By Brian Skeele, on March 29th, 2011
A few years ago, the Sustainable Neighborhoods Focus Group came up with the idea of giving as a key to a more abundant lifestyle. Currently, infill and new development often give very little to neighborhoods, usually a loss of views and open space, more traffic, and a deadness associated with second homes and single use neighborhoods.
From our Focus Group, a vision emerged where the residents of existing neighborhoods get more; More abundance and aliveness, more safety with neighbors walking on the streets to more conveniently located services. Along with a healthier, more pedestrian friendly lifestyle comes innovative ways to share more amenities, creating a greater sense of community and providing a more affordable lifestyle, a lifestyle beyond suburbia, a lifestyle that lives lighter on the planet.
A Neighborhood that Serves Itself, while Serving Others!
The Focus Group identified conceptual “clusters” of homes or workspaces, designed around residents’ simple but fundamental essential common needs; (in other words, the “cluster” could be a scattered site)
- Child-Oriented Houses
- a Cohousing Group
- an Elder Housing Group
- a Live/work and Commercial Space Cluster
- a Small Houses and Eco-Homes Compound
- Artist Cooperative Workshops
- Young People Living Over Garages….
Giving More Amenities, Getting More Life
These different clusters were assigned services to be provided, not only to meet the cluster’s own needs, but as economies of sale require, to meet the needs of the adjoining clusters and the existing, surrounding neighborhoods…. We created a list of amenities, based on our needs and desires. Some of these are for- profit, some are non-profit. Just as the fundamental clusters are conceptual, so are these amenities. As we locate different sites, those folks that like a particular site will create their own unique mix of clusters and amenities.
A daycare facility and a yoga room were assigned to the child-oriented houses. These could be run as for-profit businesses, offered to surrounding neighborhood residents.
A Cohousing Group with guest rooms and a large kitchen and dining facility, could well be used by the greater community.
We assigned the greenhouse, a community garden, and a library to the Elder Housing Group.
A spa and a meeting hall were assigned to the Live/work and Commercial Space Cluster.
The Small Houses and Eco-Homes Compound got the gym and a formal garden, whereas the Artist Cooperative Workshops were assigned a woodshop and salon/ gallery.
Young People Living Over Garages scored the car share program and a laundry facility.
Imagine the respect and appreciation and abundance in a neighborhood built using these concepts!
Let’s do it people, let’s make sustainable real!