A community of tiny houses! This is a really neat idea if they can keep architectural unity and keep it well maintaned through the years. It will be really interested to see how they make this project happen as it is out of the realm of what city planners and zoning officials have ever seen.
Affordable housing, healthy environments, and energy efficiency don’t usually go together. In Central Virginia, affordability is often the least attainable goal and is becoming an increasingly big problem for the areas less-affluent residents.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville is doing an impressive amount in this area to build dwellings that provide all three. Their mission goes far beyond just getting hard-working people into homes; revitalizing entire existing neighborhoods with a focus on walkability, sustainability, community and ownership. They are paving the way with a new standard for peri-urban neighborhood revitalization.
Habitat for Humanity around the country has always been a leader in affordability and it is excellent to see the focus on sustainable, more resilient communities.
Better World Betty is a local grassroots organization dedicated to empowering people and business with the tools they need to be sustainable. They have really helpful information about how to recycle tricky items, find greener options, and make your everyday life more earth friendly. They also keep tabs on everything effecting the environment in the Charlottesville area and can answer any green questions that you may have!
Just over a month ago the first of the new site plans for the Greater Stonehenge Ecovillage were released and since then the interest in the project has multiplied. A lot of great people interested in the project, the Virginia Department of Transportation and Albemarle County have given us a lot to think about and a lot of stellar ideas for how to make it better. We have tried our best to show what we’ve learned in this new site plan. If you have any ideas about how to make it even better, please share!
Located just outside the city limits of Charlottesville lies a six acre parcel of land next to the aging Stonehenge Neighborhood; its gentle south-facing slope and existing structures make it the perfect place for something quite a bit different from a typical subdivision: The Greater Stonehenge Ecovillage. Please check out the newest plan, and tell us what you think!
See the details here on The Housing Lab or The Greater Stonehenge Website
Located just outside the city limits of Charlottesville lies a six acre parcel of land next to the aging Stonehenge Neighborhood; its gentle south-facing slope and existing structures make it the perfect place for something quite a bit different from a typical subdivision: The Greater Stonehenge Ecovillage. Please check out the newest plan, and tell us what you think!
See the details here on The Housing Lab or The Greater Stonehenge Website
Ever wonder why certain neighborhoods become desirable? It’s not the houses, it’s the way they make us interact with each other.
This isn’t a new concept, but I wish it were more widespread. When will developers realize that you are supposed to build neighborhoods for people, not automobiles? Here’s what Zillow has to say on the topic.
A Post Consumer Society? Off the grid villages? Getting tired of the rat race? Check out this article on Mother Nature Network
There are varying degrees of low impact living. Every person has a different idea of what comfort is and what she can live without. What if there was a community where you could try out varying levels of low impact living in order to decide which was right for you? What if this community also had a shared building with a workshop, gathering space, laundry, and guestrooms for family or residents on the journey to intentional, low impact living? Check out this concept for a physical Housing Lab
The Housing Lab 