An Urban Planner's Wish List for Green Development

As an urban planner, I have worked on residential and commercial developments throughout the Dallas Fort-Worth area and before that on the East Coast.

I have developed my own "wish list" of practices I would like to see for all development in the U.S. Here is a short list to start.

1. Require green building standards for all new construction. Right now, certain communities require this, and most don't. These standards can be developed at the local level, modelled after programs and examples around the country.

2. Promote infill development (new development between existing buildings and projects) and adaptive reuse (reuse of existing buildings) whenever possible--and make every effort at the local level to prevent leap-frog development, particularly in the suburbs. Standards could include experiments with transfer development rights or incentives for developers.

3. I wish that all communities would identify environmentally-sensitive areas on a comprehensive plan and develop standards to protect these areas.

4. I would like more education to be available for realtors and development entities on green building and environmental planning practices. This concept should be part of the concept and design process.

5. The promotion of land trusts for prime agricultural and environmentally-sensitive areas.

What are Green Buildings?

There are many definitions. Some define green buildings as indigenous architecture that utilizes local materials and design options as well as utilizes passive solar. Adobe Homesin New Mexico are often a good example of this concept.

Others define green buildings in more modern terms. Over the past 20 years, the term "green buildings" has evolved from many experiments and programs developed around the country, such as Austin's green building program.

The U.S Green Building Council has developed LEED standards for commercial buildings and has a pilot program to develop LEED standards for residential buildings. Buildings become LEED certified by including a specified green building standards for construction.




In general, many of the green building programs often include some of these general principles:

•Site Selection, Design and Preparation: Design sites to have the minimum impact upon wildlife, trees, and other natural features.
•Educate contractors on minimizing environmental impact on construction sites. Recycle remainder building materials and minimize waste as well.
•Design buildings to efficiently use natural light, building orientation to sun, and other site features.
•Select low-impact building materials whenever possible—renewable materials (ex. Bamboo) or recycled materials.
•Select building materials with low volatile organic compounds and off-gassing for healthy indoor air quality.
•Energy-efficient appliances and HVAC systems.
•Solar energy whenever possible.
•Xeriscaping or other native plants for landscaping to eliminate the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Minimize the use of water for landscaping. Use organic gardening practices.
•Select low-maintenance building materials whenever possible to minimize the future use of building materials and lower long-term costs.
•Promote less-toxic house cleaning practices to minimize indoor air pollutants and contaminants in water runoff.


For Books on Green Building

How Healthy-Home Gardening Can Save Water and Reduce Pollution

Landscaping choices for your garden can contribute not only to a healthier lifestyle but also can help save water and reduce water pollution. Water conservation has become a significant issue for many communities, particularly for many U.S. states in the west and southwest.

Texas is also now facing water shortages and future potential water shortages as the population growth outpaces the local water supply. Texas depends upon a system of lakes and rivers to collect surface water from runoff. This runoff can become polluted with pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, and sediment. It is important for Texas as well as other communities to conserve water and preserve water quality.

The Texas Extension Service--Tarrant County and the North Central Texas Council of Governments, along with other collaborators, created the Texas SmartScape® program, http://www.txsmartscape.com/ ,to teach homeowners and businesses how to select plants and maintain landscaping to reduce water usage and reduce the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. This program is based upon principles included in Earthkind, xeriscaping, waterwise, and yard-smart programs that many other communities around the country now support.

Some of the basic ideas are:

1. Select native or locally-adapted plants. These plants require less water, fertilizers, and pesticides.
2. Whenever possible, avoid chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers and opt for natural alternatives.
3. Water the garden at night or early in the morning when there will be less evaporation from heat.
4. Use drip irrigation when possible.
5. Mulch plants to preserve soil moisture and add beneficial elements as it decomposes.
6. Avoid watering immediately after applying any fertilizer, even organic slow-release fertilizer.

The website even helps homeowners or businesses design their landscaping.

Gardening and the Healthy Home

As spring approaches, many people have already begun their gardening or are planning their spring and summer garden. As I have learned, the outside of you home is as important as the inside.

Many chemicals and treatments used on lawns and in the garden can also affect our health as well as the health of the planet. The fumes of pesticides and herbicides can seep into your home from the outside. More directly, people as well as pets running and sitting on chemically-treated lawns can also directly absorb the chemicals. The residues can also be tracked into the home from the bottom of shoes or paws. The chemicals also contaminate run-off water, that can end up in streams and other water bodies.

As a rule of thumb, if there is a garden task, I always look for the best natural or organic alternative. There are numerous books, organizations, and even lawn maintenance companies that focus on organic and non-chemical lawn care. Most of the time, I do find an alternative.

One good book that I have used is Common-Sense Pest Control: Least-Toxic Solutions for Your Home, Garden, Pets, and Community This is a very detailed book on almost any pest you will find around your home or garden.

More to come.....

www.ecobasichome.com

Video on Eco-Living: Energy-Efficient Lighting

Furnishings and the Healthy House

The Basics of Furnishings

If you want to create a healthy indoor environment, you can make smart choices in purchasing new furnishings or refurbishing old ones.

Furnishings, drapery, and carpeting can be a significant source of indoor air pollutants. These pollutants can potentially have a variety of affects on health, including allergies; skin, eye, or throat irritation; headaches and more. Many furnishings contain contaminants such as formaldehyde, irritating fibers, synthetic dyes, resins, volatile organic compounds, and anti-stain coatings.

Furniture:

• Avoid synthetic upholstery and opt for natural fibers that have preferably not been treated with anti-stain or other coatings.
• Strive for coverings and pillow covers of cotton or similar natural material that can be periodically washed. Throws can cover cushions and washed frequently, particularly if you have pets.
• Select natural wood furniture and furniture with hard surfaces such as metal. These hard surfaces are good for minimizing dust and fibers in the air. Hard surfaces are also easier to clean. Avoid particle board, chip board, and plywood that often contains formaldehyde.
• Select water-based or natural finishes over synthetic oil-based finishes and stains.
• Avoid soft-plastics that can release volatile organic compounds into the air.

Drapery

• Select natural materials, such as cotton drapery, that can be washed.
• Venetian or wood blinds are a good option to minimize dust.

Carpeting

• Tile, hardwood, and marble are preferred over wall-to-wall carpeting. Formaldhyde is often used in carpet backing and padding as well as adhesives. Synthetic carpets are often a source of volatile organic compounds. Hard surfaces are easier to clean and don't trap dust, pollens and other allergens.
• If you prefer throw rugs, select natural fibers, such as sisal or cotton.

Look out for more tips in the next post.

Oscar Hard at Work Blogging

First Steps to a Healthy House

A healthy home has many components that are based on preferences as as well as health concerns.

This blog posting will begin the focus on the health component. Indoor air quality can have a significant impact on the immune system, allergies, and overall health. A first step to improving the air quality in your home is the following:

Evaluate the relatively easy-to-fix sources of pollutants in your home.

Look around you house and answer the following questions:

A. Do you have a lot of clutter that collects dust? Simplify where you can, and remove unnecessary magazines, newspapers, mail, and trinkets. This step does not cost anything and can leave more space for beneficial and beautiful things in your home.

Is your bedroom cluttered? Your bedroom is where you spend time sleeping while your body regenerates and rejuvenates from the day. Keep it particularly clutter-free, and place items in drawers or closed cabinets when possible. If you have a child with allergies or asthma, pay particular attention to stuffed animals and pillows. They are also a source of fibers and dust in the air.

B. What type of cleaning products do you use? You can make different choices for cleaning products that are not only healthier in not releasing chemicals into the air, but also can be cheaper than many cleaning products. There are many commercial products available in stores, such as Seventh Generation products. You can also create you own cleaning products from vinegar and other common household items. One good book on this topic is: The Naturally Clean Home: 101 Safe and Easy Herbal Formulas for Nontoxic Cleansers. This book includes recipes for many household chores, from scrubbing sinks to cleaning the floors.








The next posting will discuss some more things you can do. www.ecobasichome.com

Welcome to My Blog at Eco-Basic Home

Greetings from Texas!

For over 10 years, I have been interested in healthy homes and the environment. My goal is to share my knowledge and experience I have gained from my life and many related jobs and businesses.

From my own experience with health and allergies, I believe people can make changes in their lifestyle, homes and offices to greatly improve health. While over 10 year ago only a small portion of people were talking about this, more recently there has been an increased interest in the subject.

Just today, February 15th, the New York Times featured an article "A Safe House? Anxious Parents Buy into the Promise of Natural Cleaning Products." Parents are using more natural cleaning products, like Seventh Generation, in their homes. Many schools are choosing this route as well. This idea is now becoming more mainstream, but I believe there is still more progress to be made.


Thanks for your visit and come back again as I develop the site: www.ecobasichome.com


Vicki