Community
Crea-ngEcologicalValueThroughDevelopment
“Conserva-ondevelopmentisaprac-ceoflanduse,planning,andcommunitydesignthatstrivestomaintainarespec=ulrela-onshipwithnature.”
—EdwardMcMahon
PrairieCrossingisafor-profitderiva-veofthetradi-onallandtrustconcept,afree-marketaGempttorestoreandpreserveenvironmentallysensi-veland.
• LocatedinGrayslake,Illinois,40milesnorthofChicago• Openforini-aloccupa-onin1994• Developedon677acresofdegraded,century-oldfarmland
• 359single-familyhomesand36condominiums• Homesclusteronjust135acres• 69percentoftotallandareaispermanentlypreservedasopenspacebyHOA
• Openspaceisecologicallyrestoredwetlandsandprairiegrasslands
• $100millionproject
NotAllConserva-onCommuni-esAreTheSame,ButTheyO\enInclude:
• Makingmoneyandgenera-ngprofits• Greenconstruc-ontechnology• Renewableenergy• Sustainableagriculture• Publictransit• Protec-onandpreserva-onoflandandresources• Restora-onorenhancementofdegradedenvironments
• Innova-veuseofspaceanddensity• Privategovernments
SavingTheLandByDevelopingItAsARemedyForTheGreatGreenDivide
“[A]Republicanissupposedtobean--environmental,and...ifyoucareaboutprotec-ngtheenvironment,YoumustbeaDemocrat.”
—MarthaMarks,IllinoisRepublicanandFounderof RepublicansForEnvironmentalProtec-on
TwoContras-ngModelsOfEnvironmentalProtec-on
• Landadvocacy(e.g.,SierraClub)
• LandTrusts(e.g.,NatureConservancy)
MapofPrairieCrossing
Crea-veUrbanPolicyResponseToUrbanSprawl
• Focuson:• Crea-onofsenseofplace• Crea-onofsenseofcommunity• Restora-onofex-rpatedprairiegrasslandecosystem
• CarefulaGen-ontoinfrastructure
GuidingPrinciples• 1.Environmentalprotec-onandenhancement• 2.Ahealthylifestyle• 3.Asenseofplace• 4.Asenseofcommunity• 5.Economicandracialdiversity• 6.Convenientandefficienttransporta-on• 7.Energyconserva-on• 8.Lifelonglearningandeduca-on• 9.Aesthe-cdesignandhigh-qualityconstruc-on• 10.Economicviability
DevelopersSeekSomethingNew
• Environmentalenhancement
• Grandvision:LibertyPrairieReserve
DevelopersSeekToReviveTheOld
• FrederickLawOlmstedandtherestora-vepowerofthelandscape
• Leopold’sLandEthic:ChangingtheCulture
• Truman’sShow:SeasideIns-tuteandtheLPF
Conven-onalDevelopmentHarmsTheEnvironment
• Destroyshabitatsofallkinds,par-cularlywetlands
• Seaofsuburbia:fragmenta-onandislandbiogeography
• Invasivespecies:numbers49and82• Savingbiodiversity:preserving,protec-ng,andconnec-ng
IslandBiogeography
TheRodneyDangerfieldofEcosystems:PrairieandOakSavanna
• Illinois:From22millionto2,000acres• Chicago:5.14acresofvirginprairiesurvive• Iowa:Lessthanatenthofapercent• NorthAmerica:Tenthofapercent• Prairieecosystemmoreendangeredthantropicalrainforest
PrairieBurn
ValueOfPrairie
• Floodcontrol:12,000gallonsperacre• Plantblindness• Waterfiltra-onandpurifica-on• Carbonsequestra-on• Richecologicalnichesforwildlife
RootSystemsOfPrairiePlants
ChangingtheCulture
• “ThesebuyersaretryingtokeepupwiththeJoneses.WearetryingtochangewhattheJonesesaredoing.”
—MichaelSands
TyrannyofSmallDecisions
Environmentalproblemsareo\enthecumula-veresultofseeminglyinsignificantprivatechoicesmadebyindividuals.
ResidentSurvey
• Self-repor-ngenvironmentalawareness:84percentlocal/58percentna-onal
• Self-repor-ngenvironmentalac-vism:Communitymovedfrom“inac-ve–occasional”to“occasional–ac-ve”
• Recycling,compos-ng,reducedconsump-on• 39percentchose70/30meadow/turflandscaping
• Cultureoftransporta-onconveniences-llstrong
AGeographyofSomewhere
“Youcan’tknowwhoyouareun-lyouknowwhereyouare.”—WendellBerry“Natureisnotaplacetovisit.Itishome.”
—GarySnyder
“Thegeographyofnowhere.” —JamesKunstler
Plate17
Plate16heron
Plate12
Plate20
Crea-onOfSenseOfPlaceAndCommunity
• NewUrbanism:frontporches,reargarages,limestonefootpaths,clusteredhousing
• Communitybuildings:PCCSschoolhouseandColbyBarn• Educa-onalseminars,newsleGer,PCCS• Prairieburns,PrairiePatrol,farm,garden,horsestables,
trails,nestboxes,nature• ResidentcommiGeesandemphasisoncommunityfrom
salespitch• Biggestfailure:Economicandracialdiversity:90percent
W,5percentA,3percentH,2percentB;Income:Mean:$134,700,Median:$127,500(2006dollars)
CivicPar-cipa-on• PCresidentsexcelledinareasofnontradi-onalpoli-calpar-cipa-on
• Residentsvotedattheratesoftheircollec-vedemographics(e.g.,educa-on,income,age)
• 2004defeatofincumbentPhilCrane,an--environmentalRepublican
• RunningforOffice:ILstaterepresenta-ve(62),ILstateSenate(31),LakeCountyBoard,LakeCountyForestPreserveDistrict,3localschoolboards,GrayslakeVillageBoard,GrayslakeLibraryBoard,GrayslakeParkDistrict,CentralLakeCountyJointAc-onWaterAgency
Nature’sSuburbSoberingSta-s-cs:•From1981to2003,23percentofEarth’ssurfaceareaexperiencedadeclineinecosystemfunc-on/produc-vity•83percentofice-freecon-nentallandmassisdirectlyinfluencedbyhumanac-vity•75percentofthatlandmassisnolonger“wild”usingscien-ficcriteria•Humandegrada-onoftheplanetmeasuredbysurfaceareaes-matedtobe43percentin1995
Can7billionpeoplelivelikethis?
No,butthatisthewrongques-ononadomes-catedplanet.
TheFutureIsNow
Two-thirdsofthedevelopmentexpectedtoexistintheU.S.in2050isnotyetbuilt.
Integra-ngtheCi-zenIntoNature
“Thetroublewithwildernessis...theillusionthatwecansomehowwipecleantheslateofourpastandreturntothetabularasathatsupposedlyexistedbeforewebegantoleaveourmarksontheworld....This,then,isthecentralparadox:Wildernessembodiesadualis-cvisioninwhichthehumanisen-relyoutsidethenatural.Ifweallowourselvestobelievethatnature,tobetrue,mustalsobewild,thenourverypresenceinnaturerepresentsitsfall.Theplacewhereweareistheplacewherenatureisnot.”
—WilliamCronon
Conserva-oncommuni-esareanopportunitytonotonlydevelopinrela-veconcertwiththeenvironment,butalsotointegratetheci-zenbackintonature.
CalvinandHobbesbyBillWa1ersonMay02,2008