Sustainable, Transit-Oriented Development
for Washtenaw County, Michigan

Wake Up, Washtenaw!

What is Sustainable Development?

What is Sustainable Development?

• Nearly self-sufficient
• Efficient buildings
• Walkable community
• Transit Oriented

Why Sustainable development?

• Current development model dates from the 1940s and 1950s
• Current model depends on unlimited, cheap energy
• We're running out of cheap energy
• It's difficult to retro-fit high-energy sprawl development for efficiency
• We're running out of undeveloped, under-utilized land

Sustainable development is:
Nearly self-sufficient

• Not totally dependent on outside resources
• Produces most of its own energy
• Produces much of its own food
• Handles most of its own waste
• Not dependent on outside government funding

Sustainable
Efficient Buildings

• Compact
• Energy-generating
• Single-family: partially underground and/or town-house or duplex
• Multiple-unit and business: mid-rise
• Well insulated, of course
• Mix of mid and large "American" size and Tiny-homes

Sustainable
Walkable Community

• Kids can walk safely to school
• Stores in walking distance
• Village center with stores and entertainment

Sustainable development is:
Transit Oriented

• Built for easy access to transit
• Not primarily oriented for automobile travel
• Transit not added as an after-thought
• Access to larger area cities via rapid transit (e.g. rail)

The Time Is
Now

• Growing awareness of limited fossil fuel resources
• Twenty-something age group disillusioned with sprawl development
• Growing number of retirees seeking automobile-free living
• Push by young people toward environmental responsibility

The Place is Washtenaw County

• Large proportion of well-educated, environmentally-aware citizens
• Concentration of creative, entrepreneurial people
• Ideal rail corridors
• North-South: Old Ann Arbor Railway, now Ann Arbor and Great Lakes Central
• East-West: Michigan Central / Norfolk-Southern / Amtrak
• Push to re-invent the Ann Arbor area -- Spark, Michigan Future

What’s Needed is...

• Pulling together!
• The “Green” community
• Transit and rail supporters
• “Green” developers
• U of M School of Architecture and Urban Design
• Great Lakes Central Railroad
• Local governments
• Economic gurus willing to “think outside the box"

What do YOU think?

• Are you willing to pull together for a sustainable future in Washtenaw County?

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What's here:

• Home
• What is Sustainable Development?
• Plan Overview
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• Links and References
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