Sustainable Land Development Today - January 2008 - (Page 8) OUR VOICE How Can We Make This Work? I interviewed a developer a few years ago who had earned a reputation for revitalizing historic, main-street buildings, many of whom were considered by “those-in-the-know” to be of little economic value beyond job creation on wrecking crews. He didn’t tend to take their advice. Instead, he told me that he liked to surround himself with people who asked, “How can we make this work?” That simple phrase has become my personal philosophy. It’s not hard to find people who will tell you why something won’t work. Sit in on enough business or committee meetings and you can always find those who will oppose ideas that are not their own. Driven by ego, dogma, the ever popular “same ole, same ole” mentality, as well as sincere caution and a fear of mistakes, they can shoot down ideas like clay pigeons on a shooting range. Here was a man who sought those who challenged themselves to not only think, but go outside the box and act on creative solutions to make things work. How perfectly adaptable is this simple concept to the triple-bottom line movement toward constructive sustainability? How can we create developments that work for people, the planet and a profitable bottom line? How can our industry be the champion that will answer the needs of people as our population continues to expand, protect and enhance our environment and still turn a profit? It has to start with ideas. That is the value of Sustainable Land Development Today and all the publications and initiatives that are now under the umbrella of the Sustainable Land Development International, which you will learn more about in this issue. Everything we do in life— from getting out of bed in the morning to developing a thousand acres of land without touching a tree or a new and innovative design concept—begins with a thought. On the creative end, if the thought has merit, it evolves into an idea. Every idea faces challenges, from us and others, as it moves through a gauntlet of questions on its way to application. Here’s where things get muddy. We always want the perfect solution, the trendy panacea. The successful application of a brilliant idea in one part of the country will work in every part of the world, right? Not necessarily. The problem lies in a basic truth: simple solutions to complex problems usually won’t work and one-size-fits-all solutions won’t work well everywhere (case in point: some government regulations). The reality in land development is that every project is different. There will be similarities, but no two projects are identical. From the degree of slope, number of trees and soil structure, to the climate and the culture, beliefs and social morays of the local residents, every one is different. How do you make yours work? That’s what we are here for – to serve up a smorgasbord of ideas. You can pick and choose those which might just make your project work. We pull together concepts and applications. We pull together products. We show how a particular method worked in one part of the country or on a single project. We pass along success stories. We identify professionals. Some of this information will be controversial. Not everyone is going to agree with what is written and printed on these pages. But there lies perhaps our greatest value. Let’s get ideas out there. Let the points for and against concepts be aired out. Let them go through the gauntlet of questions and challenges. Today, perhaps because of the speed of communication, people are quick to shoot at ideas that are contrary to their own. It reminds me of fans of opposing sports teams. Mine is perfect, yours is evil and never the twain shall meet. But this isn’t pro football or baseball or basketball. We are talking about ideas that to varying degrees, can affect our world. When thrown together into the caldron of debate, perhaps the concepts that pour out will answer another question: How can we make this work…for you? Rob Kundert, Senior Editor Effective January 1, 2008, Sustainable Land Development Today is an offical publication of Sustainable Land Development International (SLDI). This coincides with SLDI’s acquisition of the magazine as well the acquisition of Sustainable Urban Redevelopment magazine and the Land Development Breakthroughs Best Practices conferences and workshops from Futurus Communications, Inc. 8 January 2008 Sustainable Land Development Today
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.