ARCHIVE - Green Development II

Green Development

John Means, Green Building/Land Use

The Problem, Sprawling Growth Patterns. "The way we plan the physical layout, or land use, of our communities is fundamental to sustainability. Two main features of our land use practices over the past several decades have converged to generate haphazard, inefficient, and unsustainable urban sprawl:

Zoning ordinances that isolate employment locations, shopping and services, and housing locations from each other;
Low-density growth planning aimed at creating automobile access to increasing expanses of land

The complex problems shared by cities throughout the US are evidence of the impacts of urban sprawl–increasing traffic congestion and commute times, air pollution, inefficient energy consumption and greater reliance on foreign oil, loss of open space and habitat, inequitable distribution of economic resources, and the loss of a sense of community" (From U.S. Dept of Energy Smart Communities Network. http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/landuse).

A Solution, Green Development. Green Development is a solution-oriented process that enables planners, designers, developers and end users with positive feed back results in terms of:

Environmental Responsiveness
Resource Efficiency
Community and Cultural Sensitivity

In practice, Green Development is oriented around four primary process elements.

I. Whole Systems Thinking. Integrating ecosystems, resource, energy and humans needs.
II. Front Loaded Design. Adaptive design, thinking the whole project though it’s life span.
III. End Use/Least Cost Considerations. The most cost effective design throughout the projects life span.
IV. Teamwork. Involve all participants and user in the design.

Benefits of Green Development. Reduced capital costs, Reduced operating costs, Marketing benefits, Valuation premiums and absorption rates, Stream line permit approvals, Reduced liability risks, Health and productivity, Staying ahead of regulations, New business opportunities, Satisfaction from doing the right thing.

References:

Arendt, R. (1994). Rural by Design. Chicago, American Planning Association.

The definitive text on rural community design and planning

Arendt, R. (1999). Growing Greener: Putting Conservation into Local Plans and Ordinances. Washington D.C., Covelo, Island Press.

Deals with the reality of comprehensive planning process with sustainable growth

Bailey, R. G. (2002). Ecoregion based design for sustainability. New York, Springer.

Landscape ecology, Ecological landscape design, Regional Planning--Environmental aspects

Bell, S. (1999). Landscape: Pattern, Perception and Process. New York, Routledge.

Landscape ecology, Design and process

Benfield, F. K. (2001). Solving Sprawl: models of smart growth in communities across America. New York,, Natural Resources Defense Council.

Case studies of successful land use planning

Benson, J. F. and M. H. Roe, Eds. (2000). Landscape and Sustainability. New York, Spon.

Includes ethics, economics ,social and policy

Lewis, P. H. (1996). Regional design process for sustainability. New York, Wiley.

Good nuts and bolts guidance for design and planning

McDonough, W. and M. Braungart (2002). Cradle to Cradle. New York, North Point Press.

Recycle, Industrial management-environmental aspects

McHarg, I. L. (1969). Design with Nature. New York, John Wiley and Sons.

The Classic Text, A must read for all land based studies and practices

Smart, N. C. (2002). Land use Planning, U.S. Department of Energy.

Thompson, a. F. R. S. G. F., Ed. (1997). Ecologic Design and Planning. New York, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Wilson, A. (1998). Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate. New York, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Comprehensive source on environmentally responsible real estate