Is there anybody who has experience visiting, living in, or even starting a community? Any insight into how to organize sustainable communities would be helpful.
This is precisely what I'm trying to get my arms around here in my own community. Of course, I'm just in the baby, infancy steps of figuring this out. I can't remember where you are in FL but have you heard of http://www.myregion.org/? or http://www.1000friendsofflorida.org/? They are both organizations that are fighting to control sprawl here in FL, not necessarily advocating true sustainable communities, though a beginning to bring to light the unacceptable growth of current development. I mention these because their voice is becoming louder here in our county (Walton). A few weeks ago, I went to a lecture by Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, one of the founders of New Urbanism and it was refreshing to hear her talk about the evolution of Seaside and the next phase being to incorporate sustainable practices into traditional neighborhood developments. Not that I necessarily believe "new" developments are going to solve our problems. It's only a bandage to stop the bleeding.
What I'm focusing on in our area is the fact that I live near Seaside, which is a walkable TND, albeit it's a resort. It has some of the infrastructure in place to become more sustainable if the inhabitants can envision such a thing. It will probably never be a Loreto Bay http://www.loretobay.com/cms/page1196.cfm, but by planting the seeds for ideas like ecological preservation, farmers markets, increasing bike paths, etc. just maybe we can get a little closer.
In my own neighborhood, I'm working to become more involved in community organizations. Also, since I've started my garden, two of my neighbors have started gardens. It's a start...
On another note (more Florida info.), Bruce Means, who wrote Priceless Florida, is coming to speak at our courthouse next month on the urgency and importance of the economic value of preserving our ecological biodiversity in Walton County. I think a lot of people here (I speak of the NW FL region) don't understand the cost associated with our growth and that we sit on some of the most ecologically diverse land in the country. It's disturbing. Ok, that was my little rant.
Submitted by PeakEngineer on Mon, 2007-03-26 11:46.
No, I haven't heard of those organizations at all. A similar "Smart Growth" movement was started in my hometown of Ames, IA as people noticed more and more community services being pushed to the outskirts of town. The final straw came when a developer wanted to put in a huge mall for our relatively small town with no regard for how it would effect the nature of community -- the very reason most choose to live there.
I think it's a positive sign that people are realizing the loss of community caused by unrestrained growth. The true revolution of the mind starts when people start to connect the dots between growth, agriculture, energy, and general happiness. But you have to start with at least one dot :)
I'll check out those groups you mentioned and see if there are any nearby chapters.
Sustaining SoWal
PE~
This is precisely what I'm trying to get my arms around here in my own community. Of course, I'm just in the baby, infancy steps of figuring this out. I can't remember where you are in FL but have you heard of http://www.myregion.org/? or http://www.1000friendsofflorida.org/? They are both organizations that are fighting to control sprawl here in FL, not necessarily advocating true sustainable communities, though a beginning to bring to light the unacceptable growth of current development. I mention these because their voice is becoming louder here in our county (Walton). A few weeks ago, I went to a lecture by Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, one of the founders of New Urbanism and it was refreshing to hear her talk about the evolution of Seaside and the next phase being to incorporate sustainable practices into traditional neighborhood developments. Not that I necessarily believe "new" developments are going to solve our problems. It's only a bandage to stop the bleeding.
What I'm focusing on in our area is the fact that I live near Seaside, which is a walkable TND, albeit it's a resort. It has some of the infrastructure in place to become more sustainable if the inhabitants can envision such a thing. It will probably never be a Loreto Bay http://www.loretobay.com/cms/page1196.cfm, but by planting the seeds for ideas like ecological preservation, farmers markets, increasing bike paths, etc. just maybe we can get a little closer.
In my own neighborhood, I'm working to become more involved in community organizations. Also, since I've started my garden, two of my neighbors have started gardens. It's a start...
On another note (more Florida info.), Bruce Means, who wrote Priceless Florida, is coming to speak at our courthouse next month on the urgency and importance of the economic value of preserving our ecological biodiversity in Walton County. I think a lot of people here (I speak of the NW FL region) don't understand the cost associated with our growth and that we sit on some of the most ecologically diverse land in the country. It's disturbing. Ok, that was my little rant.
No, I haven't heard of those
No, I haven't heard of those organizations at all. A similar "Smart Growth" movement was started in my hometown of Ames, IA as people noticed more and more community services being pushed to the outskirts of town. The final straw came when a developer wanted to put in a huge mall for our relatively small town with no regard for how it would effect the nature of community -- the very reason most choose to live there.
I think it's a positive sign that people are realizing the loss of community caused by unrestrained growth. The true revolution of the mind starts when people start to connect the dots between growth, agriculture, energy, and general happiness. But you have to start with at least one dot :)
I'll check out those groups you mentioned and see if there are any nearby chapters.