Abstract:
A methodology for a sustainable community of 41 acres was completed in March
2011 within the Department of Landscape Architecture at Ball State University. The
creative project explores the scope of landscape architecture to inform the necessary
systems for sustainable community development. Conventional Midwestern standards for
development are researched, reviewed and reoriented for life in a post resource-driven
economy. Research findings are implemented on the case study site deemed appropriate
for community development—a 41-acre, open agricultural site WNW of downtown
Muncie, lndiana fronting on West Jackson Street, and surrounded by existing residential
development.
A variety of dwelling aggregations, including situations of detached and rowhousing,
will be proposed on the site through detailed spatial specifications, along with
mixed-use facilities that help facilitate private and shared food production, and other
opportunities revealed during the design process. All systems will be influenced by the
principle(s) of healthy living and symbiotic relationships to mitigate fossil fuel dependence,
energy consumption, and recycle waste. Balancing effective ecological, economical, and
sociological methodologies will provide a synthesis for decision-making and inform
performance indicators that prioritize success. The goal of the proposal was to achieve a
methodology for sustainable community development, and a residential demonstration
model congruent and compatible with the green paradigm shift.
