Sustainable Land Development Today - November/December 2008 - (Page 27)

5) Project Control By gaining greater control over project budgets, schedules, bidding and contracting processes, and real estate and parcel management practices, projects can again double in profitability. A number of practices and technologies exist to enable far greater project control than is commonly used today. 6) Legal/Political Efficiency By optimizing the entitlements process, engaging the public in the goals and planning of the project, and undergoing comprehensive tax and incentive planning for projects, substantial financial gains can be made on projects. RECOGNIZE INTERDEPENDENCE Not only are the three legs of the triple botFinancial tom line interdependent, but each of them inRecognize dividually are interdependent by scale. Interdependence Without global social, environmental and fiNatural People & Systems Processes nancial sustainability, individual projects will ultimately fail. C 11) Connect with Nature Human beings have an innate and evolutionarily based affinity for nature. The connections we subconsciously seek with the rest of life drives the numerous opportunities to connect our developments with nature. Such strategies equal success from an environmental, social and financial context. 12) Preserve/Conserve Nature In order to learn from our natural systems, we must seek to preserve and conserve them. This includes preserving water quantity, quality and minimizing flow through water management systems, optimizing our soil quality and native flora by enhancing micro-organism and organic growth, and preserving mineral deposits in the soil. ENERGY FLOWS Sources Efficiency Capturing and leveraging our natural Energy energy systems through renewable energy Flows sources and biological materials is the nature Natural Systems of this principle. Additionally, minimizing the amount of non-renewable energy and pollutants used throughout the product manufacturing, use, maintenance and reuse (cradle to cradle) is vital to achieving best practices with the Energy Flows guiding principle. Renewable Maximum 7) Financial Interdependence By understanding that a holistic perspective upfront will optimize ultimate financial results, development teams can work to build the partnerships and fulfill their goals and objectives with the confidence that the project will perform at the highest level of sustainability. 8) People and Process Interdependence Through the process of land development, the work and interests of each individual impact the others, both on the project, with the community, and for the world. 9) Natural System Interdependence The quality of the practices of the professionals that are engaged, and the financial viability of any sustainable development activity have a direct impact on the project’s impact to the natural system upon which all of humanity depends. PLANET (Environmental Capital) MODEL NATURE Connect The purest and most valuable form of enviwith Nature ronmental stewardship is to model and inteModel Nature grate our natural systems in our Preserve/ developments. Conserve Nature 13) Utilize Renewable Sources Distributed renewable and alternative “clean” energy storage and conversion technologies are rapidly becoming economically and technologically feasible for developments. By reducing and/or eliminating our dependency on nonrenewable and “dirty” resources, we can sustain our quality of life for our children and grandchildren. 14) Emulate Natural Systems Nature achieves equilibrium between delivering the food we need for life and the waste we leave behind. By better emulating the natural air, water and solids life cycles, we achieve a more sustainable state for all time. 15) Maximize Energy Efficiency By optimizing energy conversion, sharing and waste systems and minimizing our consumption of energy stores, we can enhance the quality of life for generations to come. HUMANS AND NATURE CO-EXIST Imitate Nature 10) Imitate Nature All the sustainable technology and intelligence necessary can be found by understanding and modeling our natural forms, systems and strategies in our developments. A number of innovative land development products and strategies have been derived from imitating the workings of nature itself, and many more are on the way. By incorporating natural “no-impact” deWater Systems velopment techniques and engineering natuHumans & Nature ral settings in which humans and nature can Co-Exist Soil and co-exist, land development can deliver a Native Flora Biodiversity sustainable imprint that not only has no impact, but can restore the natural systems to greater health. www.SLDTonline.com 27 http://www.SLDTonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Land Development Today - November/December 2008

Sustainable Land Development Today - November/December 2008 Contents Our Voice Editorial Board SLDT Resources The BottomLine Go Forth and Tread Lightly on the Land It’s About Name Recognition Managing Risk in the Sustainable Building Frontier Industry Spotlight Achieving Sustainable Land Development Worthy of Recognition Stormwater Wastewater Erosion Control Innovation Classifieds Advertiser Index Last Word

Sustainable Land Development Today - November/December 2008

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