Is Sustainability Coming To A Neighborhood Near You?

Doug Farr, widely known as a leader in the United States green building movement, is shifting his focus from single buildings to entire neighborhoods.

1 minute read

October 14, 2006, 1:00 PM PDT

By Mike Lydon

"Doug Farr was heading into The Grind, a local fair-trade coffee spot in Chicago's swanky Lincoln Square neighborhood, when he ran into Peter Nicholson, the organizer of the city's monthly Green Drinks. The two well-heeled unofficial flag-wavers for the local green scene exchanged enthusiastic greetings, and began discussing the latest goings-on.

'Ugh. I'm really over green buildings,' Farr said, with a dash of weariness.

Nicholson said nothing, waiting to see if Farr was joking. It was, after all, a strange thing to hear from one of the world's premier green architects. Farr needed no prompting to continue: 'We have to do more. We have to think bigger. We have to start thinking about how we can build whole sustainable communities.'

'That would require systemic change,' Nicholson replied.

'Well, then I guess sustainability is about systemic change.'"

Thanks to Laurence Aurbach

FULL STORY: 'Hood Intentions

Thursday, October 12, 2006 in Grist Magazine

Architecture Energy Environment Urban Development United States

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