Sustainable Communities

Hilary

The BEDZED Project:

The Beddington Zero Energy Development Project, located in Wallington, South London and designed by Bill Dunster, is one of the United Kingdom’s largest sustainable housing complexes. The aim of the BEDZED project is definitely to be extremely energy efficient, as evidenced by its use of a single electric generator, solar panels, and rooftop gardens. This community also recycles waste water and encourages the use of bicycles, electric cars, and public transportation as opposed to fossil fuel-ran vehicles. The community has between eighty to one hundred homes and is thriving with activity. I believe I could live in the London; BEDZED is bustling with life.

Arcosanti:

Another futuristic sustainable community is Arcosanti, a community about seventy miles north of BEDZED community, because even though the community is sustainable, it is not cut off the rest of South Phoenix, Arizona. This project was first envisioned by Paolo Soleri, and he believed in the concept of arcology. Arcology mixes architecture with ecology and is based on the idea that organisms and materials work together efficiently. Arcosanti has greenhouses, businesses; technology, wide spaces, as well as educational and cultural opportunities that some people believe are only available in non-sustainable urban areas. Still, I do not think I would want to live in Arcosanti. Arizona is just not a state I think I would like to live in due to all of its desert and heat.

Abundance EcoVillage:                            

   One sustainable community located in America’s breadbasket region is the Abundance EcoVillage near Fairfield, Iowa.  The residents of this little, sustainable village have based their homes off of the natural flow of nature and recycle waste materials on site. The community uses solar energy, wind turbines, and photovoltaic cells. The community is very active and hosts a variety of activities such as swimming, biking, and cultural events. This small town is helping take a big step toward a sustainable future. Despite this, I would not want to live in the Abundance EcoVillage. The community looks very small, in my opinion, and I would like to have many neighbors.