USGBC Greater VA Building Neighborhoods for People
Event Information
Description
Building Neighborhoods for People
Since the inception of the personal automobile, the way that communities are designed has changed considerably, so much so that many neighborhoods are arranged so that people only interact with each other as they pass in their cars. New Urbanism is a movement to undo this by designing walkable places where people and communities flourish; using the tools of cohousing, traditional neighborhood development, pocket neighborhoods and many others designers seek to make new places that are centered around people, not cars. By addressing more than just the built environment, Cohousing takes it a step further and intentionally seeks to rebuild the social fabric one neighborhood at a time.
Speaker: Peter Lazar has lived in the cohousing community "Shadowlake Village" in Blacksburg for many years and is an advocate for the movement on the national level with the Cohousing Association (http://www.cohousing.org). He is currently working on bringing the new 26 home "Emerson Commons" cohousing neighborhood in Crozet to life. Join us this month as Peter highlights the design, benefits, challenges and experiences of living and building neighborhoods centered around people.
Fee: Free for members, $10 nonmembers
Lunch will be provided.
Organizer USGBC Virginia
Organizer of USGBC Greater VA Building Neighborhoods for People
USGBC Virginia's mission is to advocate and educate for sustainable buildings and communities. With branches in Hampton Roads, Richmond, Charlottesville, and Roanoke, our members are a diverse group that includes architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, and building owners and occupants.
Since 2005, we have pursued a vision of a community where efficient, healthy buildings save resources and costs, and are better places to live, learn, work, and play. We work toward our mission and vision by hosting educational and social events, helping our members stay informed of green building news and developments, and organizing community initiatives like our Connect the Dots green schools challenge.
