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EcoDistricts: Neighborhood Initiative, National Influence
10.08.2010 Mithun, Bert's Blog
The EcoDistricts Initiative is happening all across the US. The terminology varies, but the common thread is the neighborhood – a very personal unit that we all know. For some, EcoDistricts mean an energy and water district. For others it may mean 100% photovoltaic power or carbon neutrality. All this is important, along with it being a walk-able neighborhood where we can get our groceries, find a coffee shop, take our children to a local park, have a nearby school, and form a community with our neighbors.
In the last 6 months, Mithun has been collaborating with the Portland Sustainability Institute, City of Portland, Portland State University, and people in the area, on the EcoDistricts Initiative to develop an assessment protocol for neighborhood sustainability plans. This is a very comprehensive strategy to accelerate sustainable development and activities at the neighborhood scale by integrating building and infrastructure projects with community programs and individual action.
Five Portland EcoDistricts have been designated; the Lloyd District, Lents and Gateway neighborhoods, the South Waterfront and the Portland State University area. Since we created the Lloyd Crossing Sustainable Urban Design Plan in 2002-2004, the Lloyd EcoDistrict has been gaining momentum as a model for sustainable neighborhood development in the future. In 2009 the Governor of Oregon declared the Lloyd District an Oregon Solutions project, with a Memorandum of Understanding among the district stakeholders likely soon to be realized for the next steps to implementation.
Mithun will be sharing our work at the EcoDistrict summit in Portland, and will be talking about what we are finding is important to these neighborhoods. Urban designer and architect Erin Christensen will be on a panel to talk about the framework for the assessment protocol. I will be participating in the Planning & Assessment panel on discussing District-scale Integrated Sustainability Assessment strategies. I’m also quite interested in participating in any discussions around governance and finance as this was one of the fundamental breakthroughs with the Lloyd Crossing project and where a lot of Mithun’s research efforts have been focused in the last several years. Governance and financial complexities are where initiatives sometimes find substantial barriers. Some interesting work is being done nationally on this issue.
Throughout the country, communities are approaching EcoDistricts in different ways because all this is so personal to the individual neighborhood. The differences will result in a self-initiated analysis by the neighborhoods to determine their current situation, their goals and opportunities. We will learn from others and these different neighborhood strategies will enrich our lives. Just as a walk in a neighborhood near the Seine in Paris contrasts with a walk down a Paseo in San Antonio. Different, but enriching our souls.
Article by Bert Gregory, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, Chairman and CEO. Bert is an expert in the development of resource-efficient structures and communities, and serves as a national leader, speaker and advocate for sustainable building and urbanism.