A Vision of Sustainable SuburbiaImagine you live in a town of about 10,000 residents. The town is laid out in three concentric density rings:
High density in the center. Here live the extroverts, the gregarious folks, the ones who love being right in the middle of the action.
Medium density. Most of us will probably want to live here. It's quieter and calmer, with more green space.
Low density, ranging from 4 to 10 households per acre. Even quieter and calmer, with a closer connection to permaculture and wildlife corridors. But more expensive to own. (This is Pattern 29 from the book 'A Pattern Language'.)
Imagine shops, studios and workplaces conveniently located in all three density rings, making it possible for many to walk to work and walk to most of their routine shopping. A mirror of biodiversity.
Imagine all the buildings heated, cooled and powered by solar energy (with connected buildings, built to PassivHaus standards, this is easily done).
Imagine a public transit line running through the center, possibly light rail, electric powered, with stops within walking distance of every home and public gathering place.
Imagine no cars in this town, and only pedestrian streets wide enough for emergency vehicles. Imagine a system similar to Zip cars for occasional trips to places not accessible by public transport.
Imagine that young children can safely walk and bike anywhere in this town!
Imagine nearly all food produced in the permaculture zones surrounding the town, as well as in commercial scale greenhouses in all density rings. Imagine picking your own fruits and vegetables in these fragrant greenhouses, irrigation systems trickling like fountains, some birds singing in the rafters.
Imagine a network of community facilitators who help residents learn the skills needed to live in true community. Imagine how connected you'll feel to as many neighbors as you want. Imagine a growing sense of daily (non-denominational) spirituality in action.
Imagine carbon levels in Earth's atmosphere dropping back down below 350 ppm as a result of your zero emissions life in this town. Imagine how good you'll feel knowing you're doing your part to leave a better world for your children, grandchildren, and all who follow after you.
What will it take to move from existing sprawl to this sustainable vision?
Build some connected dwellings in each of the density rings, providing homes for folks now living in sprawl.
Dismantle the now-empty sprawl homes, remove the excess roads and parking lots, decontaminate the soil for growing food.
Continue this process until sprawl is gone.
What are the barriers to this?
Very few folks now living in suburban sprawl are willing to let into their minds and hearts that a lifestyle they believe in is incredibly destructive and is not deeply satisfying.
Current suburban zoning bylaws generally prohibit sustainable densities and mixed uses.
A huge part of the corporate US economy is based on sprawl and promotes sprawl.
Funding would be required to start this process.
What strategies might work to get the process started?
There's a story told about Thich Nhat Hanh. Some of his devotees came to him and asked, "Master, what must we do to help stop the Earth-destroying actions we see all around us every day?" He replied, "All one must do is hear the sound of Earth crying."
My question to readers is: How can we do that? I know quite a few people who participate in Earth-based activities, such as sweat lodges and vision questing. I know people who belong to faith communities with a covenant to work toward ecological sustainability. I know people who belong to local sustainability groups. Yet by and large none of these folks are taking any significant steps to reduce thier carbon emissions and move toward sustainable lives. They only talk the talk.
For a while I beleived I could create a video series, modeled after Chris Martenson's 'Crash Course', that would beautifully offer the above vision and then show why sprawl is so destructive. But I've lost faith in the power of video to change sprawl. I beleive the change needed must begin on the level of heart and spirit, not mind.
I'm in a place of not knowing how to proceed. I'm willing to devote my life to morphing sprawl into sustainability. But how?
