A methodology for sustainable community development

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.