Envisioning Better Communities: Seeing More Options, Making Wiser Choices, the new planning book by Randall Arendt that I’m reviewing, is a book I have trouble putting down. (Full disclosure: Randall Arendt is a dedicated member of LandChoices. I’m a big fan of Randall Arendt.) I received a review copy of the book from the American [...]
I’m excited to read the new book, Envisioning Better Communities (PDF), by noted planner Randall Arendt. (Full disclosure: Randall Arendt is a dedicated member of LandChoices. I am a big fan.) I have not received the book yet so I have not had a chance to read it, but want to share the following information I located on [...]
The video is a bit shaky and you’ll need to turn your audio up, but I was thrilled to discover an architect who is not simply stamping out beige McMansions. In the video, noted architect and author Russell Versaci gave a talk as part of Charlottesville’s Design Week on his new book Roots of Home. After [...]
A good friend of LandChoices, Dan Paulson, asked us to post information about a green build conference in Traverse City, Michigan. Dan is the creator of Cedar Valley Ridge, one of my favorite conservation neighborhoods, located near Traverse City, Michigan. Dan preserved more than 70% of the property. View the Cedar Valley Ridtge site plan. The [...]
I read The Geography of Nowhere by James Howard Kunstler years ago and really enjoyed it. This video about sustainable community development is right on. In James Howard Kunstler’s view, public spaces should be inspired centers of civic life and the physical manifestation of the common good. Instead, he argues, what we have in America [...]
I saw this house on an episode of “This Old House” this morning. It’s made to look like an old barn house. The owners have a passion for traditional American barns and a more rural way of living. What I liked about this story is that the people built the home on a plot of [...]
This is a repost, a reminder that “clustering” is not the same as conservation subdivision design (conservation development): “We already have clustering!” That’s the common response often heard from township officials when they consider conservation subdivisions to preserve rural lands. Whereas with clustering preserved land is often an afterthought, conservation subdivisions (conservation development) preserve the [...]
Cedar Valley Ridge, a conservation development eight miles west of Traverse City in northern Michigan, is certified as a Four Stars Green Subdivision by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center. The Four Stars award is the highest level of Green Certification for a development from the NAHB and represents recognition of [...]
I received this nice letter below from Joe Barnes at Bundaron Farm after posting about his wonderful conservation development. I love his comment about the TV reporter. This is how all development should be: “Kirt, Thanks for writing this post about Bundoran Farm. I would encourage anyone who hasn’t visited our website www.bundoranfarm.com to do [...]
Developers are creating subdivisions around organic farms to attract buyers according to the article Organic Farms as Subdivision Amenities in the New York Times. According to the article, these subdivisions have been treating farms as an amenity. LandChoices’ member Ed McMahon is quoted in the article: “Open space improves the return for a developer,” Mr. [...]
