Sustainable Land Development Today - October 2008 - (Page 25)

SLDI Guiding Principles As a comprehensive decision model, the SLDI Guiding Principles depicted in the diagram at right provide a gateway to all of the best practices of a successful sustainable project according to the triple-bottom-line needs of maximizing social, environmental and economic capital. While these nine principles have universal application, the specific practices and processes (and ultimately, the products and services) that provide the greatest leverage (ease of implementation) and value (ROI) depends on the specific context of each individual project. Profit (Economic Capital) Create Value – Maximizing financial value for all stakeholders is vital to the success, and overall sustainability, of every project. Financial value can be added throughout the process in many innovative ways.. Eliminate Waste – The budgeting and cost control practices throughout the project are vital to maximize the return on investment of the project. SLDI offers a three-part webinar educational series, called, “Developing for Profit,” which covers the proven best practices in budgeting, scheduling, bid and contract management, and land, real estate and parcel management. By being effective in these areas, returns can easily double. Minimizing unnecessary expenses associated with the project is definitely a “killer app” in terms of maximizing financial return. Create Value Planet (Environmental Capital) Model Nature – The purest and most valuable form of environmental stewardship is to model our natural systems in our developments. All the sustainable technology and intelligence necessary can be found by understanding and modeling our natural systems in our developments. This can be best achieved through two related areas of study – Biomimicry and Biophilic Design. Biomimicry – Biomimicry is an emerging discipline that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. Biophilic Design – human beings have an innate and evolutionarily based affinity for nature. Biophilia is defined as, “the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life.” Connecting developments to nature equals success from an environmental, social and financial context. Energy Flows – Capturing and leveraging our natural energy systems through renewable energy sources and biological materials is the nature of this principle. Additionally, minimizing the amount of non-renewable energy and pollutants used throughout the product manufacturing, use, maintenance and reuse is vital to achieving best practices with the Energy Flows guiding principle. Eliminate Waste Recognize Interdependence Share Knowledge Energy Flows Model Nature Humans & Nature Co-Exist Quality of Life Accept Responsibility Profit / Planet Recognize Interdependence – By including all of the stakeholders with a variety of interests throughout the planning and design process, and by expanding the scope of interest beyond the confines of a specific project to include the neighborhood, the municipality, the local watershed, and beyond, development teams are well on the way toward achieving the optimal economic and environmental returns on investments. Over the longer-term, there can be no The SLDI Guiding Principles diagram adapts the concepts of the Hannover Principles originally developed by Bill McDonough and Michael Braungart and modifies them (as put forth in their original form and in the words of their authors, the Hannover Principles “may adapt as our knowledge of the world evolves.") to conform to the triple-bottom-line approach of truly sustainable land development (http://www.mcdonough.com/principles). economic capital without preserving and maximizing environmental capital. There are a number of great programs which put forth standards for a variety of components of sustainable land development. By incorporating those programs into your projects, professionals can fulfill specific subsets of the comprehensive goal of sustainable development. www.SLDTonline.com 25 http://www.mcdonough.com/ http://www.SLDTonline.com

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Sustainable Land Development Today - October 2008

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