WSJ Atricle on green urban movement

Title:
You Are How You Live
Author:
Shelly Banjo
Source:
Wall Street Journal
Date Written:
3/24/2008

Across the country, thousands of communities are trying to fight urban sprawl and global warming from the ground up.Instead of adding eco-friendly touches to existing neighborhoods, developers are building whole new communities designed along green principles. Some of these developments offer very basic solutions to environmental concerns, such as street layouts that promote walking and discourage driving.Others go much further, incorporating environmentalist ideas into every aspect of community life. Some, for instance, use eco-friendly building design and set aside a portion of the neighborhood property as preserved land. Some save on resources -- and build community spirit -- by having residents share amenities such as washing machines.Here's a look at four basic types of environmentally friendly communities that are flowering across the country.

NEW URBANISTWhen the Congress for the New Urbanism was founded in 1993, the emphasis was on fostering a sense of community, not saving the planet. The founders were fed up with neighborhoods that separated residential areas from commercial ones -- and forced people to drive everywhere.So, new-urbanist communities would offer housing, employment, shopping and civic functions -- all within easy walking distance. The planners figured the densely packed communities would not only help fight sprawl, they would help foster a sense of togetherness among residents.But environmentalism was also a core principle. The interconnected networks of streets would help reduce car trips and conserve energy, the founders argued. For the same reason, they also wanted the communities to be within easy walking distance of public transit."Americans aren't going to give up their cars, but dense development patterns will give them choices where they won't need to drive," explains Bruce Katz, director of the metropolitan-policy program at the Brookings Institution research group.

Now there are about 900 new-urbanist communities across the country, mostly near public-transit stops in cities and suburbs. Prices for the homes tend to run slightly higher than the surrounding areas because of the easy access to public transportation and other amenities.One thriving example of new urbanism is the High Point development in Seattle. The Department of Housing and Urban Development aimed to replace distressed public-housing projects with a redesigned mixed-income neighborhood. The Seattle Housing Authority brought in private contractors to create 1,600 units within a 34-block area to accommodate 4,000 residents. Read more:
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