2. The Sustainable Design Assessment Team
program provides broad assessments to help
frame future policies and sustainability solutions.
What is an SDAT?
3. Three Elements of
Sustainability
• Environmental
Stewardship
• Social Equity
• Economic
Development/Growth
Environment
EquityEconomics
Sense of
Place
Physical Basis
for Prosperity
Demand for
Products and
Services
COMMUNITY
SUSTAINABILITY
All planning decisions must be
assessed based on all three
elements- advances in only
one, to the detriment of the
others, is not sustainable.
4. Checklist of Issues
Social:
Housing / Affordability
Public Spaces
Ethnic / Racial Issues
Demographic
Income Shifts
Education
Sense of Community / Place
Pedestrian / Bicycle Options
Access to Jobs / Housing
Managing Growth
Economic:
Revitalization
Diversity
Jobs
Public Services
Public Policy / Planning
Agricultural Preservation
Traffic Congestion
Transportation
Environmental:
Air Quality
Water Quality / Quantity
Open Spaces
Wildlife Habitat /
Wetlands
Flooding and Drought
Natural Disaster
Transit and Land Use
Energy Efficiency
14. BIG IDEA
SUSTAINABILITY OF ECONOMICS
WHAT IS THE FOUNDATION?
Environment
EquityWhere is this?
Sense of
Place
Physical Basis
for Prosperity
Demand for Products and
Services
COMMUNITY
SUSTAINABILITY
18. Vision Statement
People of Orange
Pursuing Creative Sustainable Development
Resulting in Prosperity and
Strong Sense of Community
19. Orange Economic Development
Mission Statement
(Town Web Site)
To attract new short and long term industrial and
commercial development
for the Town of Orange in accordance with
Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 121C
in an effort to alleviate unemployment and lack of
business opportunities for the Town.
21. • Sustainable Growth New Energy
Demand Energy Planning
Jobs!! Jobs!!! Jobs!!!
– Develop Small and Medium Size Businesses,
– Promote Entrepreneurships
– Develop/Retrofit/Sustain/ Support Existing Businesses
• Green Seeding, Green Gardening
• Invest in :
– Elderly
– Youth
Economic Development
The Priorities
23. Pursuing Creative Sustainable
Development
• Short Term Goals
• Assist the existing
Business/Create New
Green Jobs
– Utilize the Existing
Human Capital
– Develop/Train Human
Capital for The Next
Economy
• Long-Term Goals
– Predict/Identify the Growth
Rate
– Evaluate Energy Demand
– Plan/Model The Least Cost
Energy Portfolio Need for
Demand
– Utilize all possible financial
Resources
Assessment Phase
6-8 months
3 Projects
SBC, E-Commerce
Waste-Profit
Foundation for
Green Econ
Planning/Assessment
TBD
24. Create A Sense of Community
Unify Financial, Ecological, and Human
Resources
Developing
New Business
Women Owned$$$
Training/Education/
Collab. Colleg.
/Consulting
Services
Connect/Integrate
Programs
and
Resources
Sustaining/Expanding
The Existing Business
Incubator
25.
26. Organize/Enhance/Develop A Model
for Effective Social/Economic
Networking
Farmer/Organic
Wood
Product
Talent/Expertise/
Experience
Light
Manufacturing
Local
Region
State
US
Global
28. Growth in Energy Demand
The Most Cost Effective/Sustainable
Energy Portfolio
To Meet Orange
Energy Demand
Economic Development
29. GDP (gross domestic product)
will grow at an average
annual rate of 2.9% per year through 2030
Electricity consumption will grow
over this same period
at a rate of 0.8% per year.
Electric Power Consumption,
Infrastructure to Produce and Deliver Electricity,
will be about 43% greater in 2030 than it is today.
30. Massachuset 2005 EnergyUse BySector
9870.553
402.217
20539.324
26415.494
Comercial
Industrial
Residential
Transportation
Massachusetts 2005 Energy Use By Sector
31. Energy Need
Projection Due to Economic
Growth US/MA/Orange
• The electric power sector is the fastest
growing share of the energy economy in:
*Massachusetts,
*The United States,
*Most of the world.
• This growth requires considerable
investment and !!planning!! by power
generating companies and state agencies.
32.
33. The Existing
Grid
Hydro
Wind
Geothermal
Biosolids
Green Economic
Development
Green Farming,
Ecotourism,
Airport,
Green Manufacturing,
Innovation/
Entrepreneurship
Human Capital
Retaining Talent,
Jobs,
Prosperity,
Sense of Community
Energy Portfolio
Capital $, Operating $
Salvage $,
Capacity, Reliability,
Existing Resources,
Env.Foot…
Carbon Credits??.
Solar
36. Sustainable Land Use
• Retain a predominantly rural character of
working farms and forests.
• Encourage development in the Town Center that
supports the growth of new small businesses
and provides markets for local produce and
products.
• Provide economic and social opportunities for
young people.
• Continue to expand and connect the local
network of outdoor recreation options.
37. Conserving rural land uses and
natural resources
• 2008 Open Space
and Recreation Plan:
– Conserve locally and
regionally important
natural and cultural
resources.
– Encourage
appropriate infill
development in Town
Center
• Plan for an Energy
Independent Orange
38. Orange Center: Local products.
Opportunities for young people.
• A restaurant (that uses local produce!)
• A pub (with a local brew!)
• A music venue (that showcases local artists!)
• A coffee shop
• A full size food coop
• An additional bed and breakfast
• Idea: Use unused land (1 acre or larger) as
starter plots for young farmers.
39. A Town Center that is a center of
local learning
• Potential partnership with Greenfield Community
College for green job re-training
• Providing venues for skill-sharing and
“preserving the lost arts”: business planning,
sewing, canning, etc.
• Expand the “time bank” concept
40. Berea, Kentucky
Population 9,000
• Sustainable Berea: “A vibrant, self-reliant city known
for its strong local economy, regional food system,
minimal use of fossil fuels, and engaged, skilled
citizenry.”
• “Reskilling Berea”: Monthly workshop sharing
practical skills
• 100-mile potluck
• Edible Yard Project
• Thriving downtown showcasing local arts, crafts,
music and history
41. Vacant property in Orange
Center is a resource
• Expand open space preservation efforts to
look at previously developed land.
• Establish a new committee (or work within
the new open space committee) to survey
and find a variety of new uses for vacant
lots.
• Consider establishing a land bank or
extending land trust efforts.
42. Lawrence, Mass.
• Neighbors planning for
the reuse of vacant
land.
• Youth survey of vacant
properties.
• Community groups
cleaning up alleyways
as green path network.
• Groundwork Lawrence
and Lawrence
CommunityWorks
43. Commercial development along
Route 2a
• The “center of town has
moved east”
• Create a (joint?) planning
process for commercial
development between
Orange and Athol.
• Establish a vision for the
new types of businesses
desired.
• Promote low-impact
development standards to
protect the Miller River.
44. Recreation Network
• Accessible for
all current
residents
• Easy for visitors
to access
• Restore cart
roads and ski
slopes in the
woods
• Greenway bike
path
• Create a circuit.
Don’t consider
Orange in
isolation
45. Link park network to schools
and new development
• An active park network should be linked to
new downtown housing, commercial uses,
and entertainment.
• Schools are already recreation centers.
• Consider links to recreation network and
neighborhoods in school expansion plans
(Dexter Park).
46. Short Term Projects
• Establish a vacant land committee and identify
all vacant lots in village centers.
• Annual awards program to reward “communtiy
champions”
• Establish an energy team and begin a feasibility
study for renewable energy development.
• Increase coordination of open space and
commercial development with Athol.
• Improve internal community information sharing
and create a database of skills and needs.
57. Urban Revitalization
Vision Goals
• Establish outer-ring of
public parking in
Commercial Area
Revitalization District.
• Intensify underutilized
property in CARD for
buildings, not surface
parking lots
82. What does Orange want and
need?
(a long-term vision)
To get to regional
destinations faster,
cheaper, easier and
sustainably.
And to bring people
to Orange
85. Bike-sharing
Expandable as Orange grows and the
downtown revitalizes
In Fossano, Italy there are 5 stations and 40 bikes.
They can be returned at different stations.
Can be owned and operated through private companies.
86. Transit connections already exist
CTS G-Link Commuter Rail Specialized services
Athens, GA
Town-wide or region-wide website of all transit
Services--should be integrated with all other town
services and business information
Student project?
Switch, Capetown, South Africa
87. But transit could be expanded
further
The competitive advantage of Orange:
recreation, education, rural character
Can capitalize on the existing and new
businesses in Orange.
88. How do get from here to there.
Orange needs a consistent advocate.
To focus on the Towns’ local issues
(such as access across the river)
How?
89. How do you pay for it all?
Long-term, large-scale projects:
Tirelessly advocate for state and federal funding
with a clear vision for the future of Orange
Shorter-term, town-scale projects:
“Enlightened employer”
Expanded private role in providing
transit--Walmart shuttle
114. What happens next with the
SDAT?
• 2-3 Months: SDAT Report delivered to the
community
• Post-Visit to One Year: Conference Calls
• One Year Assessment
115. AIA Center for Communities
by Design: Contact
Information
www.aia.org/liv_sdat
SDAT@aia.org
AIA National Component
Center for Communities by Design
1735 New York Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20006-5292
