Developing community, not just buildings

Developers are notorious for replacing community centers with shopping malls, but Jonathan Rose wants to change that.

Rose and Whitney Foutzis, of the planning and development conglomerate Jonathan Rose Companies LLC, spoke to City and Regional Planning students at the School of Design last night about rebuilding cities with a revolutionary set of principles.

Those principles include not only physical repairs but also social, environmental and cultural initiatives, with an emphasis on community development.

Rose stressed environmental responsibility, diversity, livelihood, interdependence and impermanence in urban planning and development.

Matt Rufo, a graduate student in city planning, noted the increasing environmental concerns in development.

"The world is urbanizing at an extremely high rate," Rufo said. "How we live in cities today has become an environmental issue."

Environmental efficiency can be achieved through the densification of cities, Rose said, explaining that a single-family suburban home uses four times as much energy as a green multi-family urban home.

Rose, a big fan of the outdoors, said creating a pathway to nature in the cities will attract suburban residents.

"Humans have a desire to get closer to nature," he said.

Foutzis elaborated on the practical applications of the firm's ideals.

She spoke about one project in Highlands Garden Village in Denver, Colo., in which many of Rose's principles were applied.

The development was built on an old amusement park site and transformed into a "self-managing" community.

A mixture of low-income housing, townhouses and single-family homes allows for population diversity within the Village.

Green technology, windows that provide geothermal heating and cooling, reflect environmental ideals. Communal activities, such as movie nights, cater to all segments of the population and ensure the community's livelihood.

Foutzis also explained the holistic approach they took to addressing the interdependence of poverty, environment and human health, including the development of low-income housing, a fitness center and an affordable health-food store.

Rose said he believes that the average consumer wants green redevelopment.

The more people realize there are green opportunities, the more [green redevelopment] will spread," he said.

Rose advised students to get involved in green development movements.

He suggested Powershift, the student lobby for bold climate change legislation.

"We need to start living in sustainable ways," said City Planning graduate student Sarah Fisher. "We need to preserve resources today so future generations have access to them."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.