan.

Rick may begin by telling the building giant to steer clear of the "free-money-for-failed-hyper-capitalists" programs that the federal government has been funding over the past few months. That piece of advice would certainly be preceded by the caveat, things just ain't what they used to be.

Here's the real point; the housing industry needs to rethink their hyper-capitalist driven business models if they plan to survive.

This merger will not spur another housing boom. Sorry to burst the bubble before it even inflates, but if we think back about a year and a half, we should be able to remember that it was the national builders and the lending industry which started this economic downturn.

Here's another bubble-flattener; the new administration will not allow the widespread destruction of the American landscape in the name of hyper-capitalism. In fact, not since the 19th century has the federal government made a significant effort to fund and encourage public transportation projects.

What options does this leave our new friend Pulex? How about the opportunity to become the very first sustainable and equitable national home builder in the world.

Granted, the true meaning and practice sustainability and equity are foreign concepts to these folks. But let us imagine for a moment, a national homebuilder that creates truly sustainable site plans, encourages public transportation projects which connect their communities to urban cores, builds communities which encourage healthy living and social interaction and offer a diverse mix of housing types that people from every socio-economic status could afford.

Sounds nice, doesn't it. I'm certain that some hyper-capitalists are decrying the idea of such sustainable and equitable communities. They are most likely pulling out their latest mud-slinging terms; socialism, communists and the dreaded liberal.

But alas, I have some disturbing news for our hyper-capitalist brethren...these types of communities only embody one true political ideal; democracy.

Ahh yes, a concept which has become so clouded that a majority of people in this country don't even remember what it means. But let us remember that this great nation was founded (in theory at least) on the concepts of equality, fairness and opportunity.

These just happen to be the same ideals which drive the concept of creating equitable and sustainable communities. The time has come for a new approach to development in this nation, and Pulex has the incredible opportunity to lead that charge.

The question is, will they?

Instead of noblemen, let us have noble villages of men. -Henry David Thoreau

Making sure they're pleased....

2009-04-02T23:46:00.007-04:00

Quick food for thought.

From today's New York Times;

April 3, 2009
Former California Homeowners Lash Out at Builder

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER

LOS ANGELES — A major home builder that helped fuel the country’s building boom is now under attack for what some homeowners and builders say was its role in the bust that
followed.

Several former homeowners spoke here on Thursday about their disenchantment with the builder, KB Home, at its annual shareholders’ meeting. The speakers said the company had pushed them into high-risk, high-interest loans for homes they could not afford and eventually lost to foreclosure.

During the meeting, a few dozen construction workers, many of whom had their work dry up when the home-building market imploded in Southern California, protested across the street.

“I tried to communicate to the board members to try to do better for people in the future,” one of the former homeowners who addressed the board, Santiago Ramos, said after the meeting.

The meeting was closed to reporters. A KB Home spokeswoman,
Heather Reeves, said in an e-mail message, “We want every KB
homeowner to know that we stand ready to assist them in any way
we can to ensure that they are pleased with their purchase.”

I wonder if that assistance includes helping the now former homeowners find a nearby shelter.

We need less regulations. I suspect, we met with a homeowner, home builder yesterday, Congressman. Remember the guy? He was upset that he had to fill out forms at the federal, state, and local level in order to build a house. -George W Bush, Washington, D.C., Mar. 16, 2004

A Greenwashed Site Plan...In real life

2009-03-17T17:24:00.012-04:00

Well, the time has come to revisit the site of our favorite home improvement supply center and take a look at physical manifestation of their "commitment to sustainability". You guessed it, we've got our sights set on Lowe's, champions of Hyper-Capitalism.

In our look at the Greenwashing of site plans, we opened our jargon-free discussion by examining the first requirement for the development and implementation of a sustainable site plan; preserving the site's soils.

As we recall, one of the tell-tale signs of a site that has soils which are unsuitable for development is a giant pile of dirt. So, with that in mind, let's take a look to see what creative grading methods our friends at Lowe's approved for their site plan.

Huh. That looks like it might be a giant pile of dirt. In fact, if we presume that the bulldozer (the second machine from the left) in the picture is the smallest of the John Deere dozers; the height of the machine from the ground to the top of the roof is 10-feet, 5-inches!!!

Now consider the fact that the machines are closer to the camera, so due to the phenomenon of forced perspective, the dirt pile actually appears to be smaller than it really is!!! (As a reference, the technique of forced perspective is what Peter Jackson used in the Lord of the Rings films to make the Hobbits appear smaller than other characters!!)

If we recall our discussion, stripping the soils from a site adversely affects not only the site on which they are developing, but all of the sites in the area immediately surrounding the site.

On top of that, if we summon our sustainability mantra that everything is connected to everything else; there are going to be serious adverse impacts on sites that aren't necessarily contiguous with the Lowe's site.

If we look at a topographic map of the site before it was altered by the specifications set out in the site plan, we can begin to truly understand the impact that this type of development has on the land.

Many of you are now scratching your head and wondering, what the ##%! am I looking at!?!?! Simply put, each one of those lines on the map represents a contour or a predetermined change in elevation (or height). In this particular case, this map is showing contours in 2-foot increments. So very every line you encounter on the map, the height of the ground is 2-feet higher than the last.

If you look closely, there are a lot of lines stacked up on this site.What that tells you is that the site is very, very steep and most likely not very suitable for development. Certainly not for "big-box" commercial development that requires lots of flat terrain.

To demonstrate how steep this site was, let us take a closer look at the topo map.

The red line on this map connects the contour representing elevation 310 (feet above sea level) to the contour representing 370. The line measures 291-feet in length. If we use our highly advanced mathematical skills to determine the slope by dividing the difference in elevation (a.k.a. "the rise") by the distance between the two points we are measuring (a.k.a. "the run"), we determine that this are has a slope of just over 20%.

That may not mean much to many of you. Honestly, not many people besides Landscape Architects and Civil Engineers go around town guessing the slope of various sites.

To put this in perspective; if you have ever stepped foot onto a patio, you know that a patio is what we consider to be fairly flat. In reality, the slope of the patio is somewhere between 1-2%!!! Considering the fact that spring is quickly approaching, consider this example. The average slope of the outfield area of a baseball diamond is about 1%!!!

I think we can begin to see how significant a 20% slope is compared to the two examples of relatively "flat" surfaces.

Looking back, you may recall that an analysis using the USDA Soil Survey showed that over 90% of this site's soils were unsuitable for development based on the overall soil matrix. Add to the fact that a "big-box" commercial development requires a site that is in the 2%-5% slope range and we begin to reveal one of the most egregious hyper-capitalist driven greenwashing practices around.

Instead of adapting their use to the site (or even finding a site more suitable for their use), Lowe's and their site planner have adapted the site to their use.

Consider this; would you buy a pair of shoes which you knew didn't fit you and weren't the style you wanted; then spend a ton of money adapting those shoes to fit your foot and look the way you want?!?!

Of course not. But for some reason, Hyper-Capitalists don't share the same common sensibilities that you do.

No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill. Belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other. -Frank Lloyd Wright

Greenwashing the Site Plan...Enhancing the Enhanced

2009-03-11T08:24:00.011-04:00

We are finally nearing the end of our discussion about the four requirements for developing and implementing a sustainable site plan. As we have found with nearly all of our discussions, everything is connected to everything else, and today's topic is no different. So let us consider the final requirement;

...the proposed project provides for enhanced human well being, enhanced cultural diversity and enhances the natural and social environment...

Once again, the common sense sign is most likely beginning to flash in your mind. But as we have found throughout our explorations, common sense rarely goes hand-in-hand with the ideals and goals of Hyper-Capitalism.

As we begin to dissect the meaning of this requirement, we find the ammunition Hyper-Capitalists use to claim their project meets the requirements for a sustainable site plan.

Magic Bullet #1:

enhance: 1. to raise to a higher degree 2. to raise the value or price of

Uh-oh, Hyper-Capitalists everywhere are rejoicing. Does their site plan destroy and disturb the soils on a site? Probably. Does their site plan make the water a little dirtier as it moves towards it destination? Most likely. Does their site plan rely on the practice of clear-cutting the existing vegetation? You bet.

Yet in this Hyper-Capitalist driven world, changing the use of a site from undeveloped to developed enhances the overall value of the property.

Magic Bullet #2:

well-being: the state of being healthy, happy or prosperous

Yikes. Prosperity, there's a Hyper-Capitalist ideological word if we've ever seen one. Sure, their site plan may call for the mass grading of a site, increase traffic in surrounding neighborhoods and promote architecture that looks as if a third-grader designed it, but are they providing opportunities for everyone to be prosperous?

A resounding YES is being shouted from an armada of Hyper-Capitalist gas-guzzling SUVs as they claim wonderful jobs are being created, tax dollars are flowing into the municipality like wine and humans need places to live, work and eat. But, in reality, they are the only people who are truly prospering from their destructive site planning practices.

Magic Bullet #3:

cultural diversity: the coexistence of different ethnic, gender, racial, and socioeconomic groups within one social unit

Do Hyper-Capitalists truly believe that when they create a site plan which develops a piece of land into a "luxury residential community", that simply because there is daily interaction between the wealthy homeowners and the labor force which trims their water-wasting lawns that they have created a culturally diverse project?

Or that because they are providing a use which will create a handful of minimum-wage jobs for people who can barely afford to travel to their workplace due to the lack of affordable housing in the area, they are providing an opportunity for the interaction between different socioeconomic groups?

Hyper-Capitalists will generally begin to talk about how they are filling a need for some sort of use when this subject is raised. We provide a diverse mix of housing types in our community...is a statement often uttered from the mouths of Hyper-Capitalists. There is a multi-family component to our project...that the average worker couldn't even dream of owning on a hourly wage of about $11 per hour.

Magic Bullet #4:

natural environment: or simply known as the environment; the collection of all living and non-living things in a given area

This subject is usually handled by a favorite phrase of Hyper-Capitalists; the highest and best use of a property.

Sure, we clear-cut and mass graded our site, but before we came along the property was just sitting there not doing anyone any good. It wasn't making any money for anyone!!

Don't worry about stormwater, we've got control devices that will remove the minimum amount of pollutants from the water as prescribed by law. And don't you worry about those ugly native tress we bull-dozed, we're going to plant some lovely landscaping (although it will most likely be the minimum required by the code or we may just pay some money into a fund so that the city can plant a tree on the other side of town).

Magic Bullet #5:

social environment: society as a whole, especially in its relation to the individual

Is our society a better place now that we have Wal-Mart, Lowe's, sprawl, endless miles of paved roads and have the ability to transform the natural environment into something that benefits humankind (even if it means the extinction of ten other species)?

"Without these things, our economy would collapse and we would all be communists", shout the Hyper-Capitalists.

Call me a cynic, but all I can say is that given the current state of the economy, environment and society as a whole, Hyper-Capitalists have been doing a stand-up job so far!

everything is connected to everything else

We can begin to see how the mask of greenwashing is being used to cloak some of the more unsustainable site planning practices employed by Hyper-Capitalists. Let us keep in mind that the developers are not the only one's to blame in this process, there are designers who are charged with producing these site plans and who are, in essence, failing our environment and our society.

As we move forward, we will take a look at some real life examples of site plans that have been greenwashed in the name of Hyper-Capitalism.

Still Greenwashing the Site Plan...Trees ARE the Answer...

2009-03-09T11:42:00.005-04:00

As we continue our exploration of the requirements for developing and implementing a sustainable site plan, we now shift our focus to the use of the site's existing vegetation.

This portion of our discussion can be considered as one of the main factors as to why Landscape Architects must take a more prominent role in the development and implementation of sustainable and equitable site plans. So without further adieu, let us set the stage for today's discussion;

...the proposed project ensures that air will be able to flow through the site in an unobstructed manner and that as much existing vegetation is preserved as possible in order to reduce air pollution...

Of the four requirements for a sustainable site plan, we find that in the development and implementation of site plans, far too little importance is placed on the preservation of existing vegetation as well as the introduction of new vegetation.

A closer examination of this requirement reveals that there are a few more reasons for preserving the site's existing vegetation than simply reducing air pollution. Considering the fact that everything is connected to everything else, we discover that a site's existing vegetation contributes to the goals of some of the other factors we have discussed as well as making significant contributions to additional environmental and ecological issues that are not mentioned in the four requirements.

Existing vegetation on a site;

Helps reduce wind speeds on a site;
Helps provide mature and effective visual buffers;
Helps reduce soil erosion caused by wind on a site;
Helps reduce erosion caused by rainfall on a site;
Helps clean rainwater falling on a site;
Helps distribute rainwater to the soil on a site;
Helps the site's soil remain healthy and functional;
Helps control the site's temperature;
Helps create livable, functional, enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing spaces on a site;
Helps foster a more sustainable ecological community by providing habitats for native animal species;
Helps protects the overall ecological community from exotic species of plants, animals and diseases.

Phew, that list would make this requirement run about three pages as opposed to the simplified three lines that it now occupies. I would tend to agree with that statement, however what this list demonstrates is how underutilized existing vegetation truly is in the development and implementation of a majority of site plans.

On the other hand, the "simplified" sustainable site plan requirement helps illustrate one of the most underutilized ecological and environmental attributes of plants; the reduction of air pollution.

There are very few cities in this world which utilize trees as a major air pollution abatement device. One cannot dispute the scientific evidence that clearly shows the process in which airborne contaminants are removed from the atmosphere by trees. Everyone who has had an elementary school education should be familiar with the process called photosynthesis.

For those who don't recall the entire process, the only thing you need to concern yourself with is that trees absorb carbon dioxide and other dangerous gases and through photosynthesis, convert those gases into oxygen and release that oxygen back into the atmosphere.

At this point you may be saying to yourself; if preserving the existing vegetation on one site helps reduce air pollution, imagine how clean the air in my community would be if ten, twenty or thirty sites preserved as much existing vegetation as they could!!

Aha!! Remember, everything is connected to everything else!!!

Not only would the air be cleaner, but let us not forget that the soils would be functioning properly; vast areas of paved parking would be much cooler in the summer months from the shade provided; the visual impacts of such crowning architectural achievements as Lowe's, WalMart and any other "big-box" buildings would be greatly reduced; soil erosion resulting from gusting winds would be reduced; rainwater would be cleaner when it finally reached the ground; and our society and culture would be vastly improved through the creation of enjoyable, functional spaces.

Let us not forget who is best equipped to deal with these factors during the development and implementation of sustainable site plans; the Landscape Architect.

Hyper-Capitalists need not worry about the impact of retaining existing vegetation on a site, and here's why. If you plan properly, the site can be planned to avoid having to remove vegetation, redistribute the disturbed soil and then replace or "mitigate" the impact of the removed trees! All of this means less construction costs resulting from informed site planning!!

(Note: many municipalities require that developments either replace existing vegetation that has been removed through either planting new vegetation or contributing a formulated monetary payment to what is generally referred to as a "community beautification fund"; once again offering developers the opportunity to use money to offset their negative environmental impacts!!)

You may be asking yourself; Why don't we try to preserve as much as we can if there are so many positive attributes associated with existing vegetation?

Therein lies the issue; we need to move towards a more sustainable and equitable society and culture. This need goes beyond rewarding the few people who make buildings more efficient through LEEDs certification; beyond those extremists who chain themselves to old-growth trees in the Pacific-Northwest; beyond those who opt for a "green" home.

As a society and culture, we need to realize one thing: everything is connected to everything else.

When we finally accept and embrace this notion, only then will we be able to move towards a more equitable and sustainable society.

Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. -Frank Lloyd Wright

Greenwashing the Site Plan...Thou Shalt Not Pollute the Water

2009-03-02T17:14:00.008-05:00

Having touched upon the choices which lead many developments to completely alter the existing soil matrix,we can now shift our focus to the second requirement of the sustainable site plan:

...the proposed project does not contaminate the overall water supply, which includes both surface sources and sub-surface sources...

This seems as if would be the one requirement that nearly everyone in the world could understand, but alas, we find this is usually not the case. As we delve into this issue a bit further, and of course jargon-free, try to keep in mind our short discussion regarding the site's soils.

Early in the planning stages of a development (keep in mind this refers to any type of building and development activity), the designer is always faced with the task of treating the stormwater which falls on the site.

In jargon-free terms, the designer needs to be sure that the rainwater that runs across pavement, concrete and other surfaces which it cannot pass through (jargon= impervious surfaces) is as clean or cleaner than when it left the cloud.

In order to really understand this concept, let's quickly talk about the hydrological cycle, or in jargon-free speak; how rain is born and reborn. Here's a quick visual aid:

The simple explanation for this graphic is that water evaporates up into the clouds from various water surfaces such as ponds, lakes and oceans. The clouds hold the moisture, move over the land and release the moisture in the form of rain, sleet or snow. When the rain hits the ground, it is absorbed through the soil (remember soils!!!), and is consumed by plants through their roots.

The rainwater that is not consumed by our plant friends moves through the soil and underground channels (jargon= aquifers), returning to the water supplies (ponds, lakes, rivers, oceans) to be used again in the cycle.

In addition to the underground movement of water back to the source, our plant friends contribute to the cycle by releasing moisture into the air through a process called transpiration. In jargon-free terms, the plants sweat and the sweat returns to the clouds to be reborn as new rain.

In other words, in the hydrological cycle; everything is connected to everything else.

As we can clearly see, altering a site's soils to accommodate a use that the site is most likely not suitable for has far-reaching consequences. This leads us back to our discussion about clean water.

When rain falls on pavement (especially asphalt), some of the water moves across the pavement while a small amount of water is absorbed into the asphalt. Herein lies a major issue; asphalt is made with oil.

Automobiles also need oil to operate their internal combustion engines and quite often these autos tend to leak oil; especially when they are parked. If rain is falling on the asphalt and moving across that surface accumulating various chemicals on its journey, one could presume that there is a lot of oil in that water.

Here's something else to consider; most drinking water supplies originate from surface runoff. In jargon-free speak, when the rain falls and moves across a parking lot; chances are you are going to end up drinking that water.

If your municipality does not get its drinking water from surface runoff, but through an aquifer (look at the diagram), then guess what; not only are you drinking some of the oil and chemicals on the surface of the pavement, but when the water moves through the asphalt (which it does even though asphalt is considered to be impervious) picking up more contaminants on its journey; because the soils on many sites have been drastically altered, that water is not exactly the cleanest.

So what!?! may be your initial response, but if we take a closer look at the hydrological cycle diagram we notice that the water which moves through the soil not only returns to its source (e.g. a reservoir), but the dirty water is returning to the clouds to be reborn into rain; or as we have come to know it: acid rain.

Now that you are thoroughly scared to drink water, we need to return to the requirement for the sustainable site plan:

...the proposed project does not contaminate the overall water supply, which includes both surface sources and sub-surface sources...

A truly sustainable site plan provides measures for treating the water which falls on the site and eventually ends-up coming out of your tap. Logically, the next question that is on the tip of your tongue is most likely; If that's the case, then what are you going on about?!

Well, as we all know by now, measures taken by Hyper-Capitalists are usually driven by one principle; how does it affect my bottom line. Developers will always choose the method which costs them the least amount of money but satisfies the minimum requirements for approval.

In fact, many municipalities offer developers the opportunity to "bank" or "mitigate" their impacts on stormwater runoff. In other words, they can use money in place of clean water!!!

All hope is not lost, Frodo.

The rules governing stormwater treatment are becoming more and more restrictive. This has caused the development community to rely on Hyper-Capitalist scare tactics in their responses to governmental agencies. Their usual response sounds something like this: "If we are more restricted with how much of the land we can develop because of stricter stormwater rules, then the city/county/town is going to lose tax revenues and will be restricting its own growth."

Once a government entity hears that tax dollars will be lost, all hell breaks loose.

What the developers are not saying is that for a few dollars more in the planning phases of a project, a creative landscape architect or civil engineer could utilize sustainable stormwater management techniques that will allow growth to continue in addition to not polluting the water supply!

In fact, many of the sustainable stormwater treatment techniques are far more aesthetically pleasing than the standard practices!! Imagine, not only will they be providing clean water, but their development will be more attractive!!! More attractive means more profits!!!!

Hyper-Capitalists Rejoice!!!!!

So as we can clearly see, the need for strict adherence to the second requirement of the sustainable site plan not only ensures that our children will not be born with deformities due to our drinking water having alarming levels of contaminants, but it will produce a more aesthetically pleasing landscape.

Not only does this improve the environment, but it improves our culture and our society as a whole. And only then can we begin to move towards sustainable and equitable existence.

Beauty: the adjustment of all parts proportionately so that one cannot add or subtract or change without impairing the harmony of the whole. -Leon Battista Alberti

Continuing to Greenwash the site plan...

2009-02-25T11:54:00.008-05:00

Looking back on our initial discussion regarding the greenwashing of site plans, I believe that perhaps a further examination of the elements, concepts, theories and ideals of developing a sustainable site plan is required.

In our continuing discussion, we need to focus on the goals of a sustainable site plan in terms that everyone will understand and appreciate. Often times, designers (myself included) become so entrenched and zealous about their overall concept that we tend to spew large amounts of jargon, which usually results in the general public simply "tuning us out".

If we simplify the aims of a sustainable site plan, we discover that designers are charged with the task of developing site plans that meet their client's development needs while ensuring that these four essential requirements are met;

the site's soils are preserved or developed in a manner that does not degrade either the fertility of the existing soils or increase the potential for soil erosion;
the proposed project does not contaminate the overall water supply, which includes both surface sources and sub-surface sources;
the proposed project ensures that air will be able to flow through the site in an unobstructed manner and that as much existing vegetation is preserved as possible in order to reduce air pollution;
the proposed project provides for enhanced human well being, enhanced cultural diversity and enhances the natural and social environment.

Provided that these elements are met and/or preserved, then we can truly label a site plan sustainable and equitable for a proposed development or project.

(Note: the word development can be used to describe any project which changes the use of a site; many people simply equate the concept of development with residential neighborhood construction, however it applies to commercial projects, industrial projects, parks and recreation projects and so on.)

Let us examine each requirement on its own merits and keep the discussion jargon-free.

...the site's soils are preserved or developed in a manner that does not degrade either the fertility of the existing soils or increase the potential for soil erosion...

Most of us would consider this requirement as common sense, but as we all know what is right and responsible is rarely considered common sense among Hyper-Capitalists (oops, jargon-alert!!).

Consider this; if you wanted to build a house and someone explained to you that there is a 99.9% chance that your house will collapse in less than a year because of erosion, would you build the house?

Or that the spot were you are planting a vegetable garden was once a toxic waste dump and there is a 99.9% chance that the vegetables you grow will give your family terminal illnesses in less that one year, would you plant that garden?

Common sense would say that you would try to avoid these types of situations. Alas, such is not the case for a multitude of developments in this country.

Simply stated, if you pass by a new development project and there happens to be a ridiculously large pile of dirt on one part of the site, this tells you that the soils conditions on that site are not suited for development!!!

Soils on a site exist in a form similar to a layer cake; throughout history these layers have been built-up through a variety of environmental processes. These layers all serve a specific purpose, but are composed of different materials due to past uses of the site, the types of vegetation that have lived on the site and where the site is located in the overall geography of the area (e.g. on the coast, at the base of a mountain, etc...).

When a development must alter the make-up of the soils, or strip off the chocolate layer of the cake and add an asparagus layer, this alters the ability of the soils to perform functions that have been occurring on the site for thousands of years. And as we surmise from our chocolate-asparagus layer cake, they don't exactly mesh.

At this point, you are undoubtedly asking yourself, Why do we develop on sites with unsuitable soils?

The answer to that question is found in the real estate industry's favorite mantra, location, location, location.

Believe it or not, developers and Hyper-Capitalists are more than willing to risk the safety of the people who will be using the development in addition to risking the safety of their neighbors in an effort to make some money.

The impact that each individual development has on the soils is varied and often site-specific, which helps illustrate the dire need for the development of sustainable site planning practices. Whether a proposed project threatens to increase the likelihood of causing a landslide or polluting a local stream because the soils have been drastically altered; landscape architects are equipped with the knowledge and skills to address these issues.

As we move through our exploration of each of these points, we will once again discover that everything is connected to everything else.

“The nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself.” - Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Greenwashing the site plan...

2009-02-23T08:01:00.008-05:00

(As we return from the short hiatus, we will resume our look at Greenwashing and how it has infiltrated nearly every aspect of development.)

Our focus will now shift to the impact that Greenwashing has exerted on the design industry and how that is affecting the overall paradigm shift to a more sustainable world. It is important to note that it is more than likely that a majority of design professionals probably don't intentionally greenwash their efforts. However, to survive in our Hyper-Capitalist economic structure, their efforts to provide sustainable and equitable design solutions are often usurped by their Hyper-Capitalist clients desires and demands.

With that in mind, our exploration of the greenwashed site plan must begin with the theoretical and philosophical aims of developing a ecologically and environmentally responsible site plan. There are two important points to keep in mind as we delve into this particular topic; the first is that a majority of the time, the influence which the Landscape Architect can exert on the final technical aspects of a design is often usurped by the influence that Civil Engineers exert on our site development efforts.

While Civil Engineers possess the technical knowledge to ensure that sites function properly with regards to grading and drainage, Landscape Architects also possess a similar knowledge-base which allows for the technical site requirements to be met in addition to possessing the knowledge to develop a sustainable and equitable site plan. This appears to be a side-effect of the lack of public knowledge regarding the technical qualifications which Landscape Architects possess, even though Landscape Architecture has been a recognized profession for over 100-years.

The second point is that responsible site development ideals are instilled in Landscape Architects from a very early stage in the educational experience and continue to be emphasized and extolled throughout one's professional development, licensing and professional practice standards. It is the influence which Hyper-Capitalism has exerted on the overall development industry which has caused many designers to "shelve" and even abandon these ideals.

These are essential points which must be addressed as we embark on a system-wide paradigm shift to a more sustainable and equitable development ideal.

As professionals, Landscape Architects undergo a vigorous and extremely difficult licensing process. This process includes educational requirements, professional practice requirements and continuing education requirements (once a professional passes the LARE). To begin to understand exactly how detailed and vigorous the examination process is for Landscape Architects, simply peruse the recommended reading list provided by the Council of Landscape Architect Registration Boards (CLARB).

In order to understand the basic concepts and ideals which Landscape Architects utilize during the site planning process, we will rely upon an essential text for Landscape Architects; Environmental Planning for Site Development by Anne Beer and Catherine Higgins. This book is one of many which provide designers with the theoretical and technical information required to develop sustainable and equitable site plans for nearly every type of development.

Our discussion begins with the need to understand when site planning is required in the overall context of development. As the authors illustrate, "A site plan is needed when: (1) whenever it is proposed to change the use of an area of land or build on all or part of it; (2) whenever it is proposed to change the way in which an area of land and its associated landscapes is managed and maintained." (Beer, 1990. 3)

If we look back to the concepts and practices of comprehensive and future land use planning, the need for developing a sustainable and equitable site plan becomes even more important when considering the frequency with which developers apply for and are approved for land use plan amendments in order to develop sites according to their Hyper-Capitalist ideals as opposed to the sustainable and equitable development of a community.

The influence which Hyper-Capitalism exerts upon our land development choices and practices is clearly evident when we examine the differences between the cost of site development to the developers as opposed to the cost of site development to all of society.

"Costs to society are incurred...through: (1) the need to provide adequate infrastructure; (2) the extra work which has to be carried out to protect adjacent natural resources; (3) the need to create new landscapes because of damage to the visual resources caused by the development; (4) the loss of cultural resources; (5) the need to relocate people whose lives are disturbed by an unacceptable land-use change, for instance one which increases the local noise level." (Beer, 1990. 6)

As we can clearly see, the site planning process has far reaching implications which will influence and impact not only environmental and ecological aspects of a community; but also the social, cultural and aesthetic aspects of a community which are rarely codified by everyday community members and virtually never considered by developers. This also helps demonstrate why Landscape Architects should be assuming more control of the site planning process. The training of Landscape Architects far exceeds that of the technical training of Civil Engineers and includes a significant amount of training and education in the areas of the social and cultural impacts of our design solutions.

This point is further illustrated when we examine the broader picture at understanding the impacts and influences that the site planning process can have on our community, our society and our environment. These factors include: "(1) the manner in which people's actions are constrained and limited by the physical environment; (2) the intent to conserve what remains of the plants, animals, insects, etc. that make up the natural world; (3) the need to provide for people's primary needs such as shelter, food and economic activity; (4) the intent to encourage the development of environments which people experience as satisfactory places in which to live, work or play." (Beer, 1990. 10)

A full and comprehensive understanding of this process and its potential impacts on our environment, society and culture is varied and complex, as we have seen from this brief discussion of the ideals with which Landscape Architects are trained to deal with site planning.

You may be asking yourself, "What does this discussion have to do with Greenwashing?" In order to answer that question, we will continue our examination of the site planning process tomorrow with the help of our old friends, Lowe's Home Improvement.

No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill. Belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other. -Frank Lloyd Wright

Greenwashing and Sprawl...Part Two

2009-01-23T11:20:00.007-05:00

Discussions about the tangible and intangible costs of sprawl can be a bit exhausting, in addition to being a bit overwhelming. As we have mentioned, this could be a contributing factor as to why the problem has slipped to the back of the national consciousness.

But all hope is not lost, Frodo.

As this past year's election shows, when a dedicated group of people demand a change from the establishment, that change will take place. That being said, we must examine how the housing and development industry utilizes the cloak of greenwashing.

Firstly, when a developer or home builder claims that they are building a truly "green" community, ask yourself one question; how do you get to this community?

If you are required to drive your automobile to this community, guess what, it ain't green. Regardless of how many EnergyStar rated appliances the home has, or how many rain barrels are collecting runoff from the house; the fact that private transportation means were required to reach the destination disqualifies the development from joining the ranks of the sprawl-busters.

Secondly, if the design and layout of the "green" community includes wide, circuitous streets; cul-de-sacs, bulbs, elbows; and lacks on-street parking; guess what, it ain't green.

Study after study, the notion that wide, curvy streets with no on-street parking have been shown to be about as unfriendly to the pedestrian as humanly possible. Not only that, these extra-generous swaths of petroleum-based asphalt aren't exactly the most environmentally-sensitive or friendly. A community which is truly "green" features multiple levels of protection for pedestrians, multiple pedestrian or bicycle-accessible destinations which help fulfill a resident's daily needs and multiple opportunities for social interaction between residents.

Social interaction between residents is one of the most important elements for the creation of equitable and sustainable communities. It is through the creation of a strong "sense of community", ensuring that a connected, cohesive community will some day supplant the constructed neighborhood development.

(Note: Just because a developer or designer designs, constructs or creates a neighborhood does not mean that they have created a community.)

(Another quick note: This is by no means intended to be a comprehensive list of all of the elements of a truly equitable and sustainable community development theory, we just need to explore the three major areas in which developers and designers utilize the cloak of greenwashing)

Finally, examine the location of the new development not from the aspect of what means of transportation was utilized to reach the development, but with regards to what was the prior land-use. If the developer needed to change the zoning designation or amend the municipality's comprehensive plan in order to obtain approval for the project; it ain't green.

(Note: I will concede that at times the comprehensive plans are not always the best guides for the organic evolution of development patterns, but more often than not developers base their land-use recommendations on Hyper-Capitalist ideals that allow them to get the "best and highest use" of a tract of land.)

Ask yourself; are there complimentary adjacent land-uses? Are there multiple housing types within the community that will foster upward and lateral mobility for a variety of socio-economic levels? Are there complimentary and connected land-uses within the well-defined boundaries of the development? Are there open-spaces within each neighborhood of the development that will foster a connection to the landscape and positive social interaction?

Let us think back to the Garden City planning ideal. In the Garden City, there are a variety of complimentary and connected land-uses, all of which help to foster the creation of a sustainable community matrix. This does not necessarily mean that Garden Cities are the answer.

Once again, we are faced with the need for a system-wide paradigm shift with regards to our housing development ideals. This is an expression which I have been using quite often in our exploration of sustainability and sustainable development.

Let us think back to the election; the collective conscious of the nation demanded that our habits and practices take a new direction. The same change must be made with regards to our development and consumption habits and practices.

In other words, if we do not demand that a change take place, it won't.

And once again, Hyper-Capitalists need not worry about their ability to generate profits from the development and creation of equitable and sustainable communities. Their ability to generate profits from the creation of connected, complimentary communities will practically be guaranteed if we demand that these types of developments are what the collective conscious of the nation desires.

“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” - Aldo Leopold, 1949. A Sand County Almanac

Greenwashing and Sprawl...Part One

2009-01-21T09:34:00.005-05:00

Sprawl.

Remember sprawl? It seems as if the concept and practice of creating/perpetuating sprawl has fallen from the nation's conscious. Is this an indication that we have successfully lobbied against the agents of sprawl and defeated them through the creation of interconnected, pedestrian-friendly, integrated and environmentally-friendly communities?

I am fairly certain we all know the answer to that question.

Why is it then, that the prototypical form of suburban development, adopted shortly after the end of the World War II, has faded into the back of everyone's mind? The answer is simple; most people consider the economic and environmental impacts of sprawl to be insignificant in their daily lives.

Many Americans, especially in these trying economic times, are thankful to even own their own home and have the ability to make the mortgage payment, provide food for their family and own their own private automobile. As former President George W. Bush once said, "I believe part of a hopeful society is one in which somebody owns something." (Source: Third Presidential Debate, Tempe, Arizona, Oct. 13, 2004)

(Granted, home-ownership is a more sustainable form of housing, but I am not exactly sure that's what Dubya meant. And I understand that he's only been the "former-President" for about 24 hours, but it's been a long 8 years.)

Americans, at least a large portion of Americans, for some reason have yet to associate any intangible (or tangible for that matter) costs with the practice of sprawl. Why is that? The answer is simple; greenwashing.

While the national builders and their associated trade organizations will be the first to tell you that they are concerned with developing "communities" and building homes to address our housing needs, in reality they exist for one reason; to make a profit.

The most profitable way for a national builder to develop a community is to acquire "raw land" which in most cases is located away from city centers. The reason for this is simple, volume + low development cost = enormous profits.

It doesn't take a genius to understand that developing a parcel of land that used to be a farm is far less expensive than rehabilitating or adapting an urban structure for housing. More importantly, these builders are mainly concerned with how many homes they can build in the shortest period of time. (As an example, Pulte's Del Webb division requires a minimum potential of 3,000 units plus adequate acreage for a golf course in order to even consider purchasing a tract of land.)

But this is not the point of our exploration today. Admittedly, the effects of sprawl are widespread, numerous and often exhausting to contemplate; which is probably the major factor which has contributed to why we have seemingly "moved on" from being concerned with sprawl.

To simplify our discussion, we need to understand the hidden or intangible costs of sprawl. The most important of which are the added degradation of our overall health, the added expense associated with our transportation choices and the negative environmental impact that suburban developments in rural areas inflict upon the ecosystem.

Consider our national health.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 12.4% of children age 2-5, 17% of children age 6-11 and 17.6% of children age 12-19 are obese. While the integration of high-fructose corn syrup into nearly every food product in our society has contributed to this alarming trend, the pervasion of suburban sprawl can be considered one of, if not the largest, contributing factor. Why you may ask? One of the Hyper-Capitalist driven strategies for developing profitable communities is to avoid building sidewalks.

Seems like a silly or insignificant element. But take a tour of any of the new developments in your immediate area and pay close attention to the design of many of the homes. You will notice that the most significant element of the facade is the garage. Simply think back to our discussion of our national transportation choices and we understand why the garage has become so significant in the design and construction of new homes.

In addition to our transportation choices, if we look at the national builder strategy of maximizing the number of potential units,we find that neighborhood parks take away the opportunity to build one more unit. Besides, Americans drive everywhere anyway, so there is no need for spaces that cost money to design, build and maintain without the Hyper-Capitalist benefit of profitability.

Our previous discussions of our national transportation choices eludes to the additional costs associated creating developments which are, in essence, disconnected from basic goods and services. In addition to these costs, increased automobile trips cost us something more important than money; time.

The time Americans spend commuting, obtaining goods and services from sources that are agents of sprawl themselves and working to maintain their primary mode of transportation leads to a disconnect with the landscape, the environment as a whole and with other members of our society. Consider this simple fact: Americans spend more time commuting to and from work (around 100 hours) than they do vacationing (around 80 hours). To further compound the issue, the average American forfeits 3 whole days of vacation per year!

The final cost, the added impact to the ecosystem and environment which sprawling developments exert on previously undeveloped land, contributes to a myriad of costs for our society.

The introduction of petroleum-based products into ecosystems that previously protected themselves naturally from a minimum amount of these products and by-products has had a widespread economic impact on our daily lives. Environmental clean-up programs, the degradation of our clean water supplies and the nitrification and destruction of our soils have led to costs that are increasing daily and will have a long-term impact that has yet to be realized.

Perhaps the main reason that the issue of sprawl has fallen to the wayside is that it can be exhausting. Our discussion today has barely scratched the surface of the overall effect that this practice has exerted on our culture and society.

It seems as if this discussion has also strayed from the original topic; greenwashing. Admittedly it has, only in the sense that we have yet to discuss how greenwashing is utilized in the continued pervasion of sprawl.

Considering the somewhat overwhelming evidence that we have presented today, we shall continue our exploration of the use of greenwashing in our next post.

Our settlement of land is without regard to the best use of land. -Arthur Erickson

Back on the Greenwashing Express...

2009-01-20T10:52:00.009-05:00

With the hope of a political paradigm shift that should correct many of the mistakes made over the past 8-years on the nation's mind, we will reopen our investigation into the practice of greenwashing.

Since our original discussion, it seems that the nearly every manufacturer, corporation and political candidate has attached themselves to the "green" movement. As our discussion over the next few days should demonstrate, much of what people consider "green" is actually a far cry from where we (as a society and as a culture) should be headed.

Greenwashing is a concept which has already moved past the simple masking of environmentally destructive behavior. Over the next few days, we will explore how greenwashing practices have masked unsustainable and inequitable choices in the following areas:

Corporate Pollution
The Pervasion of Sprawl
The Glorification of Unsustainable Site Planning Practices
The Masking of Unsustainable and Inequitable Transportation Planning Choices (from a consumer-based and policy standpoint)
The Pervasion of Consumptionism
The Degradation of the Design Process
The Perversion of American Landscape Architectural and Architectural Heritage

Our examination begins with two prominent players from the auto industry bail-out, Ford Motor Company and General Motors.

If you had the opportunity to view the NFL Championship games this past weekend, you may have noticed that nearly every automobile commercial claimed some form of commitment to sustainability. Under the influence of Hyper-Capitalism, the average consumptionist might believe such statements.

Honestly, they wouldn't say something on television that wasn't true, would they?

Let's take a closer look.

Our friends at Ford, specifically Ford's current (and Boeing's former) CEO and President, Alan Mulally, makes the following statement;

Ford is becoming smaller, leaner, more globally integrated and more focused on meeting customers' needs and wants. It is also a company with sustainability at the heart of its business. Our vision for the 21st century is to provide sustainable transportation that is affordable in every sense of the word: socially, environmentally and economically. (Source: Alan R. Mulally President and Chief Executive Officer, 2007/8 Ford Motor Company Sustainability Report.)

Interesting. Especially the portion about environmental sustainability.

However, let us dissect exactly what Alan is referring to when he talks about sustainability. A closer look reveals that he is only referring to "transportation".

But wait, shouldn't that sustainable vision extend to every aspect of providing those transportation choices? (Incidentally, we will examine just exactly how Ford is providing sustainable and equitable transportation choices for our nation in a few days.)

But Alan, why was your company recently named the 17th worst air pollution producer in the U.S.?

Through the mask of greenwashing, we are led to believe the notion that Ford is forging ahead on a truly sustainable path.

Along the same lines, and out of fairness to Ford, General Motors makes the following statements on their corporate website;

The following environmental principles provide guidance to General Motors personnel worldwide in the conduct of their daily business practices.
1. We are committed to actions to restore and preserve the environment.
2. We are committed to reducing waste and pollutants, conserving resources, and recycling materials at every stage of the product life cycle (Source: GM Environmental Principles)

Not to diminish GM's standing in the nation's conscious, but they do not pollute our nation's atmosphere nearly as much as Ford; they are only 18th on the list.

We can clearly see where all of this is heading. Masking the process of creating these allegedly sustainable products helps these entities to continue with their Hyper-Capitalist driven agendas.

To finish our discussion, we will turn (once again) to our favorite home improvement retailer; Lowe's.

We can all recall what our friend's at Lowe's claimed was their commitment to sustainability.

Well, it seems that Lowe's research department needs put in a little overtime.

Lowe's recently named Owens Corning their "Supplier of the Year".

The only problem is that Owens Corning was also recently named the 26th worst air polluter in the United States. Not exactly the most sustainable and equitable choice for a corporation that claims to be "stewards of the environment".

So where does this leave us?

It leaves us exactly where we started, with the desperate need to implement and foster a systematic-wide paradigm shift that sheds the cloak of greenwashing in favor of choices and practices that actually make a difference.

And all of you Hyper-Capitalist supporters need not worry; sustainability, equality, and profits are not mutually exclusive.

As previously mentioned, greenwashing extends beyond the masking of environmental degradation in the form of pollution. As consumers, and more importantly, as members of the wider ecological community, we must be vigilant in examining every practice and ideal which greenwashing helps to mask.

It is only through this vigilance that we will be able to achieve the much-needed systematic paradigm shift that will help ensure our social, cultural and ecological sustainability.

No face which we can give to a matter will stead us so well at last as the truth. This alone wears well. -Henry David Thoreau

Greenwashing...

2009-01-19T08:34:00.004-05:00

Hope.

If you haven't already heard that word expressed a thousand times since November, you're about to experience an unprecedented use of the word.

Yes we can.

A catchy little phrase coined by the first minority elected to the highest office of our nation; ironically also a phrase used by advertisers during one of the NFL Championship games on January 18th (and regardless of which hyper-capitalist entity used this phrase, it's disturbing just the same).

This week will certainly become one of the definitive milestones of America's cultural and social history, but there is a deep seeded problem that can derail progress. Americans expect too much and are unwilling to change their fundamental beliefs in order to facilitate progress and change. All the hope in the world will not change the decisions which are made that are based upon Hyper-Capitalist ideals.

In the Mississippi Delta region, such blindsided hope is preventing our nation from actually correcting many of the planning and development choices made prior to Katrina. President-elect Obama provides hope, but he can not fix everything on his own.

Along the same lines, a riverfront re-development project is beginning to take shape in New Orleans; but as we mentioned previously, the city has no comprehensive plan to adequately address the issues that led to the social, cultural, environmental and economic destruction left in the wake of Katrina.

"Stop raining on the parade!"

"Stop being such a Pollyanna!"

These may be the cries coming from the back of the auditorium, but if we are to hope I ask this question; why not hope for a leader who motivates people to develop equitable and sustainable goals and then implement those goals?

Now, this is not to say that there are not people and groups out there contributing to our equitable and sustainable future (fighting the "good fight", so to speak), but as we have mentioned, our future as a society, culture and community requires a systematic paradigm shift. And the only way to facilitate that shift is to include our national community's consumption habits in that shift.

Hope.

Yes we can.

As the title of this post suggests, I was originally going to simply discuss greenwashing and its lasting effect on our culture and society. However, we will begin that discussion another day and we will see how yet again, everything is connected to everything else.

"It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not. It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope. Well, let our folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy!" -The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien

Laying the foundations...

2009-01-16T10:58:00.004-05:00

Designers, planners, academics and writers are often accused of and fall victim to the phenomenon of analysis paralysis. In short, we continue to collect data on a quest to make the best decision we can regarding an issue; but then we become overwhelmed with data and fail to take action.

As designers, this comes in the form of site analysis. Simply stated, "...the site is analyzed for its fitness for the purpose of the plan..."(Site Planning, Lynch/Hack. 1984.).

In retrospect, our discussion of the auto industry bail-out and our national transportation planning problem has been a broad-stroke, preliminary site analysis. We have identified some core issues, behavioral patterns, social and cultural preferences, environmental impacts and are now prepared to offer a preliminary planning structure that will benefit our nation and our society.

So without heading into a analysis paralysis, let us begin our national recovery.

As we have mentioned, there is a dire need for a systematic paradigm shift with regards to our national transportation planning goals. This will require participation from a variety of stakeholders; resulting in the implementation of a plan which will ensure an equitable and sustainable national transportation strategy. So without further adieu, let us begin.

1. Impose a higher tariff on foreign automotive imports.

Proponents of NAFTA, G8 nations and a host of economists are already beginning to boil-over with reasons we should avoid this avenue. However, if we plan to resuscitate our domestic automotive manufacturing industry, we must give consumers a reason to purchase domestic products. These tariffs not only encourage consumption of domestic products but they will provide a revenue source for our nation that does not come from the pockets of our own citizens.

2. Streamline the domestic manufacturing process.

If we look back to the factors which lead to the creation of the Hyper-Capitalist system, we can argue that its founder was a simple man named Henry Ford. When that name is mentioned, many people conjure images of the now famous "assembly-line process". The Hyper-Capitalist system has distorted the original intention of this process which has lead to a disparity among the compensation workers receive for such work. Consider this fact; an auto worker in the United States averaged a salary equivalent to $70-per-hour while teachers in this nation averaged only $33-per-hour (for a 9-month position). Is manufacturing an automobile truly more challenging and important than educating our nation?

3. Establish more stringent standards for fuel efficiency and tax manufacturers whose products fail to meet or exceed those standards.

The average fuel economy for American autos (2007 model year) is 34-mpg, while the average for Japanese imports is 40.6-mpg. Furthermore, the Chevrolet Aveo tops the list at 37-mpg while the Toyota Prius achieves 51-mpg (both averages shown are for highway miles).

4. Impose regulations which match users with the type and size of vehicle they require as opposed to what their Hyper-Capitalist fueled consumption habits desire.

This will probably be considered the most unattractive element of the plan, but this is essential to the systematic paradigm shift that we must achieve. In simple terms, if you are not employed in the construction trade or don't own a farm, you do not need a truck capable of hauling tons of materials. If you are a homemaker, you do not require a Cadillac Escalade to perform daily short-trips errands. This restriction allows the automotive manufacturers to focus on more fuel efficient autos while also reducing the cost of manufacturing (less steel, etc...); allows designers to destroy less of the landscape to accommodate oversize passenger vehicles and reduces the consumer's expenditures on automobiles.

5. Impose a car-pool tax on single-driver commuters, impose a higher tax on gasoline, offer higher tax credits for the manufacturing of smaller and efficient automobiles and offer tax credits for car-poolers and transit riders.

All of these elements are simple revenue generators that will encourage and facilitate the systematic paradigm shift.

6. Utilize our existing Interstate System for the implementation of alternative forms of viable transit systems; specifically Bus Rapid Transit (BRTs).

Our friends at AASHTO (The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) have been requiring transportation planners and engineers to design highways with ample amounts of "extra space" (e.g. recovery areas, over sized shoulder widths, wide median widths, etc..). With a retrofit that utilizes these spaces, we can definitely re-design our Interstates to accommodate BRTs. This action will also result in development patterns which encourage and foster more compact, compatible and cohesive designs that can combat the adverse effects of sprawl.

7. Utilize alternative energy uses in the development of BRTs, specifically fuel-cells.

While fuel-cell technology was once a hopeful aspect of passenger automobile development, the amount of cells required to efficiently power passenger cars was found to be unachievable. However, buses are a perfect match for the utilization of fuel-cells and many are currently being developed and deployed in various areas of the nation.

8. Utilize our national rail network for commuter and light-rail systems.

Encouraging automotive manufacturers to explore other technologies (especially trains) is not a unrealistic proposition. (In fact, I must give credit to Car Talk for helping to foster this particular part of the planning strategy). Our friends at Car Talk raise a very valid point, Ford CEO Alan Mulally was once CEO of Boeing!!! So a establishing operations for the development of alternative forms of transportation should not be a stretch for Ford.

What we have outlined here are the basic elements of a national transportation strategy which will foster a systematic paradigm shift towards an equitable and sustainable society. Many of these elements impose taxes on various users, manufacturers and limit the need to create over sized swaths of paved areas throughout our nation.

In the Hyper-Capitalist system, the most effective of way of encouraging a systematic paradigm shift is by relating every aspect of every element to the almighty dollar.

People should think things out fresh and not just accept conventional terms and the conventional way of doing things. -R. Buckminster Fuller

Life is a highway...

2009-01-15T08:49:00.005-05:00

So where do all of these fantastical percentages, dollar amounts and dizzying statistics leave us? It leaves us with facts; facts which state that Americans spend more on their automobiles than they do on education. That is worth repeating.

Americans spend more on their automobiles than they do on education.

Consider this the ultimate example of the influence which Hyper-Capitalism holds over our lifestyle choices. Hyper-Capitalist ideals are so ingrained into our culture that it will require nothing short of a nearly complete paradigm shift to address the issues we face as a nation and as a society.

This is not to say there is no hope. Spanning our nation is an obvious yet oft forgotten asset; fixed-rail lines. The United States boasts the largest fixed-rail network in the world. And unlike the expansive, obsolete Eisenhower Interstate System; the fixed-rail network of the United States was built with private funds.

If we examine the long-range transportation plans of a majority of the metropolitan areas of the United States, we find that they are centered upon the interstate, outer-loops, inner-loops, bypasses and on and on and on. Highways, bridges, interchanges and many of the other components of the national highway system are in a state of disrepair. So much so, that the president-elect has planned to focus the $850,000,000,000 stimulus package on the repair of our auto-centric infrastructure.

But consider the environmental, economic and social impact associated with highways, asphalt and automobiles. All three of those elements rely on one common item; oil. Are we starting to see the connection? It seems as if this is not some half-baked conspiracy theory. Oil.

Think back to the bailout of an industry who relies on this non-renewable and limited natural resource. They are moving in an unsustainable direction! Just as a reminder; "the ability of present generations to meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

If there is a limited amount of oil, we are spending more on our autos than on educating our children, we continue installing additional lanes of oil-rich asphalt highways, we consume more automobiles than we can drive and nearly 80% of drivers are sitting in traffic alone; our transportation plan seems to be moving in a direction of obsolescence. Perhaps it has already reached that point, but Hyper-Capitalism's influence is preventing many of us from admitting that fact.

So to borrow a phrase from the slayer; "where do we go from here?"

We, as a nation and as a society need to commit to a universal paradigm shift which ensures our survival and the survival of future generations. We must shed the chains of Hyper-Capitalism and begin to explore alternatives to building more highways. This is not as difficult as it sounds, and in fact, many Americans have already begun to make changes that will help to alleviate many of the troubles which our nationals transportation plan causes.

With that in mind, we will begin to explore the alternatives that will help propel our nation to greatness once again.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandela

Going down the road...

2009-01-14T09:23:00.002-05:00

When an aging and nearly defunct industry makes strides for innovation that would have marvelled the world 30-years ago, they use their hyper-capitalist connections to give themselves a proverbial "pat-on-the-back".

The automotive industry has been in possession of the technology to produce fuel efficient products for decades, a fact which is neither a half-baked conspiracy theory or a secret. However, even David Frost would probably not be able to get any auto industry executive, oil industry executive or steel manufacturer to admit to that fact.

Fuel efficiency, innovation in design, durability and efficiency in manufacturing are all factors which lead us to the next portion of our analysis of the national transportation scheme; maintenance and operation of your private automobile.

Let us begin with a number from the previous discussion; 1.75 or the average number of licensed drivers per household in the United States. In the same data set, we find that there are an average of 1.90 automobiles per household; which shows that there are more automobiles than drivers in the U.S..

What this demonstrates is Hyper-Capitalism's deep-seeded influence on our consumption habits. Essentially, there is a surplus of automobiles which are owned by licensed driver but not driven on a regular basis.

If we move on from this point, we are introduced to another overwhelming statistic; in 2006 American drivers logged 2,658,621 highway miles in private passenger cars alone. Keep in mind that this does not include motorcycles or any other form of private transportation.

Passenger cars accounted for more than half of all miles logged on highways in 2006. More than motorcylces, trucks and buses COMBINED. Additionally, American passengers logged a meager 52,154-miles on all forms of public, private or subsidized transit in that same year.

Furthermore, 79% of commuters drive to work alone. A measly 9% of commuters utilized carpooling. Keep these numbers in mind while we continue our exploration.

Getting back to the operational costs of driving a private automobile, we find that in 2004 it cost approximately 56-cents per mile to operate an auto. What this means is that Americans spent a whopping $1,488,827.76 on operational costs for their private autos.(note: in 2004 the number of highway miles for passenger cars was around 27,000-miles more than in 2006)

Looking at similar data we find that the average cost-per-vehicle (while driving 15,000-miles per year, which for most people is far less than the actual miles they log) is around $8,000. Combine that with the 1.90 autos that Americans own and we find that the average American spends approximately $15,430 per year owning and maintaining their autos.

So, in addition to the $167.24 that you have contributed to the automobile manufacturers in the past month, the average American is spend over $15,000 per year simply maintaining and operating their automobiles.

Remember, 79% of commuters drove alone to-and-from their place of employment, while only 4.3% utilized a means of public transportation.

The development of and access to a viable means of public transportation becomes the issue; and leaves with our next challenge in developing, planning and implementing an equitable and sustainable transportation plan for our nation.

“Present highways are to a large extent the three-dimensional representation of existing laws. If more creative highway planning and design concepts are to be realized, they must be preceded by legislation to permit and encourage them.” -Michael Rapuano, unpublished memo

Starting by the numbers...

2009-01-13T10:24:00.003-05:00

It is common knowledge that there is a transportation problem in this country. Many Americans experience the short-comings of our system on a daily basis while they battle congestion, pollution and the side effects of sprawl on their journey to work. The automobile industry recently received $19.4 Billion (which is this many zeros: 000,000,000.00) of American Taxpayer money in order to prevent an overhaul and much-needed update of their goals and objectives.

Prior to the proposal of an alternative transportation plan for our nation, I felt it necessary to present the case for why America is poised for a complete systematic overhaul. The best way to achieve an understanding is to provide you with data in a format everyone can comprehend; dollars.

Let us take a quick look at the amount of money that the automobile manufacturers received in their bailout; $19,400,000,000. In 2006 (note: the most recent data available), there were 203,000,000 licensed drivers in the United States out of a total resident population of 299,000,000 persons. If we look at what only the licensed drivers gave, donated, allocated, or loaned (anyway you slice it, they simply asked for a handout), the manufacturer's received $95.57 from every driver in the country.

Doesn't seem like much, but the question I pose to you is that could you and your family use an extra $95.57 this week?

Considering the fact that there are (note: the most recent data available) 1.75 drivers per American household, this translates to a household contribution of $167.24.

Could your family use an extra $167.24 this week?

These contributions that you have made are in addition to the funds that you have already provided to the auto manufacturers by simply purchasing an automobile!!! In 2007, the average American spent 11.2% of their disposable income (many of you may not remember disposable income, just think back to the Clinton Administration) on transportation related expenses.

That same year, the only other expenditures that Americans spent more on were Medical Care, Housing and Food/Tobacco.

$374,400,000,000.

That is how much Americans spent on purchasing cars, trucks and RVs in 2006.

***Time out, you say. Your data sets are from all over the place!?!?! Admittedly this is a side effect of the data available this morning from the various agencies of the United States Government. The most recent, and considerably more accurate data will not be available until September 2009; personally speaking, we cannot wait that long to perform a preliminary analysis.***

Let us take a day to absorb the information which has been presented thus far in our discussion of a sustainable and equitable transportation plan for our struggling nation. Truly, you should be focused upon one number; $167.24.

I encourage you to make a list of what you could do with $167.24 this week.

$167.24.

"Gasoline helps power the American dream, giving us the freedom to travel where we want and when we want -- for work, for school or for recreation. A steady supply of clean-burning gasoline is central to our nation's economy." (Source: www.factsonfuel.org)

For every action...

2009-01-12T08:39:00.004-05:00

Just as we have concluded our brief discussion of the influence which hyper-capitalism wields over the comprehensive planning process, we are reminded of the dedication needed to facilitate actual change. Disrupting hyper-capitalist driven federal land auctions has caused a bit of a stir in the profit-driven world, while environmentalists, conservationists, the stewards of the land, the National Geographic Society and Teddy Roosevelt are all applauding one activist's efforts.

The fact that it has taken two-years of litigation between the BLM and various other governmental agencies, environmental protection groups and conservation groups to even hold a federal land and drilling-rights auction, demonstrates the obvious need for a closer look oat our nation's energy consumption and ultimately our overall transportation planning efforts.

We could isolate and analyze these two topics, however that would prove to be counter-productive and violates Barry Commoner's main law of ecology that we have discussed in previous posts; that everything is connected to everything else.

This national dilemma is inclusive of more than the ecological issue; our actions and decisions (which, in this case, seem to be based solely on hyper-capitalist ideals) are most certainly causing long-term, residual effects on what remains of the undeveloped "natural" landscape of the United States.

These actions, which begin with the policy set forth by our elected officials, sets the tone for how our state and local governments (and ultimately us as consumers) plan and develop our nation; which for the past half-century, has been based upon our love of the automobile and our hyper-capitalist driven need to use our automobiles to consume everything from fossil fuels to the aesthetic qualities of our nation's natural beauty.

"We need an energy plan that encourages consumption." -George W. Bush

Where's my Garden City...?

2009-01-09T10:45:00.007-05:00

The endgame of comprehensive planning seems as it should be simple and straightforward. You may be asking yourself, why don't we all live in Garden Cities, or some variation of a conglomeration of planning utopias? The answer is simple; Hyper-Capitalism.

There is that hyphenated theoretical construct yet again. Hyper-Capitalism has managed to influence nearly every aspect of our lives, especially in the field of planning and development. The precepts of H/C dictate that any social, cultural, environmental or equitable aspect of any decision should be considered after a profit/loss analysis has been performed.

The examples of this influence are abundant and obvious; the largest being the case of pre- and post-Katrina New Orleans. The planning system and decisions that had been made in New Orleans prior to Hurricane Katrina deliberately placed minority and low-income residents in the potential path of destruction that would result from a catastrophic hurricane event. Planning decisions were made solely based upon their hyper-capitalist merits; translation - how much money would be generated from each development decision made by the city.

Now, in the face of the failure of the hyper-capitalist system, planning agencies are once again turning to the almighty dollar as the motivation for approving projects. Even if the projects being approved threaten to destroy our Nation's architectural and landscape architectural heritage.

I believe totally in a Capitalist System, I only wish that someone would try it. -Frank Lloyd Wright

Complimentary clucking...

2009-01-08T09:26:00.005-05:00

What then, is the ultimate goal of comprehensive planning? Especially when it relates to integrating the principles of sustainability within the overall context of the plan?

The creation of a successful comprehensive plan is dependant upon the planning of compact, consolidated, connected and consistent land uses which are arranged (or identified, planned, sited,etc...) throughout the development area (in this case the term development is used to describe the overall evolution and development of a large community, i.e. a town as opposed to a single-family development). There should be a diverse mix of uses throughout the entire planning area, although those uses must be complimentary and consistent.

Nearly all of the modern zoning codes, comprehensive plans and unified development ordinances take into consideration complimentary and consistent land uses designations. The finest example of this segregation of uses is the in almost all municipalities in the United States, land owners are forbidden from siting an adult-oriented business in close proximity to a church or school (which in the case of the church, it is qiute ironic considering the company that Jesus kept, this means you Mary Magdalene!).

When considering the integration of agricultural uses within an urban context in order to promote a self-sustaining community, there is no better example than that of the Garden City. The Garden City concept is a utopian planning ideal created by Ebeneezer Howard in the early nineteenth century, as a response to the negative effects of the Industrial Revolution.

The Garden City concept established a central core to the city, a residential "belt" and an agricultural "belt" on the outmost portion of the city's development area. All of these uses were to be connected through greenbelts (or greenways as they are called today) as well as a light rail system that not only connected points within the city, but it connected graden cities to one another.

Two English cities have been planned according to Howard's vision, Letchworth Garden City and Welwyn Garden City. While planning utopias are exactly that, these two cities have managed to adhere and utilize Howard's original vision for the logical, sustainable and equitable development of urban, suburban and rural areas as one comprehensive whole.

This is the type of approach we, both locally and nationally, should wholly embrace to ensure that the needs of the current generation shall be met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet thier own needs.

“We shall never achieve harmony with land any more than we shall achieve justice or liberty for people. In these higher aspirations the important thing is not to achieve, but to strive.” - Aldo Leopold.

Patches, patches everywhere...

2009-01-07T08:56:00.004-05:00

Over the past few weeks, there has been a fair amount of attention given to the concepts of backyard farming and "victory gardening". Undoubtedly, this focus has a direct correlation to the failure of the American hyper-capitalist system, the rise in unemployment and the normally unassociated costs of purchasing food from a commercial source.

In many urban communities, residents not only grow organic vegetables, but they raise "small flock" chickens, generally numbering less than 10 hens that produce an average of 2 eggs per day per hen. In addition to providing homeowners with fresh, locally produced eggs, the urban chicken proponents use the flocks as educational tools for children.

Recently, there has been significant attention given to the notion that a portion of the White House grounds should be used to grow organic crops, presumably in an effort to promote what has been called the "sustainable food movement".

Here is where the problem with these concepts lies (and I am sure that many people will accuse the author of merely obsessing over semantics while the overall concept is what is more important). Converting your lawn into a victory garden, raising your own chickens and cracking your own eggs is a fine way to save money, but it is not necessarily a sustainable practice.

Is it organic? Yes.

Does it reduce fossil fuel consumption? Yes.

Does it provide educational opportunities for young Americans? Yes.

Does it help support the local economy? No.

Does it address the needs of American farmers who have been run out of business by their government and now by their neighbors? No.

Do a few fragmented patches of organic gardens, chicken coops and rain barrels make for a fully sustainable local and global community? No.

The same phenomenon which threatens to obliterate forests throughout the world is now threatening to derail the entire sustainability movement; fragmentation. When a forest ecosystem is divided into patches, the inhabitants of the forest may find it more difficult to migrate through the ecosystem, thereby reducing their access to food and potential mates (note: this a fairly broad stroke introduction to the concept of complimentary and connected uses, which we will explore in great detail in the coming weeks).

Because of the lack of a comprehensive, complimentary and cohesive sustainable development regulatory structure, the efforts of those involved in the movement are inadvertently creating "patches" of organic and sustainable elements within their local (and eventually global) community.

A prime example which has been receiving a fair amount of national press is the redevelopment of New Orleans. As many of you know, Global Green has been constructing 8 LEEDs certified, "green" architecture homes in a ward of the city. As many of you may not know is that the city government and redevelopment authority do not have a comprehensive plan that allows for the creation of a truly sustainable city. In other words, the only sustainable project occurring in New Orleans are 8 homes built by Global Green and visited by Brad Pitt.

Let us recall the Brundtland definition of sustainable development; "...development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." In layman's terms, we are putting the cart before the horse.

Without comprehensive planning, we are threatening to derail the purpose and potential of sustainable development and organic production methods.

Without comprehensive planning we, as a local and global community, are threatening to create communities which will become fragmented, thereby derailing our social and cultural development.

And when we fail to evolve and adapt as a society, we threaten our entire existence.

We are not going to be able to operate our Spaceship Earth successfully nor for much longer unless we see it as a whole spaceship and our fate as common. It has to be everybody or nobody. -R. Buckminster Fuller

Resolute...

2009-01-05T10:12:00.006-05:00

As the calendar year comes to a close, our society prepares for the upcoming challenges (which in reality are no different in 2009 as they were in 2008) by generating lists and "countdowns" to determine how great, or poor, the year has been. That being said, you will find no such lists in this post. Admittedly, the end of 2008 does have some superstitious meaning for the author, however we must keep in mind that only we (as individuals and as communities) control our own destiny, possessing the ability to have a "good year" or "bad year" through the decisions that we make.

If the popular media would focus on the decisions and choices which lead to the most news-worthy events of the past year, we would most certainly grow as individuals, as communities and as a society resulting in a better world for all.

So, nostalgia aside, here is a rough outline of some of the topics that will be discussed here on enVisionGreen over the coming weeks;

revisiting the concept and practice of greenwashing (featuring our favorite home improvement greenwashers),
Our American Architectural Heritage (or what would the Romans think of our civic buildings),
the development and implementation of Big Ideas versus the celebration of details (or what does it all mean versus what makes it so pretty),
Wii and the destruction of link between you and the outside world (or why go outside for a run when you can stomp around in your living room on a tiny piece of plastic while your family and friends sit on the couch stuffing their faces with high fructose corn syrup based snacks while watching a cartoon version of your human form run around a virtual landscape),
a closer examination of the bailout of the auto industry and how our government once again missed the boat by helping the hyper-capitalist cause as opposed to grasping an opportunity to make our nation a better place to live and work,
the case for Cuba (a sustainable paradise versus it's potential destruction by the forces of hyper-capitalism).

Our adventures in the new year will begin with a more detailed exploration of greenwashing, as the notion of "being green" has been used to death over the holiday season to peddle everything from cellular phones to automobiles.

"A typical vice of American politics is the avoidance of saying anything real on real issues." -Theodore Roosevelt

Bailouts as band-aids...

2008-12-09T10:05:00.009-05:00

It seems as if every day there are a new group of private firms appearing on Capitol Hill asking for assistance during these trying economic times. Is this a sign of a weak consumer market? Perhaps. It seems as if this is more of a sign of failed business plans based upon hyper-capitalist ideals which emphasize profit over sustainability.

Let us quickly examine the case of the "Big 3". In the years and months leading up to this economic crisis,ask yourself if you remember, at any point, news of the automakers scaling back production simply because there was a waning demand for automobiles, or because the average licensed American already owns two automobiles.

In a World of exponentially advancing technology, why does it seem that American automobile manufacturers act as if they deserve a Nobel Prize whenever they introduce a hybrid vehicle? The answer to that question is quite simple; greenwashing. The auto makers are one of the biggest perpetrators of greenwashing, and they have been practicing it for decades.

To help personalize the auto maker's expertise at greenwashing, simply visit one of your local "Big 3" dealerships. Walk around the showroom, enjoy that "new car" smell, avoid the sales staff and then take a stroll through the "back-lot" inventory. Chances are that strolling through the inventory could take you the rest of the day due to its shear size. Consider the following example:

This image depicts an average sprawl-driven residential neighborhood. Within the confines of the highlighted area are approximately 113 residences with an approximate population of 293 people (using the Census Bureau 2000 data of 2.59 persons-per-household).

This image depicts a local "Big 3" auto dealership. The images are shown at the same scale, and as you can clearly see in the next image, they occupy approximately the same amount of acreage.

What you are asking yourself is correct. This local "Big 3" dealership occupies enough acreage to house nearly 300 people. There seems to be a serious flaw in the hierarchy of our basic principles, and this is a direct result from embracing hyper-capitalist ideals and planning our entire existence around these ideals.

So, as we as taxpayers prepare to loan our money to yet another industry driven (pun intended) solely by greed, we must ask ourselves if they are truly pursuing a logical and sustainable business strategy? Are they, and other industries, meeting the needs of the current generation while ensuring that the needs of future generations can be met?

From the simple example presented here today, the answers to these questions seem fairly obvious.

The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life. -Theodore Roosevelt