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_ _- i~ • We recognize that most planners-and most communities-will have to imple- ment this new idea incrementally, but it is our view that every American com- munity has the potential to promote sustainability in meaningful ways. The idea is clearly not limited to unique places like Cerra Gordo, Oregon, or Arco- santi, Arizona. Many localities already have adopted programs to protect sensitive lands through open space acquisition and growth man- agementsystems. Boulder, Colorado, with more than 20,000 acres of open space, is perhaps the best example. And Austin, Texas (in collaboration with Travis County and others, has developed a wildlife habitat conservation plan covering some 30,000 acres. Sustainable communities aim at reduc- struction away from areas of high geo- logic risk, and Los Angeles requires that e buildings be retrofitted to withstand earth- N quakes and other natural hazards. d Sustainable communities seek to re- o duce air and water pollution and the con- sumption of nonrenewable resources. In 1990, for example, Toronto resolved to reduce its net carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2005. Portland, Oregon, has attracted commuters from their cars and onto an extensive light rail system. Davis, California, has long pushed for bicycle use. Cities like San Jose promote greater use of renewable energy sources such as solar energy, and others, including Tuc- son, set water conservation standards on new development. Many cities have attempted to reduce solid waste through curbside recycling programs and collection pricing systems. Seattle has set a goal of reducing its waste stream by 60 percent in the next five years, and, through its recycling and waste reduction efforts, is moving in that direc- tion. Berkeley prohibits the use of CFC- creating polystyrene plastic foam con- tainers. Austin has a "Green Builder" program for evaluating the ecological soundness of designs and building mate- rialsproposed by participating builders. Sustainable communities try to lessen the wasteful consumption of land by pro- moting more compact and contiguous de- velopment patterns-for example, by en- couraging infill development. Again, Boulder and Portland are examples. Both have imposed urban growth boundaries to contain sprawl, to separate urban and rural areas, and to protect open space. Reducing urban sprawl and encouraging higher average densities helps, in turn, to achieve many of the goals of environmen- tal sustainability, from energy conserva- tion to sensitive lands protection. More efficient land-use patterns also can create more vibrant urban spaces and can help to stop the separation of different classes and races of people within our metropoli- tan areas. A sense of place Sustainable communities promote a sense of place. The city of Denver has for many years restricted development in certain "view protection zones" to ensure the city's visual connection to the Rocky Mountains. And Austin has sought to protect views of the state capitol, argu- ably the symbolic center of the city. Sus- tainable communities are also aestheti- cally pleasing and visually stimulating communities. The fields of architecture and urban design have much to offer in creating such communities. A positive sign is the great interest in recent years in neotraditional planning and the reexami- nation of the American small town. Sus- tainable communities should seek to pro- mote asuitably human scale and the integration of activities and uses (the abil- ity to walk to shopping and schools, the close proximity of home and work. But sustainability involves more than design. Sustainable communities, borrow- ing from Jane Jacobs, seek to promote safety through land-use patterns that lessen opportunities for crime, and through such grass-roots strategies as community polic- ing. They are also communities with a rich cultural life, vibrant public spaces, the exposure of people and property ~atural hazards. In North Carolina, Toth Charlotte and Raleigh have created greenways that will lessen flood hazards and create public open spaces. The Outer Banks village of Nags Head has adopted an innovative plan to regulate develop- ment in the path of coastal storms. Portola Valley, California, is steering new con- After 23 years, Paolo Soleri's Arcosanti project near Phoenix is only three percent built, but it's still an inspiration for many. Soleri calls it an "arcology, "defined as architecture and ecology working together to produce a new urban habitat.