The new "localism"

Newsweek has an interesting article out about the trend away from a nomadic lifestyle and how that benefits communities. The theory is that the more time you spend in one place, the more investment you have in it and the more likely you are to support it. If that trend holds true (and it seems to have started well before the recession, not because of it), it may help put an end to throw-away-neighborhoods, where one subdivision pillages the residents of an older subdivision, and one community pillages the residents of another. Stabilizing the population of neighborhoods, whether urban or suburban, is a critical first step in preserving and renewing them.

Staying put might be one of the most sustainable things you can do.

Check it out: http://www.newsweek.com/id/217029

Principles for the Smart Growth Redevelopment District Process

The Partnership Steering Committee has been working on developing a starter set of Principles that will convey the purpose of and guide the initiative.

• Sustainability refers to the long-term viability of a community from ecological, social, and economic perspectives.
• Transit must be approached as a long term investment in the future of our region that leverages private investment to sustainably renew communities.
  Economic vitality and opportunity at the neighborhood level is critical to the economic viability of the region.
• Mobility (the ability of a person to travel from one place to another) is more fundamental than transportation (the act of travelling).
• Cultural and socioeconomic integration promotes increased levels of social capital, fosters the exchange of ideas, and stimulates the innovation required for our community to remain competitive.
• Neighborhoods must be complete, providing residents with all necessary components of daily life, as well as flexible, accommodating changes in economic and household conditions.
• Ecological quality must be improved by redevelopment activities and through increased connections between residents and natural systems.
• Energy sources and systems must be renewable, distributed, and neighborhood-based.

This is a draft, and probably will remain a draft until this fall, so all feedback is welcome.

Welcome to Smart Growth Indy

Our website is under development. It's primary purpose is to inform and document the work of the Smart Growth Redevelopment District Partnership, which was formed to guide the work of an American Institute of Architect's Sustainable Design Assessment Team. The SDAT was awarded to the Indy community to explore sustainable redevelopment that could be leveraged as Indy invests in a rapid transit system using 22nd and the Monon as the "demonstration district."

However, our secondary goal is to promote discussion about smart growth redevelopment in Indy...from struggling inner-city neighborhoods to sprawling big-box districts that history shows won't last more than 20 or 30 years.

We've been doing project websites for some time, and think we have that down. We're playing around with this blog. And we'll probably integrate some type of bookstore to promote good books visitors might find interesting. But what else would you like to see this website do? How can we engage and stimulate people like you?