Would you like to be part of the paticipatory process in redesigning the American neighboryhood?

Question

From the website below:

"The fundamental philosophy of ecological design is to substitute ecosystem services and information, mostly from the natural world, for costly hardware and 'hard' engineering."

I think this is part of a "12 step" process in addressing the mindset that gave us global climate change.

Are they are the right track here, and do you think we ought to embrace this approach?

http://www.uvm.edu/%7Eran/ran/

Answer 1

Of course.  This is just the beginning of what needs to be done.  It's good to see groups quantifying the problem and offering solutions.  The satellite images that show the build out are staggering.  

I've begun to do this on my own, my neighbor and I regraded our front lawns to create one retention basin flanked by two driveways and redirected the downspouts from both houses, rather than have all the runoff from both houses go down the driveways and into the street.

These are simple changes that are a just a reconfiguration of systems we already use.  Making the system work for us instead of against us.  Using a little common sense and forethought instead of ignoring problems.

But many people see this as a threat;  because they are ignorant of the true nature of the world - the interconnectedness and interdependency of all things.

The idea that we are free to do whatever we want, whenever we want, with no consequences, is a dangerous fallacy.

Check out Tree People, they are implementing solutions in California.  Some very innovative stuff involving replacing hardscaping and capturing runoff on-site and storing it in cisterns for gradual release.

http://www.treepeople.org/?gclid=CJPl_8b...

I was just reading about Bermuda.  Did you know that the only source of fresh water on the island is rainfall?  Almost all homes have integrated water storage cisterns.  They do so out of necessity (for drinking water).

The point is, we should all be doing it out of necessity (to save our watersheds); we just don't know it yet.

Stakeholder:

People who are (or might be) affected by any action taken by an organization. Examples are: Customers, owners, employees, associates, partners, contractors, suppliers, related people or located near by.

This would include everyone in the watershed, everyone downstream; all the way to the ocean and beyond.  

For example, if you treat your yard excessively with chemical fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides, you affect ocean fisheries - the fishermen (eutrophication destroys fisheries) and the people who eat the fish (toxic chemicals accumulate in the food chain).

edit:

Oh, and not to mention everyone downstream who drinks the water.

edit:

It cost $100 bucks to rent the bobcat for the day, and $50 for two bags of grass seed.  We split that so it was $75 to me.  The rest was elbow grease.  

It all depends on your priorities.  Most people couldn't care less about where their runoff goes and are clueless as to the importance of controlling it.  Honestly?  I did it because I have a well and I was tired of seeing all that water run down the street.  Now it goes back into the ground.

Answer 2

"Stakeholder" = person who didn't buy the place, doesn't do any work around the place, but thinks that he has some right to control what happens to and on the place.

Neighborhoods consist of individual households, individual families, each of them making their own decisions.    The only way to "change neighborhoods" is to impose those changes on people who disagree.

Ujamaa didn't work for Julius Nyrere and it won't work for you.  

People like to be free to design their own lives and lifestyles.

Edit - no, they're not all "stakeholders in the neighborhood."   You own your hard and I own mine.   I can't tell you you can't cut down the maple tree in your yard and you can't tell me I can't cut down the cherry tree in mine.   I'm not going to cut down the cherry tree because I love the pink blossoms in mid-April (well, this year, in late April / early May).   But it's my decision.   Not "ours."

My name's on the deed, I pay the real estate taxes, I maintain the property - it's my call.    It's not a joint decision with respect to both my property and yours.

Answer 3

No, unless you're part of a neigborhood association, no neighbor can tell you what you can or can't do with your own home.  And Dr. Blob forgets that a lot of people can't afford to make "simple" changes like he can.  Most are lucky to not have to worry about making their next mortgage payment while keeping up with inflation.

Answer 4

no I would not like to be apart of it

Answer 5

Yeah that's cool.  We've got an unfortunate trend of suburban sprawl going on, which is a very inefficient way to live.  Products need to be transported longer distances to more locations, people need to drive more, etc.  Our neighborhoods definitely need redesigning.