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Rebuilding Galveston, Texas As An Affordable, Sustainable Community

December 1, 2011 by Kaid Benfield
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   Three years ago, Hurricane Ike wiped out much of Galveston, Texas, including over 500 affordable homes administered by the city’s Housing Authority.  Faced with the task of starting over, the Authority began to rethink how it might improve upon its old public housing model. With the help of McCormack Baron Salazar, a... [read more]

A Spectacular Green Neighborhood Is Brewing In Milwaukee

September 28, 2011 by Kaid Benfield
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    Milwaukee’s newest trendy neighborhood is likely to become one of its best, and almost certainly its greenest.  The Brewery, an environmentally sensitive restoration and adaptation of historic structures among the decaying wreckage of the former Pabst Brewing Company, is already home to striking residential... [read more]

Greening A Community With The Help Of Some Important Friends

September 20, 2011 by Kaid Benfield
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The small city of Ranson, West Virginia – population about 4000 – has taken some very important steps toward a more sustainable future. In particular, it is cleaning up its contaminated sites; reconceiving its streets and stormwater management; and encouraging walkable, in-town redevelopment, all at the same time. That Ranson had the initiative to do this is immensely significant, since we need more and better examples of green initiatives in small, rural communities. But just as significant is that none of this would be possible without the assistance of the federal government’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities. [read more]

Is This The World's Greenest Neighborhood?

August 26, 2011 by Kaid Benfield
with 647 views
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  As this post is published, I am on vacation in Victoria, British Columbia, a wonderful city that - among other good things - is home to Dockside Green, which some people are calling the greenest development in the world.  At least with respect to new, highly urban developments-in-progress, they may have a case... [read more]

Make Urban Revitalization Greener, Greater, And More Inclusive

August 10, 2011 by Kaid Benfield
with 284 views
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When revitalization of our distressed neighborhoods is done well, it is almost unrivaled in its ability to advance simultaneously the “triple bottom line” of sustainability: improving the environment, the economy, and social equity. [read more]

The Importance of Place to Sustainability

July 12, 2011 by Kaid Benfield
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    I find that I am almost always thinking about the quality of places.  Hanging out with the likes of David Dixon, Victor Dover, and Steve Mouzon will do that to you.  And I am especially thinking about places - as a concept - this week, because on Friday I was told that a presentation on NRDC’s sustainable... [read more]

DC area's LEED-ND projects, mapped

June 22, 2010 by Kaid Benfield
with 432 views
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We are fortunate to have a number of projects in the Washington, DC area that are participating in the LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot program, which evaluates and, where warranted, certifies environmentally superior land development.  By my count, eight residential and mixed-use area projects have been certified, with... [read more]

Student project becomes model sustainable community development in Oberlin

May 27, 2010 by Kaid Benfield
with 687 views
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      Ten years ago, writes Andrew Michler in Inhabitat, three college students – Naomi Sabel, Josh Rosen and Ben Ezinga – devised a plan to reclaim a stagnant brownfield in Oberlin, Ohio for mixed-use revitalization.  Today the project, which is participating in the LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot program... [read more]

LEED for Neighborhood Development formally launches to promote smart, sustainable land use

April 29, 2010 by Kaid Benfield
with 648 views
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The country’s first comprehensive system for defining, measuring, and certifying smart growth is now fully open for business. Today, the three founding partners of LEED for Neighborhood Development – NRDC, the Congress for the New Urbanism, and the US Green Building Council – are announcing the national launch of the program at... [read more]

Indianapolis can still be a winner in smart growth (part 3 of the Indy revitalization series)

February 8, 2010 by Kaid Benfield
with 180 views
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Football digression to, um, kick off today's post:  Congratulations to the very impressive New Orleans Saints for a big win over the Colts in last night's Super Bowl.  I was rooting for Indy, but it's hard not to feel good for the Saints' fans, especially the residents of the Crescent City, who have long ... [read more]