Urban Farm Magazine Sustainable Cities Article

8/8/2019 Urban Farm Magazine Sustainable Cities Article

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movement is diverse and multifaceted. These peoplehave a lot to teach us about making our communitiesmore sustainable.

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:=i * i::i1 ::According to a t987 report by the United Nations,"sustainability" is the ability to meet society'spresent needs without compromising the abilityof future generations to meet their own.Although most people immediately associatesustainability with the environment, it alsoincludes economic and social aspects, such ascreating robust local businesses and ensuring thatno segment of society (like the poor) gets cut outof the good stuff (sidewalks, green space, farmers'markets) while shouldering more of the burdens(landfills and recycling plants).

Why would a city even want to become moresustainable? Because sustainable cities use less

energyand produce less waste. They make it easier

for residents to walk and ride bikes, therebyimproving their health. They make it easier forseniors to "age in place." They prepare children forthe challenges of a changing world and are moreresilient in the face of disasters and emergencies.

-".'""Greensburg was utterly devastated and materiallydepleted by that tornado," Wallach says, "andthere was a hunger to make something positive outof it."

But green? Greensburg residents told Wallachthat they didn't want to carry the stigma of beingleft-leaning, liberal tree-huggers. "Greensburg isthe most conseruative part of a very politically con-servative state," Wallach explains, "yet so manygreen attributes are really basic, sound principlesthat were already embodied in the community'sancestors. These include using windmills, buildingwith the sun's orientation in mind, living off thetand by hunting and fishing, and being tied tonature in ways that are truly authentic." Goinggreen for Greensburg was not as big of a stretch asit might have seemed at first glance.

As city officials embarked on a comprehensive planio rebuild Greensburg as a model of sustainable liv-ing, Wallach launched Greensburg GreenTown, agrassroots, community-based organization that

Wind turbines

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natural powerre50urces.

In exanirtingsustainability,question yourtity's ciedica-tion to rety-cling facilities.

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"What is your vision for the CitY ofDunwoody regarding sustainabi[ity?"

That's what I asked every candidate forcity counciL when residents in my LitttesLice of suburbia voted to become a newcity. A seasoned btogger, I [aunched a newbLog named SustajnabLe DunwoodY(www.sustainabtedunwoody.com) so fo[kscould see what choices a brand-new cityfaced regarding sustainabiLity.

About half of the candjdates responded.I heard encouraging answers invoLvingwaLking and biking, creating a farm/Lifemuseum, and expanding our meager green

a committee of cjtizens, and advocatingfor sustainab[e practices and policies atcity haLL. I was then chosen as a memberof the comprehensive [and-use-plan steeringcommittee, which gave me the opportunityto hear about community issues, learnfrom other citizens as weLL as consuttants,and advocate for sustajnability attributesto be integrated jnto the 20-year ptan forour new city.

I joined fellow citizen actjvists(activist? When did I become an activist?)to starl the first community garden in ourcity, which serves as an jncubator for other

space. Inevitabty. a few candjdates aLsoquestioned, "What's sustainabitity?"I didn't intend to get involved beyond

my btog, but when candidate-etect JohnHeneghan and I attended the same GreenCommunjties workshop given by theAt[anta Regional Commission in our neigh-boring city's LEED- (Leadership in Energyand EnvironmentaL Design) certified cityhaLt, a new direction emerged for my life.

Appointed the chairperson of the newcity's sustainabitity commission, I suddenLyfound myself working with city staff, Leading

works hand in hand with the city to educate thecommunity, serve as a conduit for donations andinformation, establish incentives to encouragebusiness and resident participation in buildinggreen, and stimulate green economic develop-ment. After four decades of decline, this smallrural city of fewer than t,ooo residents in south-western Kansas now finds itself in the spotlight asit aims to rebuild a prosperous future throughcommon-sense green solutions.

"If ihe folks in this little rural town can embracegreen living so enthusiastically, it can be done any-where," Wallach says.

5*=Eesse*:LgEY 5**tu: ?*g=?.e=EDunwoody faced a different kind of blank slate.

On December 1, 2oo8, it became the newest cityin the United States and the rgth-largest city inGeorgia, with about 4o,ooo residents. Its firsttwo years of operation included the creation of acomprehensive land-use plan and the kickoff ofvarious master plans, all of which contain or are

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gardensand an

example of sustainabilityprinciples in actjon. I eventuaLLy resignedfrom the sustainabiLity commission tofocus more fuLLy on these gardens.

My city is siitl finding its way, and I'vefound my place in our sustainability journeyas a "planter of seeds," both literally andfiguratively. Two years ago, I never wouldhave befieved I woutd be so familiar withour city's Leaders and issues. However, as aresult. I consider myself to be a better advo-cate for sustainability close to home andaround the world.

I've a[so learned:S Vision matters. A city can't ralLY

around a vision if there isn't one.# "Going green" shoutd be fun (even

when jt's hard work). If jt's not, you're doingsomething wrong or moving too fast.

& Passion is irreplaceab[e. When passionappears in your city, harness jt and Let it runin the direction of your city's dreams. Don'tbog it down with bureaucracy.

S 0ne person can make a difference inyour city. And you may be that person.

-Pattie Baker

expected to contain references to sustainability.However, with an established infrastructure, acar-based culture, limited green space and divergentopinions about how to preserve the past whileembracing the future, the green journey has notbeen smooth or certain.

Councilman Heneghan remains focused on thecity's long-term sustainability. "I beiieve that whenI have the ability to make a difference, I have theresponsibility to do so," says Heneghan, who tookon many issues in his popular blog (www.dunwoodynorth.blogspot.com) even before running for office."And I was hopeful we'd be able to make the smallchanges needed to set us on a sustainable course asa city. Now, those little things have the potential toadd up to make a big difference."

He offers this advice for those in Dunwoody andelsewhere: "Citizens can help city officials stayfocused on sustainability by writing comments onblogs and letters to the editor ofyour locai newspaper.Elected officials definitely follow these exchanges ofideas and opinions. I knowthis firsthand."


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r. i: - .=1 j: 1.: !. : :,: t; ,:= ::,! :j a.: ;.: ,: '.]'.,: :-,With an established sustainability plan,Baltimore is focusing on six of its z9 sustainabilitygoals, including those related to food systems,and it appointed Freishtat as its "food czar."Freishtat says that title can be a misnomerbecause, as she explains, "I'm not here to tellpeople what to eat. I'm here to heip them haveaccess to choices."

Freishtat oversees the city's efforts to establishBaltimore as a leader in sustainable, local foodsystems through strategies such as increasing thepercentage of land under cultivation for agriculturalpurposes, improving the quantity and quality ofproducts available at food outlets, increasingdemand for local food by schools and residents,and developing an urban agriculture plan.

"I want to emphasize how important food policyis," Freishtat says. "With strong local food policies,a city can offer farmer-friendly terms, such aslonger lease agreements, so urban farms can flourishand increase access to healthy, affordable food infood deserts and throughout the city."

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Folks who live in Creekside Estates in Salem, Ore.,are not so different from the other 6o million peo-

ple in the United States who live in neighborhoodswith homeowners' associations. They want topreserve the appearance oftheir neighborhoods sothey can maintain properly values; however, manyof these neighborhood associations have outdatedcovenants that restrict practices increasingly seen

as desirable."When I asked the Architectural ReviewCommittee for approval to install a solar photo-voltaic system on my house and it said no, I wouldhave gone about my business," explains Lohrman."However, my neighbor, Burt Bogart, wanted one,too, and that kept me involved."

Lohrman chronicled the "solar story" on hisblog, Sustainable Creekside (um'w.sustainablecreekside.org), and he used the blog to educateand connect with others in his neighborhood. Hesent a mailer to his neighbors to announce thewebsite and invite participation in a survey,which revealed support for solar. He and Bogartthen helped write new solar-installation guide-lines for the neighborhood.

On Earth Day zoto, the Creekside EstatesArchitectural Review Committee approved the newsolar guidelines. About six weeks later, the firstsolar panels in the neighborhood were installed onBogart's roof.

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"g Form a sustainability advisory group. CatL ;t the Green Team. Eco Group or

something catchy reLated to your area.:]: Look at your HOA covenants. See ifd=they reflect current eco-reaLities andmake accommodatjons for energing ones.

Thingsto

consider incLude:

The aLlowance of soLar power (andnot just on the "side of the house thatcan't be seen"-that may or may not bewhere the sun shinesl)

3i The allowance of recycled materialsfor fences and pLay equipment

A broader color patette for roofs toaccommodate increased reflectivity (and,

thereby, reduced heat-isLand effect andjncreased energy savings)

i:, Natjve, drought-toLerant Landscapingin your common areas (You'[L save money

on aLL that "seasonaI cotor" annuaI trans-ptant stuff, too.)

* The aLlowance of small-scaLe foodproduction, such as front-yard vegetabLegardens and backyard chickens

' Rain harvesting/stormwater so[u-tjons, such as rain barreLs, rain gardens

and permeable pavement Energy-efficient Lighting at your

neighborhood entranceF The aLlowance of "solar drying"-

the clever term for clotheslines-tr Gather baseline data. Figure out your*.3 neighborhood's recycting rate. What js

your city's average. and how does your

neighborhood stack up? What'hood has themost homegrown food? What subdivisjonsees the highest number of kids watking orbiking to schoot?

n:e Determine and implement an actjon**plan. Consjder sending out a survey,creating a bLog and estabLishing aFacebook presence. Invjte feedback andparticipation from residents. Communicatesteps taken, actions jnjtjated and resultsachieved. Celebrate successes.

If these initiatives aren't immediately apparent,consider whether you could be the sustainabilitychampion your community needs. Start withresearch. Scan your city's long-term vision, some-times called a general plan or comprehensive landuse plan. Learn about your city's intentionsregarding transportation, green space, real estatedevelopment and more.

Read master plans for economic development,transportation, parks and green space or particularareas ripe for redevelopment. Inquire about a sus-tainability plan or food-policy council. Check outyour chamber of commerce, too, for encourage-ment of local businesses, specifically "green" ones,which could be anlthing from a caf6 that claimszero waste to a carpet-cleaning business that avoidsharmful chemicals.

The smallest step you can take is also the largest:Get involved. Attend meetings at city hall.Encourage your community

leadersto

considersustainable practices when making decisions.Bring your children so they can see how decisionsaffecting their future are made.

Some folks are swayed solely by numbers, soseeking out and sharing the details you uncoverabout sustainable practices may help engage people.Some people respond weli to personal stories ofthose trying to make a difference and to successesfrom other cities around the world. Some peoplejust want to see sustainability in action so they canstart to understand it better.

As Wallach recommends, "If you want to getinvolved in creating a sustainable city, just plant

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Pattie Baker blogs about sustainability at FoodShedPtanet (wrrlov"fcods hedplanet. com) a nd writes forpublications and corporations committed to suslajn-anitity. 5he'is an avid home and ccmmunity gardener

and a 1O-year CSA member. She naw only altendsmeetings in her city that require a pitchfork.

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county, home-awners' associ-

aticns areturning pra-

roaftop saldrpsneL.

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Urban Farm Magazine Sustainable Cities Article