Saturday, December 10, 2011

The Folly of Suburban Greenfield Development

Green building in Denver isn't just about the home itself.  The location of the house can be four times more important for the carbon footprint, making it the single most important topic for this blog and for cities in general.  We're not alone in this opinion.  The TED prize has announced next year's winner, The City 2.0.

So what to do with all the land that the big builders have reserved for exurban single family homes?  Apparently the farmers are buying it back at a steep discount for farming

If this topic gets you agitated, then read this article from Atlantic Cities.   It's loaded with links to important studies that support a greener homebuilding paradigm*:

* the greener paradigm doesn't involve electric cars and photovoltaics in the exurbs.  My favorite study is the one that shows people are happier if they can walk, not drive, for daily life.