Building Better
A Guide to America’s Best New Development Projects
2005
Curbing Sprawl, Building Healthy Communities
Much of the development in the United States
today is sprawling, low density, car-dependent “bigbox”
or “strip-mall” construction, which produces
more and more traffic and harms our land, air, and
water. The Sierra Club believes there is a better way
to build, and in doing so, to produce healthy
neighborhoods, and livable communities.
While the Sierra Club opposes poorly planned,
sprawling development, built on natural areas and
farmland, we support quality investment in areas
that already have a history of development to
enhance communities and the environment. By
reinvesting in existing neighborhoods and creating
more walkable, transit accessible places to live and
work, a select subset of the nation’s development
leaders are raising the bar for neighborhood design.
By embracing conservation, green building techniques,
and affordable housing, and by building on
the assets we already have, these developments offer
a path to a more sustainable future.
“Good Development” Criteria
We had several criteria for selecting America’s best
new development projects. Top candidates had to:
• Offer a range of transportation choices, including
walking, biking, and public transportation;
• Redevelop existing areas, rather than developing
natural areas, working farmland, or wetlands;
• Locate homes, retail shops, and offices close to
each other;
• Preserve existing community assets, by re-using
older buildings and protecting rivers, woodlands,
and farms;
• Minimize stormwater pollution and handle runoff
in an environmentally responsible manner; and,
• Be the product of meaningful input by local citizens
and reflect a broad set of local values.
We also considered the use of “green building”
design and housing affordability in compiling our
list of the best new development.
Building Large and Small
We arrived at a diverse list of successful projects,
from cities large and small, to suburbs, to small
towns in each corner of the nation. They involve
economically challenged areas like Fruitvale in
Oakland and Highland Park in Milwaukee, as well
as well-off areas like Manchester-by-the-Sea,
Massachusetts.
We included massive projects like Atlantic
Station in Atlanta, which encompasses 138 acres
and includes 12 million square feet of retail, office,
residential and hotel, and by contrast, smaller scale
projects like 66 residential homes and an industrial
building in Hopkins, Minnesota.
These model development projects include all
manner of housing: single-family homes, condominiums,
apartments, and live-work units. They supply low and moderate
income housing, public
housing, and high-end market rate housing. Retail
offerings include large, established department
stores, restaurants, and shops, as well as local, independent
boutiques and eateries.
With leadership and commitment, as well as
neighborhood support, quality redevelopment can
be successful in our towns, cities, and our older
suburban areas.
2005
Curbing Sprawl, Building Healthy Communities
Much of the development in the United States
today is sprawling, low density, car-dependent “bigbox”
or “strip-mall” construction, which produces
more and more traffic and harms our land, air, and
water. The Sierra Club believes there is a better way
to build, and in doing so, to produce healthy
neighborhoods, and livable communities.
While the Sierra Club opposes poorly planned,
sprawling development, built on natural areas and
farmland, we support quality investment in areas
that already have a history of development to
enhance communities and the environment. By
reinvesting in existing neighborhoods and creating
more walkable, transit accessible places to live and
work, a select subset of the nation’s development
leaders are raising the bar for neighborhood design.
By embracing conservation, green building techniques,
and affordable housing, and by building on
the assets we already have, these developments offer
a path to a more sustainable future.
“Good Development” Criteria
We had several criteria for selecting America’s best
new development projects. Top candidates had to:
• Offer a range of transportation choices, including
walking, biking, and public transportation;
• Redevelop existing areas, rather than developing
natural areas, working farmland, or wetlands;
• Locate homes, retail shops, and offices close to
each other;
• Preserve existing community assets, by re-using
older buildings and protecting rivers, woodlands,
and farms;
• Minimize stormwater pollution and handle runoff
in an environmentally responsible manner; and,
• Be the product of meaningful input by local citizens
and reflect a broad set of local values.
We also considered the use of “green building”
design and housing affordability in compiling our
list of the best new development.
Building Large and Small
We arrived at a diverse list of successful projects,
from cities large and small, to suburbs, to small
towns in each corner of the nation. They involve
economically challenged areas like Fruitvale in
Oakland and Highland Park in Milwaukee, as well
as well-off areas like Manchester-by-the-Sea,
Massachusetts.
We included massive projects like Atlantic
Station in Atlanta, which encompasses 138 acres
and includes 12 million square feet of retail, office,
residential and hotel, and by contrast, smaller scale
projects like 66 residential homes and an industrial
building in Hopkins, Minnesota.
These model development projects include all
manner of housing: single-family homes, condominiums,
apartments, and live-work units. They supply low and moderate
income housing, public
housing, and high-end market rate housing. Retail
offerings include large, established department
stores, restaurants, and shops, as well as local, independent
boutiques and eateries.
With leadership and commitment, as well as
neighborhood support, quality redevelopment can
be successful in our towns, cities, and our older
suburban areas.