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| <back | home Shifting Towards Green: Events in Asheville, NC by Suzanne Arthur As a new resident of Asheville I’m happy to report on the following two current events, which both indicate that ecological consciousness is alive and well here, and seeking ways to apply practical, real-world solutions to global and regional problems. First, in late July the University of North Carolina at Asheville was the location of the second annual Design Science Lab, inspired and created by the Buckminster Fuller Institute of New York City. The first DSL was presented at the UN in 2005. The workshops’ broad objective to devise strategies to reach at least one of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. A second aim, closer to home, centered around developing strategies for achieving sustainability in the city of Asheville, particularly in the areas of energy use, the environment and education. Over the course of ten days, 39 participants ranging in age from high school students to senior citizens, worked together to break down big problems into their component parts in order to find solutions that individuals, not just governments and organizations, can implement. As soon as the proposed solutions have been more fully defined and their costs assessed, details will be available on the web, at www.bigpicturesmallworld.com via a special Asheville Design Science Lab link. Here are just a few of the ideas that are in the works: • To prevent urban sprawl, reduce traffic, the resulting pollution, and save energy, developers will continue to strengthen the trend of building “mixed-use” downtown areas. This results in concentrated areas of residential and commercial development, that will be connected to each other and to Asheville via public transit routes. • Electric hybrid ultralight buses will replace the city’s diesel-powered transit fleet. (Currently, 28 percent of statewide energy consumption is from transportation that operates at a 13 percent efficiency rate. Not good.) • To improve water quality, cap the number of impervious surfaces that are allowed per new development, such as parking lots and roofs, that create runoff and pollute streams and rivers. Adopt a uniform floodplain ordinance with a 50-foot buffer between water sources and development. There is considerable interest in planting green vegetation rooftops, and eliminating the current $28 dollar storm water fee for locals and businesses who use cisterns or otherwise employ catchwater techniques. The second event is happening in West Asheville, an area that is undergoing rapid development, and where residents and business owners are interested in facilitating development wisely. A “City Repair” type of event is scheduled for early September, where participants in a weekend long workshop will re-design an entire city intersection. The workshop will combine the teaching of ecological urban design with community service. The event, which takes place at the intersection of Westwood and Waynesville, is the first of a series planned by South East Ecological Design (S.E.E.D.). According to a recent post on the event coordinators’ blog, “The Re-design of the parking lot will support a farmers market, barter fair and increase public gathering space. We will also Re-design the street intersection to beautify slow traffic, creatively deal with storm water, and promote safer bicycle and pedestrian usage.” The plan also includes elements such as a community teahouse, a health clinic and resource center, edible and medicinal herb and flower gardens, benches and bike racks. The weekend will conclude on Sunday evening with the first meeting of the Western NC Permaculture Designers Guild. I seem to have moved to Asheville at a fascinating turning point in the city’s history. Stay tuned for further reports, as Asheville residents answer the burning question: Can this magical, mountainous rural urb develop sustainably? Sources for this article include: http://www.bfi.org/ http://designsciencelab.org/ http://sosasheville.wordpress.com/ www.bigpicturesmallworld.com <back | top^ |