By Kaid Benfield
One thing that I have learned in six months in my new position as director of sustainable communities at NRDC is even a lot of environmentalists don't quite know what to make of the phrase. This may be particularly true for my fellow travelers in the legal profession, who tend to think in terms of statutory mandates and causes of action and have little patience with the fuzzy stuff.
So in this post I am returning to the basics, which bear repeating. Let's begin by borrowing from a definition I found in a planning document from the state of Maryland. It packs a lot into one paragraph:
Sustainable communities share a common purpose: places where people thrive to enjoy good health and create a high quality of life. A sustainable community reflects the interdependence of economic, environmental, and social issues by acknowledging that regions, cities, towns and rural lands must continue into the future without diminishing the land, water, air, natural and cultural resources that support them. Housing, transportation and resource conservation are managed in ways that retain the economic, ecological and scenic values of the environment. And they are communities where the consumption of fossil fuels, emissions of greenhouse gases, water resources and pollution are minimized.
Note the emphasis on places; to a great extent, this is about what many of us have come to call "placemaking." It starts with the built environment, but doesn't end there.
Utopian? Maybe so, but since when has the environmental community not been idealistic?More specifically to an environmental group such as NRDC, where I work, we use the phrase to describe places where per capita use of resources and per capita emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants are going down, not up; where the air and waterways are accessible and clean; where land is used efficiently, and shared parks and public spaces are plentiful and easily visited; where people of different ages, income levels, and cultural backgrounds share environmental, social, and cultural benefits equally; where many needs of daily life can be met within a 20-minute walk, and all may be met within a 20-minute transit ride; where industry and economic opportunity emphasize healthy, environmentally sound practices.
For a feel of what this looks like on the ground, let's take a short journey together. On the way to our destination on the high-speed train, we pass through a rolling rural landscape dotted with farms, forests, and windmills, until we come to the urban growth boundary of the Sustainaville metro region. The landscape abruptly changes to well-ordered development.
At the first stop inside the developed area, we can tell that we are in a suburb, but it doesn't look like suburbs built in the 1960s and 1970s. For one thing, there is a lot more green space, not so much in private yards, but in neighborhood-sized green squares around which are clustered different types of homes—apartments, townhomes, and single-family, offered at different price points and mixed together, not separated. Some of the squares also have neighborhood shops, including in one instance a dry cleaner's, a café, a convenience store, and a pharmacy on the first floor of a five-story apartment or condo building. A light rail line runs down the center of the main commercial street. (We may be in a place similar in some respects to Orenco Station, Portland's iconic transit-oriented suburb.)
We disembark and transfer to the light rail, which runs to Sustainaville's downtown. We get off in an older, revitalizing neighborhood, largely abandoned in the 1960s and 1970s but now healthy again after a grassroots-led restoration. (We might now be in a place like Old North Saint Louis is rapidly becoming; or Melrose Commons in the South Bronx, whose plan has been certified gold under LEED-ND; or Oakland's Fruitvale Village, whose grassroots-led rebirth was financed in part by NRDC's development partner, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation.) At the rail stop, we see carshare and bikeshare stations, cafés, shops, and services.
Venturing into the residential area, we notice kids walking home from school, the little ones with their parents, the big ones with their friends, because they can; their homes are all within a 15-minute walk on well-connected, slow-speed streets with porous-pavement sidewalks on both sides, native street trees, and parking spaces for cars and bikes by the curb, which buffers the street from the pedestrians. Walking farther, we see that there is an elementary school beside a small park, and we can see another in the distance. The school has solar panels and a green roof, as does a condo building on the park. Both have small parking lots in the rear shaded by mature trees and surfaced with porous pavers to filter stormwater.
Then we notice that the park has a small space in one of the corners devoted to a neighborhood vegetable garden, which is being tended by some elderly residents. One of them adds some tomatoes to her wheeled cart, which already has reusable canvas bags bearing the name of the supermarket where she just shopped two blocks away; she then continues walking to her restored townhouse, with native vegetation in the small front and rear yards. We pass a barber taking a break outside his shop.
There are other small, local businesses mixed in with homes and places of worship. Several of the small neighborhood restaurants are advertising that they serve only local food. On a basketball court beside one of the schools, a team of African-American and Asian teenagers is absolutely crushing one composed of whites and Latinos, but everyone seems to be joking and having a good time; one of the Latinos drains a three-pointer and suddenly his team has hope after all.
This does not describe every aspect of a sustainable community, or every type. To be complete, we would also discuss, for example, clean industry and waterways; universal access by people of varying abilities; and more.
But it's not a bad start, in my opinion. It basically describes the vision of a sustainable community created jointly by some 25 attendees at NRDC's recent sustainable communities planning retreat. Utopian? Maybe so, but since when has the environmental community not been idealistic? We must know where we would like to go in order to choose our steps along the way.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Endeavour Prepares to Fly Home from Final Mission
By David Byrd
Astronauts on board the Space Shuttle Endeavour are making preparations to return to Earth on the spacecraft’s final flight. One of the astronauts says being in space has shown him the fragility of the Earth’s environment.
Air Force Colonel Gregory Johnson is the shuttle pilot. This is his second mission on Endeavour, and it will be his last space shuttle flight. But he says it has been memorable, especially looking at Earth from the multi-windowed cupola of the International Space Station.
“It’s a wonderful experience to look at our Earth. One of my favorite places on the planet is a place in northern Michigan, Long Lake in Traverse City. And - it chokes me up thinking about it - I flew right over it yesterday and got some great photos of a wonderful place on our planet," he said.
This has been a landmark shuttle mission for Endeavour’s crew. It completed four spacewalks - including the last spacewalk from a U.S. shuttle; It completed the U.S. section of the space station, and astronaut Mike Fincke broke NASA's all-time record for the most time spent in space by an American late Friday (May 27) when he passed the 377-day mark.
The crew also deployed the $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a sophisticated instrument that will yield insights into the composition and origins of the universe. On a personal level, Johnson said the mission helped him realize how fragile Earth’s environment is.
“When you look at the Earth’s horizon and see the thickness of the atmosphere, it’s not even the thickness of an orange peel. And so that fragile atmosphere makes me think greener [environmentally conscious] and do greener things and makes me better understand why it is so important to take care of our planet," he said.
The 49-year-old Johnson says the thing he will miss the most when the mission is over is the chance to fly a space shuttle. The pilot and mission Commander Mark Kelly will undock Endeavour from the Space Station and point it towards Earth on Sunday.
The shuttle is scheduled for a night landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Wednesday. It will later be retired to a museum in California. The final U.S. space shuttle flight - by Atlantis - is scheduled for liftoff July 8.
Astronauts on board the Space Shuttle Endeavour are making preparations to return to Earth on the spacecraft’s final flight. One of the astronauts says being in space has shown him the fragility of the Earth’s environment.
Air Force Colonel Gregory Johnson is the shuttle pilot. This is his second mission on Endeavour, and it will be his last space shuttle flight. But he says it has been memorable, especially looking at Earth from the multi-windowed cupola of the International Space Station.
“It’s a wonderful experience to look at our Earth. One of my favorite places on the planet is a place in northern Michigan, Long Lake in Traverse City. And - it chokes me up thinking about it - I flew right over it yesterday and got some great photos of a wonderful place on our planet," he said.
This has been a landmark shuttle mission for Endeavour’s crew. It completed four spacewalks - including the last spacewalk from a U.S. shuttle; It completed the U.S. section of the space station, and astronaut Mike Fincke broke NASA's all-time record for the most time spent in space by an American late Friday (May 27) when he passed the 377-day mark.
The crew also deployed the $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a sophisticated instrument that will yield insights into the composition and origins of the universe. On a personal level, Johnson said the mission helped him realize how fragile Earth’s environment is.
“When you look at the Earth’s horizon and see the thickness of the atmosphere, it’s not even the thickness of an orange peel. And so that fragile atmosphere makes me think greener [environmentally conscious] and do greener things and makes me better understand why it is so important to take care of our planet," he said.
The 49-year-old Johnson says the thing he will miss the most when the mission is over is the chance to fly a space shuttle. The pilot and mission Commander Mark Kelly will undock Endeavour from the Space Station and point it towards Earth on Sunday.
The shuttle is scheduled for a night landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Wednesday. It will later be retired to a museum in California. The final U.S. space shuttle flight - by Atlantis - is scheduled for liftoff July 8.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Farm Markets and Roadside Stands.
by Traverse City Convention and Visitors Bureau
What could be more fun than buying a quart of deep red, sweet cherries at a roadside market? What could awaken your senses more quickly than tasting a golden, crisp and jucy apple just off the tree? What could be more delicious than either? The cherries are still cool from the spring water in which they were plunged right after being picked, and the bright sun reflects off of the droplets. The apples have a tart-sweet taste, and a full, clean fragrance new to you.
For cherries, apples and many other fruits and vegetables, you can also choose between picking them yourself and buying them after the farmer has picked them. Either way, you'll be eating truly fresh fruit that has been allowed to ripen completely, becoming firm and flavorful.
Approximate Harvest Times:
Early July: Sweet Cherries
Mid to Late July: Sweet Cherries, Tart Cherries, Peaches, Apricots
Early August: Sweet Cherries, Tart Cherries, Peaches, Apricots, Nectarines, Apples, Raspberries
Mid August: Peaches, Nectarines, Apples, Raspberries, Blackberries
Late August: Peaches, Nectarines, Apples, Raspberries, Blackberries
Early September: Nectarines, Apples, Plums, Grapes
Mid September: Grapes, Apples
Mid October: Apples, Pumpkins
Acme Farm Market
Next to the Stained Glass Cabinet Company, 4160 M-72 East. Uncle Kenn's Kettle Corn (watch it made), homemade baked goods, plants and hanging baskets, eco-friendly soils/fertilizers, Hypertufa planters, wildflower suncatchers, fruits and vegi’s (in season), and more. Saturdays during the Summer 9am - 1pm. Interested vendors call 231-938-2007.
Buchan's Blueberry Hill
U-Pick or Picked Blueberries, Peaches & Apples. Seasonal vegetables - call for picking info. Homemade ice cream. Monday-Sunday
1472 Nelson Road
Old Mission Peninsula, Traverse City
(231) 223-4846
Cedar Hedge Gardens
HOSTA! Over 500 varieties of hostas to purchase. Four acres of walking gardens on a quiet lake setting. No credit cards accepted.
9948 Harmony Drive
Interlochen, MI 49643
(231) 275-5468
Cherry Connection/Edmondson Orchards
Farm market, fruit stand, u-pick. Cherries, peaches, raspberries, pumpkins, corn, honey, dried cherries, juice.
12414 Center Road
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 223-7130
Covered Wagon Farm Market & Bakery
Local fruit, garden produce, sweet corn, home baked goods (made on site), handcrafted baskets. 8996 M-204
(also known as E. Duck Lake Road)
Suttons Bay, MI 49682
(231) 271-6658
Visa , MasterCard
Downtown Farmers Market (Sara Hardy Farm Market)
Between Cass and Union Streets, parking lot off Grandview Parkway (across from Clinch Park). Fruit, vegetables, plants, flowers and baked goods. Every Saturday, mid-May thru October. Wednesdays, mid-June thru September.
Traverse City, MI>
www.downtowntc.com
Friske's Farm Market
Fruit stand (seasonal fruits, etc. - some u-pick. Great variety of fruit products); Bakery; Cafe; Country Haus Gift Shop; Playground; Barnyard animals. Open Mon.-Sat. Year 'Round!
10743 N. US 31
Ellsworth, MI 49729
(231) 599-2604
www.friske.com
Gallagher's Farm Market
Fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Strawberries, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, apricots, peaches, blackberries & apples. Home baked goods, homemade jams and jellies, local wines & cherry products, Petting farm. Corn maze. Open daily June - October.
www.gallaghersfarmmarkettc.com
7237 M 72 West (3 1/2 miles west of TC on M 72)
Traverse City, MI 49684
(231) 947-1689
Hoxsie's Farm Market
Cherries, apples, pumpkins, pies, breads, cookies, and other baked goods, jams, salsas, dried cherries & cherry products, ice cream. Corn maze. Wagon rides to the U-pick apple orchard & pumpkin patch. Open July - Oct, 7 days a week.
6620 M-72 E
Williamsburg, MI 49690
(231) 267-9087
(231) 267-5264
www.hoxsiesfarmmarket.com
Visa, MasterCard
King Orchards
Two markets - US 31, 9 miles north of Elk Rapids and M 88, 3 miles north of Central Lake. U-pick fruit and market. Open 7 days a week June - November.
4620 N. M 88 Highway
Central Lake, MI 49622
(877) 937-5464
Visa, MasterCard
What could be more fun than buying a quart of deep red, sweet cherries at a roadside market? What could awaken your senses more quickly than tasting a golden, crisp and jucy apple just off the tree? What could be more delicious than either? The cherries are still cool from the spring water in which they were plunged right after being picked, and the bright sun reflects off of the droplets. The apples have a tart-sweet taste, and a full, clean fragrance new to you.
For cherries, apples and many other fruits and vegetables, you can also choose between picking them yourself and buying them after the farmer has picked them. Either way, you'll be eating truly fresh fruit that has been allowed to ripen completely, becoming firm and flavorful.
Approximate Harvest Times:
Early July: Sweet Cherries
Mid to Late July: Sweet Cherries, Tart Cherries, Peaches, Apricots
Early August: Sweet Cherries, Tart Cherries, Peaches, Apricots, Nectarines, Apples, Raspberries
Mid August: Peaches, Nectarines, Apples, Raspberries, Blackberries
Late August: Peaches, Nectarines, Apples, Raspberries, Blackberries
Early September: Nectarines, Apples, Plums, Grapes
Mid September: Grapes, Apples
Mid October: Apples, Pumpkins
Acme Farm Market
Next to the Stained Glass Cabinet Company, 4160 M-72 East. Uncle Kenn's Kettle Corn (watch it made), homemade baked goods, plants and hanging baskets, eco-friendly soils/fertilizers, Hypertufa planters, wildflower suncatchers, fruits and vegi’s (in season), and more. Saturdays during the Summer 9am - 1pm. Interested vendors call 231-938-2007.
Buchan's Blueberry Hill
U-Pick or Picked Blueberries, Peaches & Apples. Seasonal vegetables - call for picking info. Homemade ice cream. Monday-Sunday
1472 Nelson Road
Old Mission Peninsula, Traverse City
(231) 223-4846
Cedar Hedge Gardens
HOSTA! Over 500 varieties of hostas to purchase. Four acres of walking gardens on a quiet lake setting. No credit cards accepted.
9948 Harmony Drive
Interlochen, MI 49643
(231) 275-5468
Cherry Connection/Edmondson Orchards
Farm market, fruit stand, u-pick. Cherries, peaches, raspberries, pumpkins, corn, honey, dried cherries, juice.
12414 Center Road
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 223-7130
Covered Wagon Farm Market & Bakery
Local fruit, garden produce, sweet corn, home baked goods (made on site), handcrafted baskets. 8996 M-204
(also known as E. Duck Lake Road)
Suttons Bay, MI 49682
(231) 271-6658
Visa , MasterCard
Downtown Farmers Market (Sara Hardy Farm Market)
Between Cass and Union Streets, parking lot off Grandview Parkway (across from Clinch Park). Fruit, vegetables, plants, flowers and baked goods. Every Saturday, mid-May thru October. Wednesdays, mid-June thru September.
Traverse City, MI>
www.downtowntc.com
Friske's Farm Market
Fruit stand (seasonal fruits, etc. - some u-pick. Great variety of fruit products); Bakery; Cafe; Country Haus Gift Shop; Playground; Barnyard animals. Open Mon.-Sat. Year 'Round!
10743 N. US 31
Ellsworth, MI 49729
(231) 599-2604
www.friske.com
Gallagher's Farm Market
Fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Strawberries, cherries, raspberries, blueberries, apricots, peaches, blackberries & apples. Home baked goods, homemade jams and jellies, local wines & cherry products, Petting farm. Corn maze. Open daily June - October.
www.gallaghersfarmmarkettc.com
7237 M 72 West (3 1/2 miles west of TC on M 72)
Traverse City, MI 49684
(231) 947-1689
Hoxsie's Farm Market
Cherries, apples, pumpkins, pies, breads, cookies, and other baked goods, jams, salsas, dried cherries & cherry products, ice cream. Corn maze. Wagon rides to the U-pick apple orchard & pumpkin patch. Open July - Oct, 7 days a week.
6620 M-72 E
Williamsburg, MI 49690
(231) 267-9087
(231) 267-5264
www.hoxsiesfarmmarket.com
Visa, MasterCard
King Orchards
Two markets - US 31, 9 miles north of Elk Rapids and M 88, 3 miles north of Central Lake. U-pick fruit and market. Open 7 days a week June - November.
4620 N. M 88 Highway
Central Lake, MI 49622
(877) 937-5464
Visa, MasterCard
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Cherry Festival Looms
It's 2011 and Traverse City, Michigan is hosting the National Cherry Festival. You can find a schedule of events here. I am having a hard time deciding where to spend my time: Polka Festing or Cherry Festing. I don't have to choose between them which is one of the lovely rewards of living in this area.
Polka Festival Begins!!!!
Annual Cedar Polka Festival
Leelanau.comBlog Filed under: Leelanau,calendar,cedar,food,fun,michigan,music,summer — Andrew McFarlane @ 2:55 pm
The annual Cedar Polka Festival runs Thursday through Sunday, June 30 - July 3, 2011. Highlights include a parade on Saturday at noon, softball tournament, a polka mass and (of course) polka under the big, big tent with the big names of polka. More details as we have them!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
The 29th annual Cedar Polka Festival begins with the flag raising ceremony at 5:00 p.m. Music and dancing begins immediately after the ceremony. Music TBA.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Sidewalk Chalk Art at 10 am, meet at the Town Hall. Music and dancing beings at 2 pm.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Face painting at 10:30am, at the Town Hall. Polka Fest Parade beings at noon at the Solon Twp. Hall. All participants should be at the Solon Twp. Hall by 11:30 am sharp.
Music and dancing begins at 2 pm and runs until 1 am.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Polka Mass celebrated with Bishop Cooney begins at 11 am under the tent. Music and dancing resumes at 1 pm .
Admissions (per person)
Thursday - $5.00
Fri. & Sat. - $10.00
Sunday - $5.00
3 Day Pass - $20.00
Ages 13-20 - 1/2 price when accompanied by parent
Ages 12 & Under - Free when accompanied by parent
Bands subject to change. Space available for rent on the tennis court.
For Info Phone: (231) 228-3378 or (231) 228-5562
Leelanau.comBlog Filed under: Leelanau,calendar,cedar,food,fun,michigan,music,summer — Andrew McFarlane @ 2:55 pm
The annual Cedar Polka Festival runs Thursday through Sunday, June 30 - July 3, 2011. Highlights include a parade on Saturday at noon, softball tournament, a polka mass and (of course) polka under the big, big tent with the big names of polka. More details as we have them!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
The 29th annual Cedar Polka Festival begins with the flag raising ceremony at 5:00 p.m. Music and dancing begins immediately after the ceremony. Music TBA.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Sidewalk Chalk Art at 10 am, meet at the Town Hall. Music and dancing beings at 2 pm.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Face painting at 10:30am, at the Town Hall. Polka Fest Parade beings at noon at the Solon Twp. Hall. All participants should be at the Solon Twp. Hall by 11:30 am sharp.
Music and dancing begins at 2 pm and runs until 1 am.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Polka Mass celebrated with Bishop Cooney begins at 11 am under the tent. Music and dancing resumes at 1 pm .
Admissions (per person)
Thursday - $5.00
Fri. & Sat. - $10.00
Sunday - $5.00
3 Day Pass - $20.00
Ages 13-20 - 1/2 price when accompanied by parent
Ages 12 & Under - Free when accompanied by parent
Bands subject to change. Space available for rent on the tennis court.
For Info Phone: (231) 228-3378 or (231) 228-5562
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