Comments on: LEED Neighborhood Rating and Communities http://urbanworkbench.com/leed-neighborhood-rating-and-communities/ Sustainable Designs for Life Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:13:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Mike http://urbanworkbench.com/leed-neighborhood-rating-and-communities/comment-page-1/#comment-104 Mike Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-104 Totally agree! We've just Totally agree! We've just bought a house walking distance from work, in a community, in a house we are hoping to make sustainable. Can you change people? Can you force people to become a community? Some people are just so far from that in their daily lives... working 50 hour weeks, escaping to the mountains or the beach every weekend, not part of any local groups or sporting activities. Sometimes all it takes is a core group of citizens who value the sharing and community and build this up from the inside-out. Thanks for commenting, I like the idea of your blog too! Totally agree! We’ve just Totally agree! We’ve just bought a house walking distance from work, in a community, in a house we are hoping to make sustainable.
Can you change people? Can you force people to become a community? Some people are just so far from that in their daily lives… working 50 hour weeks, escaping to the mountains or the beach every weekend, not part of any local groups or sporting activities.
Sometimes all it takes is a core group of citizens who value the sharing and community and build this up from the inside-out.

Thanks for commenting, I like the idea of your blog too!

]]> By: Michael Wood-Lewis http://urbanworkbench.com/leed-neighborhood-rating-and-communities/comment-page-1/#comment-106 Michael Wood-Lewis Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-106 Is "green" enough? I agree Is "green" enough? I agree Mike. Those things should lead to an decent level of community. I guess <a href="http://frontporchforum.com/blog/?p=115">a point that I was trying to make</a>, but didn't quite get to, is that LEEDs should not leave the people part to chance. It seems that our culture has slid so far toward isolation and "bowling alone" that the definition of "sustainable neighborhood" should include more than just infrastructure and direct eco-impact. Not sure how this would get incorporated into the LEEDs rating system, but how about things like... annual neighborhood parties, active neighborhood association, online social networking service (like <a href="http://frontporchforum.com">Front Porch Forum</a>), welcome wagon type of service for new arrivals, etc. I can picture an eco-utopian neighborhood where everyone drives their Prius into their garages, then march inside and watch solar-powered American Idol all evening. That doesn't do much for me... tastes a little like voluntary carbon offsets somehow. Cheers! -Michael Is “green” enough?
I agree Is “green” enough?

I agree Mike. Those things should lead to an decent level of community. I guess a point that I was trying to make, but didn’t quite get to, is that LEEDs should not leave the people part to chance. It seems that our culture has slid so far toward isolation and “bowling alone” that the definition of “sustainable neighborhood” should include more than just infrastructure and direct eco-impact. Not sure how this would get incorporated into the LEEDs rating system, but how about things like… annual neighborhood parties, active neighborhood association, online social networking service (like Front Porch Forum), welcome wagon type of service for new arrivals, etc.

I can picture an eco-utopian neighborhood where everyone drives their Prius into their garages, then march inside and watch solar-powered American Idol all evening. That doesn’t do much for me… tastes a little like voluntary carbon offsets somehow.

Cheers! -Michael

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