When you think about sustainable communities what do you think of? Here are some things which come to mind for me. Some of these may seem like small, or even practically irrelevant, things when it comes to sustainability. You’d be surprised. Does your community have these 5 features of sustainability?
#1 – Outdoor Laundry Drying Facilities
I’m not sure that outdoor drying of laundry is legal in my community. Hanging laundry to dry outside can save energy and it can also be a way to whiten, freshen, and even sterilize laundry. Does there seem any reason to make this illegal in communities? I would like this to be legal. What about you?
#2 – Water Capture Allowed
Legislation was recently passed in Colorado to allow homeowners to capture the water which hits their roofs and runs off their properties. There is much which can be done by capturing water for use for homes and gardens. Water capture also reduces flooding problems and enables retention of essential topsoil. I’m not sure it’s legal everywhere. I think it should be.
#3 – Food Growing Abilities and Facilities
I only recently heard that in some neighborhoods it is illegal to grow your own vegetables. Isn’t that crazy? Further, there are many more communities in which it is illegal to keep domestic livestock, such as chickens and ducks. A sustainable community needs the ability to produce its own food. Let’s at least start with vegetables. I think every neighborhood should allow the growing of vegetables. Does yours?
#4 – The Ability to Walk Safely From Your Home
A sustainable community allows people to walk from their home to places they need to visit on a daily basis. I used to live in a community with a library, a bank, a grocery store, a butcher’s shop, a delicatessen, a post office, a video rental store, a school, and a take out food store all within short walking distance. Furthermore there were sidewalks to get me there. If I needed to go further I could take a bus or call a taxi. To me that is ideally sustainable.
#5 – The Ability to Build an Earth Friendly Home
It has come to my attention that in most American communities a person who wants to build an Earth friendly home will not be given permission to do so. Would your community allow you to build a straw bale or Earthship home, to use a composting toilet, or to recycle and reuse the waste water from your home?
When it comes to sustainability, much can be done at the local level, at the level of subdivision, city, county, and state. Would you be prepared to talk with your neighbors about these issues? Does your community have these 5 features of sustainability?
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