New Green Urbanism: Communities Focus on Reusing and Conserving

So, you thought you were going green because you started separating your recycling from your trash? Although that’s a great step in the right direction, people across the United States are building entire communities around the ideas of sustainability and recycling. These green communities are popping up all over U.S. and are gaining popularity.

Green communities currently cannot be defined by the government but are commonly certified through a state agency created to greenify the state and hold it to high standards. The EPA agrees, “a green community is, by definition and process, dynamic,” and therefore ever changing. As technology and research unveil new information, the standards and need for constant improvements are required.

To get a better understanding of these new green communities, let’s take a look at some green communities around the country. Who knows, maybe you live by one, or better yet, in one.

Stapleton, CO

Stapleton may look like a normal suburb, but it has a sustainable mindset.

Stapleton, CO, is a prime example of how history is made and driven by an unseen force. The Stapleton Foundation was organically developed to help with Denver’s airport expansion, but as the years went on, the foundation found itself calling the surrounding community to a higher standard of living.

The communities that are part of Stapleton, about 10 miles east of downtown Denver, are committed to “working to create an urban development that meets social needs, provides economic opportunity and preserves rather than degrades the natural environment.” The residents of these communities have agreed to follow the town’s Green Book that abides by five basic sustainable principles by partnering with Forest City and the Park Creek Metropolitan District.

Forest City enforces and sets standards for green building, affordable housing, energy conservation and water resource management. This agency oversees many of the recycling procedures of material and water in a sustainable way. They also ensure the houses are built within their guidelines. These guidelines are defined in the Green Book.

Park Creek Metropolitan District is the governing agency that creates, maintains and oversees the parks, wildlife and other outdoor activities around the community. The agency is named after the creek that runs along the community in efforts to preserve and live in harmony with the natural landscape and wildlife.

The Green Book governs the schools, the parks and the houses the people live in. The synergy created by living in this community is always growing, inviting its people to live a greener lifestyle.

This green neighborhood consists of five main communities that are striving to increase green awareness by the lifestyle they live. They have improved their public transportation system to minimize the amount of personal vehicles used. The schools promote recycling and bikes and walking as a means of transportation. To learn more about this green community go to Discover Stapleton.

Seabrook, WA

Seabrook, unlike Stapleton, was a master-planned community designed specifically with the purpose of creating what as been termed “New Urbanism.” New Urbanism, simply put, is the intentional pursuit of creating urban neighbors with the earth and nature in mind. The developers of Seabrook took an 83-acre piece of land and developed an exclusive green community where buying organic is more than a sales pitch and using your feet as a mode of transportation is more desirable than a car.

Seabrook, on the Pacific Coast of Washington about 2.5 hours from Seattle and three hours from Portland, is centered on maintaining and sustaining the natural habitat that was alive there before the development. All the animals and plant life have been preserved and still have a home among the new residents. The trees that had to be removed to build the development were milled locally and placed back into the community as mulch or other wood products. The community thrives off of local products, reducing greenhouse gases used to transport common products from around the world. All the landscaping uses organic practices to restrict weed growth and to maintain the fragile balance of nature. You won’t find synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or gas-powered lawn mowers in Seabrook. The entire community prospers on living in harmony with nature and using every opportunity to recycle even the uncommon things.

Seabrook uses green building practices to make an impact on the environment and the community. Seabrook states, “We use sustainable materials that maintain their strength and integrity. Our homes are outfitted with the most current and energy efficient appliances and construction techniques available. Our landscaping features native plants and much of our building makes use of local reclaimed cedar.”

Although residents are not required to recycle or conserve, it is an expectation for all residents of the community. Convictions to live green are what draw people to purchase at Seabrook, so recycling and reuse are part of the lifestyle and community culture.

People from near and far have moved their lives to join up with one of these communities. If you don’t feel like making the move the Colorado or Washington, take a moment and research sustainable communities in your area or contact local builders and voice your desire to see these types of communities built where you live. Green communities are on a rise, and you may be surprised how close and accessible one is to you.