Having to start over from scratch is never something you’d wish on a city.  But, as they say, it’s not what happens to you that matters, it’s how you handle it (or something to that effect).  In the aftermath of Katrina, brave, dedicated people saw major opportunities for reform - the New Orleans public school system, for example, is undergoing one of the most sweeping, and necessary, revamping in the history of our country’s public schools.  New homes in the Lower 9th Ward are being built not only to better withstand the storms that sweep in off the Gulf, but to save energy and tread more lightly on the planet.

Greensburg, Kansas, is in the same ambiguous position of having lost more than one would think possible, but with the opportunity to rebuild their town from the ground up.  Although 95% of Greensburg was destroyed in a May 2007 tornado, Greensburg’s citizens are handling the tragedy that left 2/3 of them homeless with an eye to the future.  Enlisting the creativity and vision of the University of Kansas’ architectural design studio, citizens of Greensburg have committed to rebuilding their home as a (according to the project website) “progressive, 21st-century sustainable town”; Greensburg Cubed is the result of this collaboration.

photo by Greensburg Cubed

Greensburg Cubed is a collection of 10′x10′x10′ modular buildings designed both to showcase green building and technology, and to meet the immediate needs of the community.  The completed ones include a Green Haus, which is just what it sounds like; the Ice Cube, a water collection/supply/conservation/cooling module; and the Recycling Bin, an interactive recycling center.  If all goes as planned, Greensburg will be on its way to becoming one of the most sustainable towns in the country.

If you like what they’re doing in Kansas, visit their website and consider contributing.  You’ll be helping a town get back on its feet, and saving the planet, all at the same time.

Filed under: I'On Group, Mixson, Urban Sustainability on September 15th, 2008 | No Comments »

McMansion troubles got you down? Is that ever rising energy bill feeling more like a second mortgage? Try this on for size – tiny houses. This recent New York Times article describes the increasing popularity of the “small house movement” and explains why some people are opting for pads as small as 70 square feet in size.

While downsizing has varied appeal, many people making the change share a commitment to simplifying their lifestyles and reducing the size of their ecological footprint. And then there’s the economic side of doing more with less. Even the most expensive model from the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company won’t set you back much, compared to most contemporary homes. And how many of us would like to boast of an $8 energy bill, even AFTER the recent spikes in energy prices?

Check out this photo slideshow from the New York Times for some very cool shots of the tiny fringe.

Most of us probably aren’t comfortable with the idea of cramming ourselves (and our stuff) into a closet-sized doll house just yet. But the idea of getting back to basics and reducing our clutter (both mental and physical) is certainly something we can all get behind.

Filed under: I'On Group, Mixson, Urban Sustainability on September 15th, 2008 | No Comments »

How much space do you think those metered parking spaces downtown take up?  How much space in any city is ceded to cars and their needs, instead of people and THEIR needs?  On September 19, you can catch a glimpse of what those parking spaces could become, if only we citizens would work together to change our transportation habits.

And to prove this point, here comes National Park(ing) Day!  Begun, like so many strong movements, in San Francisco, National Park(ing) Day is a day to celebrate and reclaim our streets for people.  Parking spaces are taken over by volunteers and turned into mini-parks, like these:

In Charleston, this reclamation is being spearheaded by the Trust for Public Land and DesignWorks, with additional sponsors including the I’On Group; they’ve claimed 4 parking spaces and are creating a Farmer’s Market, sponsored by the Stono Market; a Mini-Dog Park, sponsored by Alpha Dog Omega Cat and Carolina Fresh Farms; Music in the Park with local musicians, sponsored by Down to Earth and Carolina Fresh Farms; and Ping-Pong Park and a Green Car Park, sponsored by Import and Vintage Repairs. 

If you need some more green space and park time in your life - and don’t we all? - make sure you stop by the corner of Church and Market Streets (across from the Anson Restaurant) on Sept. 19.  And if you’re really, really awesome, you can help leave as many parking spaces open as possible, and walk, ride your bike, or take the bus.  It’s a step in the direction of fewer cars, and fewer parking spaces.

Filed under: Charleston SC Green Living, Events, I'On Group, I'On Village, Mixson, Morris Square, Urban Sustainability on September 11th, 2008 | 2 Comments »

I recently heard from the inventor of the Doublespace Bed, a freestanding (and that’s a big difference from most other space-saving beds) bed set that allows you to have a couch, office, or anything else you like, underneath your bed.  The bed stays up against the ceiling during the day, and at night, you pull it down so that it rests on top of whatever you’ve got underneath.  So it also could serve as good motivation to keep your desk clean!  It’s not in production just yet, but the Tucson couple John and Yani Gudenkauf, the creators, are working on it.  If you’re interested in helping them along or in being one of the first to buy one, e-mail them at info@doublespacebeds.com.  You can also call them at 520-490-4962.  By the way, as stated on their website the Gudenkaufs are firm believers in eco-friendly and U.S.-manufactured products, so they are trying their very best to produce these beds in the States.

Filed under: I'On Group, Mixson, Urban Sustainability on September 9th, 2008 | No Comments »

Join us in I’On on September 4 from 5:30 to 7:30pm for a Lowcountry Boil and tour of 6 beautiful I’On homes.  You’ll enjoy a progressive dinner with appetizers, the boil, and desserts at different homes as you move through the tour.  The builder of two of the homes will be on site to answer questions about construction or design.  For more information, call 843-884-3080.

Filed under: I'On Group, I'On Real Estate, I'On Village on August 28th, 2008 | No Comments »

You read that right - bike-sharing is finally off the ground in America!  Washington D.C. launched the program, called SmartBike D.C., on Aug. 13, 2008 with 120 bikes at 10 different sites in the downtown area.  It’s a conservative beginning for sure, compared to Paris’ Velib program, which began with 10,000 bikes at 750 locations - but then, even though we’re on the right path to absorbing more of Europe’s attitude toward public and alternative transportation, the bicycle is not yet enjoying the popularity here that it does across the pond.  But with this program and more like it, in combination with gas prices, that’s sure to change.

Here’s how the program works: people buy a $40 yearly membership, which then allows them to pick up a bike from any of the stations for up to three hours.  To use it longer, you have to pedal yourself back to a station to check it out again (kind of like a library…).  One nice thing about this in comparison with Paris is that it’s a cheaper system - in Paris, the first half-hour of riding is free, but it’s 1 euro for the next half-hour, 2 euros for the next, and 4 euros for the next.  However, while Parisians and tourists still need a membership, much like DC, the Velib program offers 1-day and 1-week passes in addition to annual ones.  DC’s not there yet, but it will probably come soon enough.  And in a way, it’s better that the target audience is locals instead of tourists; locals walk or drive the streets every day, and if they go by on bikes rather than automobiles, tourists will quickly follow suit.

According to Streetsblog, Clear Channel Outdoor (the company sponsoring the bike program) says they’ve been getting inquiries all around the country about how to make this work in other cities.  Let’s hope this is the beginning of something huge in American transportation!

Filed under: I'On Group, Urban Sustainability on August 28th, 2008 | 1 Comment »