An example of a residential community and communal walkway.
"Instead of a street separating the $225,000-to-$400,000 homes that face one another, a landscaped courtyard divides them. Visitors walk to the front door of each home through a common walkway."
"Chances are, you will be hearing more about pocket neighborhoods. This increasingly popular housing option generally consists of a dozen or so compact houses or apartments that share common or green space. That might be a pedestrian walkway, garden, courtyard or shared backyard or alley. Central mailboxes give neighbors even more opportunities to interact."
>Even the greenest development in the wrong location will create more environmental problems than it will solve. Sprawl Is Still Sprawl, Even If It's 'Green'. "Development locations far from existing cities and towns cause substantial environmental problems, disrupting agricultural lands and natural ecosystems; requiring the spread of resource-consuming infrastructure, including new road capacity that brings more runoff-causing pavement to watersheds; attracting ancillary sprawling development nearby; and causing major transportation impacts." A community just outside of San Diego is proposing a 1,700 home development entitled the, "I-15 sustainable community (the developer’s tagline)"
>Who knew that solar power could be beautiful? SRS Energy has developed roofing tiles that mimic Tuscan terracotta roofing tiles but contain amorphous silicon solar cells produced by Uni-Solar. The solar tiles are extremely durable, work in a variety of temperature ranges, and link in specifically with tiles from US Tile. The result is a stunning, seamless blend of dark solar tiles and traditionally colored clay tiles.
Solar tiles on a rooftop.
>"Texas homeowners can now xeriscape their properties without being legally scrutinized by their homeowners association.
The new law, first proposed by state. Sen. Kirk Watson and state Rep. Dawnna Dukes, both Austin Democrats, prevents HOAs from prohibiting xeriscaping, the process of installing drought-resistant landscaping or other native, water-conserving natural turf."
One of the 46 potential designs.
> The next World Expo in 2017 will be held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan - and leaders are already preparing for the global event by unveiling 46 designs for the site master plan by firms from around the world! The theme of the 2017 Expo is 'Future Energy', and the competing plans all revolve around the concepts of renewable energy, sustainability and the green economy.
>"Energy Excelerator, a Hawaii-based accelerator program for cleantech start-ups, has received an investment of $30 million from the Navy’s Office of Naval Research under the Asia Pacific Technology Education Program." In many ways, "Hawaii is the perfect environment for energy start-ups. Electricity costs three to four times more than it does in the continental US, meaning young energy companies can compete economically, and the government is motivated to become less oil dependent. Sun, tides, and three growing seasons provide the resources for alternative energy, while the state’s military bases provide locations to test their systems."
>"The abandoned freight line that cuts diagonally across Chicago will soon be a beautiful green-lined recreational trail. Construction has officially begun on the Bloomingdale Trail—now renamed The 606—which will be a 2.7 mile elevated recreational area connecting 5 area local parks and neighborhoods in a seamless way. Mayor Rahm Emanuel, along with officials from the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Department of Transportation, and The Trust for Public Land, broke ground on the project on August 27th. By the fall of 2014, the trail will be open end to end for public use."
> To further the technology of off shore wind power generating, "Danish wind energy giant Vestas has achieved a milestone by building its longest ever blade reaching 80 m length. The blade uses the structural shell design, a proven concept in which the loads of the blade are carried in the shell, rather than using a spar at the centre of the blade.
The length of the blade is the equivalent of nine double decker London buses and the swept area of the rotor will be 21,124m2, larger than the London Eye.
In order to validate the strength and reliability of the blade it will be tested to its limits for six months, reproducing the challenging wind conditions of the North Sea over a simulated 25 year lifetime. The first prototype 80 meter blade for the V164-8.0 MW 'the world’s most powerful offshore wind turbine'"
>With Rooftop Solar on Rise, U.S. Utilities Are Striking Back
"Faced with the prospect of a dwindling customer base, some U.S. power companies are seeking to end public subsidies and other incentives for rooftop solar. In Arizona, the issue has sparked a heated public relations battle that could help determine the future of solar in the United States."