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