Sustainable Land Development Today - June 2008 - (Page 6)

OUR VOICE This New Grill is Junk Fathers Day, 2004: George got a gift of a gas grill from his family, the latest innovation from a promising new company. It was a kit. It came in parts and he had to put it together. Being a man of action, he headed for his work bench, pulled out the necessary tools and got right to work. Three hours later, he was done. He had followed the instructions, and saved some time by concentrating on the pictures rather than slow down to read all the information. He also saved time by not using all the parts. As time went by, friends would stop over for a cook out, but they started to bring their own grills because George’s new model never seemed to work right. He blamed the promising new company and said he’d never buy another of its innovative cookers. And neither would his friends, because George said so. Today’s sustainability movement is fostering innovation in new products, procedures and features as creative minds answer the demands of the marketplace. No one is suggesting that land developers and professional designers put their time and money on the line to create a project with untested and/or risky options, but when innovations can meet the challenges faced by the developer, they must be chosen and implemented properly if the project is to succeed. While those who ignore the latest technologies and innovations will quickly find themselves less competitive in a challenging marketplace, due diligence is critical in the up-front, decision-making process to select the innovations that will return the positive results developers want to market to their customers. That means finding expert professionals that understand sustainability and how to incorporate appropriate innovations to fit the development. It means resisting the urge to cut corners or costs to achieve short-term benefits. Cutting corners leads to long-term problems for the developer and for the reputation of the innovation – the collateral damage for failing to implement innovation properly. Our cover story discusses an instance of well-intentioned government regulation that resulted in negative spin-off effects for a process to utilize a waste resource. In the 1990s, the federal government directed states to incorporate recycled tire rubber in some of their projects, but did not specify how that was to come to pass, possibly in an effort to foster innovation. The results were positive in some areas, not so much in others. While some state transportation officials with experience incorporating the rubber content were able to prepare successful mixes, others, fearing the loss of federal dollars, sought to meet the letter of the requirement and ended up with less successful designs. In the end, the idea of using rubber in asphalt got a black eye in some quarters. But the concept was a good one. With hundreds of millions of worn tires being replaced every year, the idea of making use of that resource continues to take root in such projects as Chicago’s Green Alley program. For the sustainability movement to advance—and it will advance because the marketplace is demanding it more with every passing day—care must be taken in implementing sustainable processes, products and features to their best effect. Every project is different, so the decision-making process needs to include knowledgeable professionals to aid in the selection of the best mix of new technologies and innovations. Equally important is the quality control of the construction process by hiring qualified managers to ensure proper implementation. I’m not sure anybody ever told George that he messed up by not following the manufacturer’s instructions or that by attaching those leftover parts his grill would work better. A lot of people probably just decided his new model grill wasn’t very good, which is too bad. The collateral damage of George’s mistakes meant some people never gave it a try. Send us your 2¢! We welcome your opinion Reader responses to articles in Sustainable Land Development Today are encouraged and may be sent via mail or email (Editor@SLDTonline.com), or online through SLDTonline.com. Mailing address: Sustainable Land Development Today, Attention: Editor, 275 East 10th St. Suite 201, Dubuque, IA 52001 The mission of Sustainable Land Development Today is to be the leading forum for the exchange of ideas to advance the principles of sustainability--balancing the needs of people, planet and profit. In fulfilling that role, divergent beliefs and perspectives will at times result in debate which we believe will produce the solutions required to address the ever-changing challenges of the industry into the future. 6 June 2008 Sustainable Land Development Today http://SLDTonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Land Development Today - June 2008

Sustainable Land Development Today - June 2008 Contents Our Voice Editorial Board SLDT Resources Where Rubber Meets the Road Integrated Planning: The Key To Developing Sustainable Planned Communities Win-Win For College and Community Industry Spotlight: Transoft Unique Organization, Unique Opportunity New Preferred Provider Comments from the Austin Conference Welcome New Members New Knowledge Project Articles Books Going Green Business Management Risk Management Surveying and Mapping Industry News Products/Services Showcase Advertiser Index Classifieds The Last Word

Sustainable Land Development Today - June 2008

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