Kaid Benfield, Dir. Sustainable Communities - NRDC
Kaid will discuss the opportunities and advantages of creating a sustainable energy future.We once thought of cities as the antithesis of sustainability - but we now know that cities can be the solution to, not the cause of, our environmental threats. To take advantage of the opportunities before us in an increasingly urban society, we must be thoughtful, shaping our metropolitan regions to reduce our environmental footprint while creating beautiful, green, inclusive neighborhoods within them. As people concerned about the health and future of the planet, we must approach this task with energy and humility, paying every bit as much attention to nurturing great people habit as we do to conserving the habitats of other species.
59. Room for Improvement
in LEED-ND
Existing neighborhoods
Historic preservation
Affordability
Parks, green space
Health
Community engagement
60. Very Encouraging Signs
Central-city growth up
Driving rates down
Driver’s licenses down
Car registrations down
Transit usage up
Demographics favor urbanism
Green infrastructure up
Green homes command
resale premium
69. Rockford, Illinois
Largest IL city outside
Chicago metro
Pop. 153K; metro 348K
Historically dependent on
manufacturing
High unemployment, low
education
70. “Vital Signs” Initiative
Ambitious sustainability plan
20-year goals, strategies,
measurements
16 categories
Vacant properties, transit
performance, economic
mobility, VMT, local food,
etc.
www.ourvitalsigns.com
71. State-of-the-Art Planning
DENVER’S MARIPOSA NEIGHBORHOOD
Beginning: 17.5 acres, 182 homes
“Concentrated poverty and physical distress”
72. Process
“Cultural audit,” separate charrettes for
energy, transportation, health
Community-majority steering committee
73. Plan Now Being Implemented
457 homes
Mixed use, mixed income
Homes for seniors,
disabled
Comprehensive green
infrastructure
Complete streets
Upgraded city park
No displacement
74. Suburban Retrofit: Dublin, OH
1980 population: 4000
Today: 38,000
Median family income:
$126,000
More jobs than residents
New hires each year: 5-8,000
Housing demand: 1500 units,
next 5-7 years
81. Ecosystem Indicator Species
or natural habitat, it may
be a fish, or a bird.
or people habitat, it may
e seniors chatting on the
idewalk, or kids walking
to school.