Demographics and Sustainability

One of the most interesting sessions I attended at the APA Conference was “America at One Billion” – given by Robert Lang and Arthur C. Nelson (“Chris”) from Virginia Tech’s Metropolitan Institute.

This presentation discussed the possibility/probability of America reaching a population of one billion. The presenters agreed that it is quite likely that we will reach 1/2 billion by mid-century (America rolled 300 million in October 2006), and that one billion is not an unreasonable guesstimate for the turn of the century. According to the speakers, this gives the US a growth rate of 1 to 1.5% per year, and faster growth in sheer numbers than any country other than India or Pakistan.

The growth will come from a high birth rate (the speakers estimate approximately 2.12 children per woman of childbearing age), longevity (average lifespan of 79 years) and high rates of legal immigration (nearly ¾ of which is relatives of existing legal residents).

So what does this mean for the environment? Will our carbon footprint increase in direct proportion to population growth? The speakers argued no: The US is very well prepared and trends are pointing toward greater use of sustainable principles. Lang suggested that innovation will get us out of the ‘oil age’: “The stone age didn’t end because we ran out of stones.”

One of the many suggestions of the presentation was to think about redevelopment of existing sites rather than continued expansion into greenfields. Mr. Lang suggested that existing parking lots presented a tremendous redevelopment opportunity: they are large, flat and drained; there is infrastructure already in place, they are already zoned and used for non-residential purposes; they are accessible; and, many are transit-ready.

To view the presentations, check out the MI website (they are not up yet, but there are a number of other interesting presentations available): http://www.mi.vt.edu/web/page/957/sectionid/569/pagelevel/2/interior.asp

Image source: PeopleJam

Setting Trends in Kansas?

“There’s No Place like Home, There’s No Place like Home”….Sound familiar, well Dorothy isn’t headed to the Emerald City anymore; there’s another kind of Green in her future.

Do you remember hearing this news on May 4th, 2007? “The town of Greensburg Kansas was destroyed in a matter of 15 minutes by an EF-5 tornado, the strongest of 25 tornados’ that night that broke out over Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas and South Dakota.” (http://abcnews.go.com) I don’t know about you, but hearing this sent shivers up and down my spine. Coming from a small town in Kansas myself, this news hit too close to home for me. With all of the devastation, many homes and businesses were entirely demolished. The community decided to approach rebuilding with a very different outcome in mind.

Well…. now almost a year later there is much HOPE, this amazing town is trying to make their dream of helping to protect the environment from future destruction come true. After this tornado destroyed 95% of their town and depleted all of their resources they have the chance to create an entirely sustainable town. The people of Greensburg have decided as a community to promote a highly sustainable enriched society. Their mission is to provide the residents with the resources, information, and support they need to rebuild as “The Greenest Town in America, named Green Town” (http://www.greensource.construction.com/) The Greensburg City Council has approved a motion that all city building projects will be built to LEED Platinum level standards as updated throughout the years to keep its LEED Certification. There is also a development called the Model Home Project. Tourists would receive a guide books for touring the different Sustainable sites and building to learn about the process of building green. There is also an opportunity to stay in eco-friendly, energy efficient homes while visiting this amazing new town. “Money made from renting the demonstration homes, will go toward maintenance and possibly other green initiatives within the town’s location.” (http://www.greensburggreentown.org/) "If we are going to build a community from the ground up, it is our responsibility to think about the future," said city administrator Steve Hewitt
What this tiny community is doing will hopefully change the views of all towns and cities across the county and help others see the significance of making changes that will impact our future generations……

“I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto.”