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A look at four cities’ efforts to prevent McMansions. By JENNA ROSS, Star Tribune Cities around the metro area are deciding to limit house sizes in an effort to maintain the character of older neighborhoods, where there’s mounting pressure to raze and rebuild. That’s the easy part…

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/20/realestate/greathomes/20gh-home.html?ex=1339992000&en=553d14bee94396c2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Preserving the Land Housing developments, subdivisions and strip malls are the antithesis of a setting for a vacation retreat. And to prevent this sort of growth, many second homeowners are taking an active role in ensuring that their refuge in the country stays sprawl free. Donations of conservation easements – essentially, promises to limit [...]

http://www.fundersnetwork.org/usr_doc/Civic_Participation_and_Smarter_Growth.pdf Civic Participation and Smarter Growth: Improving How Communities and Places Grow and Change Civic participation is vital to democracy. It takes many forms: individual voluntarism, involvement with neighborhood and other nonprofit organizations, and participation in elections and governmental processes. Everywhere in the country, local decisions are currently being made about land use, transportation, zoning, [...]

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-plccondon0617.artjun17,0,4492441.story?coll=hc-headlines-commentary Calling It `Smart Growth’ Doesn’t Make It So Remember the 1970s, when the nascent environmental movement spawned an interest in “natural food”? This initially referred to vittles that contained no artificial ingredients and were minimally processed. But soon the corporate food industry co-opted the term and started calling everything “natural,” whether or not it [...]

http://www.nrdc.org/buildinggreen/factsheets/smartgrowth.pdf If You Build It They Will Come — Americans want smart growth alternatives to conventional transportation Longer commutes, clogged streets, endless traffic delays-Americans want alternatives to the daily transportation grind. Smart growth land-use strategies, also known as location-efficient development or “new urbanism,” place a premium on what Americans value: shorter trips to and from [...]

Following are audio recordings of 2007 Mountain Green Conference presentations. 1. Bob Kee – this recording begins a few minutes after he started his presentation. 2. Bob Kee – this is the Q & A session following his presentation. It is difficult to hear the questions from the audience. 3. Jack Cecil, Gordon Small, and [...]

http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/speakout/2007/06/a_place_for_granny_the_case_fo.html A Place for Granny: The Case for Accessory Dwelling Units . . . There are clear financial and social benefits for both owner and rental households at all socioeconomic levels. Accessory dwelling units also provide benefits to neighborhoods by enhancing safety through more eyes on the street, revitalizing aging structures and preserving character by [...]

http://www.multi-housingnews.com/multihousing/reports_analysis/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003596132 Incorporating Green Design Elements to Enhance Multifamily Communities The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) National Convention and Design Expo in San Antonio observed the theme of “Growing Beyond Green” last month, in recognition of its 150th anniversary. Architects focused on their past achievements and future endeavors to incorporate environmentally friendly concepts fully into their [...]