..

I. EcopiT . ~

. Inside

Imagining . sustainable cOrrlmumties

• Local and regional· strategies for sustainable development

• How e,conomic indicators

lead us away from sustainability ~ > .,..... "

'Creating ,an . "Index o( Sustainabiliiy"

" for NotfueastOhio

• , G()OdwOrds

:T6 mIDce'h;s;1.1Sfairiab[~ii~; one rttustbegin somehow, and I tbink the ,begiqtling must be.small a~d. T_conom1c.A _be~inOingl?Oul(i. be.mader~or

example, by ihc,easing the amimnt of food bougbt 'fr0rr- fanners j~}h(doca1 co~~try~,~de.by cbnsumers

'in tbe eily, A~lhe food economy became m.or. local, local farllling would become more"diverse; the farms YI~lJt~ .becoI?l~ ,srnrJ.ller .rpor,~_ co~plex. in - structur~ •. m?repr~duCtive;'·~d some city;peopl~ w.ould be :'

,needed .to~orkon :t~e farn1~.:;:~?oner orlater~:as· a , means of reducing' expenses h9th ways, organic • wastes fiQm the city ,wDuld gD .out tD fertilize the , farms of tbe supPQrting regiQn; th';' city p,eopl~

. ",?uld_!.h~veto,_~~~~e an-a~ri(mlturitl T~pgnsibilft}'; and would be prO?erly motivated to dQ so'botbuy tbe wish to bave a supply' of exceUent fQod and by the ~ear of.contaJllin~i~'gthat suppl~.The ;incn~ase

, of, economic -i~tirpa~~ _betyteer city. and. its -S9~rces w\Ju\d change mulds (assuming, o~ CQurse, that the

Jrtinds in qUeStiQn would stay put long enough to be cbanged), It would improve minds. 'fhe locality, by

becQming partly sustainable, would .produce the thought it WQuid need tQ bec<jme'more sustainable,

, " . -Wendell Berry

82345

.,

SUSTAINABLE?

A special ,issue on the meaning of sustainability

, Se~ pages 4-\\ · .

HOME AT ECOCITY

The new mantra · "Sustainability" is a major buzz word in the environmental movement' these days.

Numerous p~pers, books, and conference~ have sought (with varying degrees of

- ~u'ccess) to promote the' idea, define it, and put it into practic~. Sustainability is

related to th~ ecological concept of the "carrying .. capaciti' ·of natural systems.

But, applied to communities, it brings together many .human conc;ems for social '

justice, g~assroots democracy, ~d environmental equity: It also helps us irttegrate

all the ways of being environm~ntally correct by providing a broad context for ,"

environmental issues.

Sustainability helps ,us think about how human beings' an~ human settlements

fit into the natural world.)t help's us think about the best ways to relate to each

" other, An,d it helps us imagi~e _what we really want---..-:.for ourselves and for our . children·.

" We've devo.ted· a lot of space in

this issue to ,s,-!stainability. I hope it

will help you think about what

sustainability n:tean~ for you.

Welcome We.are 'pleased to welcome two new

advisory board members f.rom the ·

fields of architecture and urban planning. Rick Hawksley, is with the Puller

... Design Group_ in Kent and is the ch~ir .of the land trust PLACE (Portage Land

Assochition for Cons~rvation and E~~c;ation), Kathleen Tark is with the firm City

Architecture and is working on urban revitalization projects in .Cleveland.

lhankyou Thanks to the Envir.onmental Systems R~search Institute (ESRI) of Redlands, ·

CA; for donating a ca-py of its· geographic informat.ion system, AfcView 2, and

Avenue customization softw.are. This computer mapping and: land l!-S~ an,alysis

package will help us lseep better"track of developments in our bioregion.

We're a friend

The Frien.ds of the Crooked. River, the indefatigable group that organizes the­

annual Cuyahoga RiverDay celebration, ,recently g~ve EcoCity Cleveland its

Fr.iend of the River.award for the "alternative, thoJ..lghtful perspective" we bring -to

river i'ssu'es, The Fri~nds' other 1995 award recipients are Congressman Ralph

Regula for his .support for the'designatlon of the Ohio & Er'i~ Canal National

"Heritage Corridor, Greg Studen for his ~ork on the Cuyahoga River ReIl,ledial .

Action Plan, and the Akron Garden Club for· its co~sponsor.ship of many river

activities and promotion o~ ~cological gardening methods.

Graduation ·gi-fts

EcoCity Clevela~d journal subscriptions)~ake great graduatio~ gifts, Student

subscriptions are Qnly $15. "Give young people a gift from the bioregionl

We thaf!k the many people" who have ·given gift subscriptions-for many

occasions-over the past two years, As a small org8J.1i~tion with fimi~ed "

resources, we depend on our readers .to sprea~ the word about the jOllrnal. Giving

su~sCJ;"iptions-or si~ply sh.~wing the jo~rnal to a friend-is one of the most

2

imp"ortant way.~ tQ sUpp'ort ~ur w9rk. !"ith everY subscription,

y.re ,become more sustainable,

- David Bea~h·

Edjtor .

. . Mission EcoCity Cleveland is a ~onprofit, tax-exemp1, educational

organization. Tbrough the pubJi.cation of the EooClty Cl~yela!,d-Journal-and · qther pro~~~,i~-will stimulate . ecological thinking ~b6utthe Northeast Ohio region

(Cuyahoga Bioregion), nurtUl'e an EcoCity Network ainong local groups working on ufbanBlJd environmental issues· ,

~n~ promote sustainable'ways ' . ) to meet basic buman needs for foo.d, sheller,

, productive Work an~ 'stable: .conununities:

Board of Trustees David 'Seacfi, Director, EcaCity Czr.r,vejan~, . . .... '

. Stul)rt Greenberg, Environmental Heallh Waten Phil Star, Center for lVeighborhoqd 'Deve!opmimt. CSU· e~ris Trepal, The Earth Day Coalition Carl Wirtz, Hausser + Taylor

: ' Adviso;>ry Board E>ebotal]. Ale~"$atinde~, Minority Envil'onmenta{.Msoc: TllOmas Bier, CSU~ Housil1gPolipy ResMrchProgram Jam~s Bissell, ClevelanrlMUfeum o/Natura/History Diane Cameron, Na(wa/ R,esource$ p~Jense Council fume Chaka, Union o/ConcernedSqientfs(s Edith Chase, Ohio COl(stal Resource Mgt., Proj'ect LeeqeAngeHB,Envir0n»Jental;"Care~:s OrganiZation John' Debo, Buyahoga VdJleYNat~onaI1{eCJ:eatJon ilr.el:r lAis EpsteffitEnvirOnmen(al-qefens~F'und lynne hannah. Northeast. Ohio Greens · Soren Hansen, InterGJ:ophic Engineer~6gServices Rick Hawksley; Fuller Design' Group' anp. Northeast Oillo Land

Trust Coalition F;imHill~SMinIClub '. ::: . .,. ' Rooert JaquaY, . .cuyahoga Coun(V Planh(lfg C(Jm!1f;~$iQn David Knapp. i[fnite1 tabor Agf~~r .~~ Susan Lacy, Churches Acting Together!or Change and Hope

(CATCR) . . Craig Eimpach, Wildlife biologist Elaine Marsh, Frf~Tlds 0/ the ,qr~Ok~d River Mary C'She", The FO?d Co-of; , Norman Robbins,C'fRUPr()grqmifQr the:En~ironme;n( Kathleen 'TIar~, pHYArc,~ilfcture '._ ~ , ' _.. ._. . .. Jerome, :ValcOti, pommission tmCiJ_~h?iir: ComThUMJty.{lctJon Roberta Wendel, Friends oflheBiack Riv ..

Organi7lilioPS lis!ed for id~ritlficati~nonIY.: . ~ ArticlC;S in EcoCity Cle:veftill4,do Mt necessarilyrell~ thevicws.:Of bOru:d

. members~ although theresa soPd. ~uuu::e'~eydo. -. .

EeoCttx ·CIe.~elanij:JollrnQf 284J Scarborough Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

CuyahQg~ Bioregi9n Telephone and fax: (7;16) 1132:3007

Etmail address:eCX)ci~)~eland@igc'aPc,Qrg •

Published ~onthly, except-foh dollbi~'issue in'JUI~iAugJS't. UnJess otherwise ~oted~ allqrtic1e5'and phot()graphs'a~by{)a>ddBeach; ' , ,, Submissions from 'others are.welcome; but_please call, ~rstrWe crumotbe r~sponsible for unsolicited materials. ·._.... . ::

Readef$ ate encouraged lo: ~se·tl:i.e information ~Ec¥:ilype'l'~/and, Just call for peo:niss~~nlo~eprinnlrticleS, After you're finished '~th.your cop);, of the joumal. pass it'on fofrieods ~r recycle it If you are-a· regu~il.r reader, please llubscri~ ..

Sllpported by operaring granurrom IhcrGeorge Gund andNotd Family foundations, subsCriptions jl1ld indivjq~a1 donati?_ns, . .. . _'

> Printed at Orange BlossomPre!is in Clevelahd, on JOO%ppsl-«!risumer waste recyc1l=d paper using soy-b3!S¢d inks. .. '

, " .. '

10 1995 ~c_oCitYGlevelan~ ,

EeoChy ClEVElANd 0 May 1995

I

I I I

SPRAWL

Restoration inside and out Last February, we were ·privile~ed.to join (he CommunitY Coalition

. to Stop ihe Mart (Ihe group fighting a proposed superstore development on the site of Oakwood Country Club in Cleveland Heigh"ts and South Euclid) and the C.le~eland Rest~ration Society in sponsoring a speech by Constan.ce Beaumont of the Nationql Trust fO! His./oric Preset:vation. " "' . .

In recent years, the Trust has been an outsp~ken critic of . superstore sprawl~the 70lv~density, la~d-consumptive, auto~ ori.ented" commetciai, . development on the fringes of metropo.litan areas. Sprawlfrom Wal-Marts. Super Kmarts and similar big box stores, shifts a town's eenl~r of gravity from .the urban _core to the "edge; Beaumont said. The result is not e.c·onomic growth but

.. displacement, And this " underm'ines ~fforts to revive " historic city ce'niers and neighborhoods.

"It's like trying to jill a pool ~vith a m;all hose when " _there's a big hole letting the _ water run out, /I she said: ·

other, and we should be conscious of this fact and learn ho·w best to , deal with it. • '

. We all know, of course, how c9mmercial anq iridustrialland devt:lopm~nt ,on the ejiges of older cities has sucked the juices out , of their urban centers over the past 40 years . Unfortunately, that trend is, as they say, "history," and we are left no·w trying to restore strength to these weakened urban centers. Bringing them back to what they were intended to be all along-places for people to live

. and work and enjoy life- isn't ·easy. But historic preservatiqnists must accept: 'this .cballenge, if we are intent · upon saving the tiest of our heritage.

Many of us have recognized for decades the ~isorder of strip commercial development along suburban roads. Now, it appears, the problem has shifted away from the sides of the· road to the fields beyond. Seemingly overnight, huge reta~l "-

Increasingly, historic preservationists are realizing that they will never win their battles unless ~hey also

Demolishing schools in Cleveland: Sprawl undelrmin'" neighborhoods whi.1e paving,over tbe countryside. "

complexes spring up. These · lIsuperstotes" are located on sites that are very carefully selected, using .highly sophisticated analytical techniques that pinpoint the

. optimum tbcation from a address sprawl and ou/migration at the regional level, So they are finding common gr~und with the. m.any other people and organizations harmed by current patterns of development, (For a list of the constituencies rvho might be part of an im!i~sprawl coalition, see -our January 1995 issue.)

, The following article on this topic is' by Ted Sande,.preside~t of the Clevela.nd Restoration Society. It is reprintedfrom the Society's

. May 1995newslelter.

• By Ted Sande .'

There are ·many dimensions to ·Hie. preservation of our City. Some of the important issues that concern us are hot even in t~e city itse.lf, but on its fringes What happens on the edges ·of Cleveland affects the survival Qf its historic structures and n~ighborhpods just as ' dramatically as if these ~hanges were made in the core of the inn~r city itself. . .

This is why we were delighted to join with the Community Coalition to Stop the Mart, EcoCity Cleveland and others in co-

, sponsoring a presentation by Constance Beaumont, the National ·Trust for_ Historic Preservation's director of State" and Local Policy programs, in late"February that addressed the question of "superstore sprawl." Tht: more I thought about it,-the" more c1e~ly it seemed to me that we cannot draw a sharp distinction between the suburbs a~d the city when it comes to real estate development. What happens in .one area will have profound ramificati.ons in the

EeoCiTy ClEVElANd 0 May 1995

purely economic standpoint, .However, .they are rarely·thoUgh.t out " with .respect to· their surroundings. And they seem invariably to create traffic congestion and hazards on the adjacent arteries and '

. increasj::d environmental pollut.ion where they are built. This is. both ironic and tragic. Ironic, because community

planning and environmental concerns are no less t~gible than the demand& Qf successful retail.ing. Tragic, because a more holistic, .

_,regional approach to locatiilg ~ssential re.tail centers need be no more costly i~iti~lIy than the present scatter approach, and it undoubtedly wouJd save all of us money in the· long run by bringing

. economies of scale in community services. The Cleveland Restoration Society seeks primarily to save ihe

best of our"city's older buildings, its -,viable urban neighborhoods, and its historic districts,_ In pursuing this mission, we must be equallY vigilani in recognizing the peripheral forces that could have an adverse effect upon Greater Cleveland. Increasingly. Que to the example we hav.e set within the city, we are being called upon to assist, those outside its bound~ies who want to maintain their architectural ·heritage and plan intelligently ·f~r tbe future .. As we begin to do so) we reaffirm the fact that the ba.sic relationship between a city and its suburbs is· one of healthy reciprocity.

. The Clevelarid Restoration Society iooks forward to working with our suburban counterparts in·shaping.a better region 'for us all-':'a region where Cleveland's historic urban core is recognized 9nce again as the essential, vital complement to its sun-ounding communitiCs. 0

3

WHAT'S SUSTAINABLE?

, ,

It was one of.those priv~te conversations in the corridor, aw.ay from t

the auditorium and the rest of the participants in the Leadership ' Medina County confen!nce, We were talk.ing-about t~e real concerns tliat had brought nearly 200 Medin'a CountY residents out on a February day to discuss growth trends in their rapidly developing county along 1-71 south of Cleveland.

"The commercial sprawl is alarming," said the confe~enee 'org~riiz~r, re'ferring esp~cial.ly to the line of Wal-Mart,.Supei Kmart

, and Target stores just north of the city of Medina, "People don't like ' ' wh~t they" see, and, given the exist.ing zoning· and design codes, 'they can't do much about it." · , . '

He explained that many current residents'came 'to the are'a after' , falling: in love with the county's .rural ch<:J,racter and Medina1s picturesque and pedestrian-friendly town square. ''The new deveiopmeht is una~eptable--:----visually an~ emotionally. It isn't intim.ate. It isn't fri.endly," he said. "We-used to build things to last for hundreds. of years,. Now we build a throw:"a!Vay product. It's just real estate speculation: II . " , ,

And he worr'ied about the long-tenn econ9mic impact o(the ·superstores. IISO we get a 1,000 part-ti!."Oe, low-wage jobs.' There's no go.od economic end to 'that scenario. ' It's not sust~inable. It won't keep our children here. The people 'taking' thejobs can't even afford, '

.' to live here. II

Enduring, value ' " ' The conversation epitomized the struggles of comml:lnity leaders who are.trying to plan for the future-trying to build something of

.' enduring value rather than something slipshod 8l1d specuhitiv.e. Suph ,people are struggling to define for· thems~lves what will ,mak~ their communities viable in the long rur), '. . , .

In Northeast Ohio, citizens,often lac~ the tOQls to .manage the . development of their communities: In other states, citizens have , 'demand'ed more control. In Vermont, for instanc~, a strong state land

~ use I~w forc'es d~velopers to 'consider the oyerall impacts of their ~ developments on surrounding communiti,es an~ the environment. A .

permit application for a Wal-Mart superstore outsideofSt. Albans, VT, was denied recently because . . the Vennont Enyironmental Board

, found the project wou.ld 'generate three dollars'ofpublic costs (including lost jobs and taxes from existing businesses) for each dollar of public benefit. [fWal-Mart . wa.nts to pursue ' ~lie p'roject iimust,

4

' a~ong .other things, guarantee c~mpensation ' to local f1?~~icipalities for any adverse impacts.

. Such land use and'development issues are just one part of ~hinking about sustainable ~ommu'1jtjes . We must also consider , . energy and resource use, food, manu(acturing, 'educa~ion and many

, .other issues. In general,.sustainabil ity involves "meeting the nee'ds of the

present without endangering the ability of future generations to meet their own needs," to u'so the popular definition set forth by the United Nations Gomm'is'sion on Environment and Development. Thus,. sustainabi-I,ity requires inter-generational e.quity (we ~on't

. burden the next generation), It also meaIisl6ng-ierm quality of life (we don't 'e~ceed the carrying capacity or degrade the environment of any pi~ce). It mearis rocal self-sufficiency (we depend as much ,as possible on local, renewable resources). It means global'· responsibility (we donrt unfairly burden other regions with our consumption or wastes): And it means social justice and democracy (we have local/regiqnat'control of important decisions).

New ways of thinking A discuss,ion ofsustajnability forces us to think 'about what matters: what do we really need.to live well? It also interjects a1ime _ dimension . into our thinking. We're forced to. lengthen our,time .frame to consider costs far into the future. A~ Ober.lih College's David Orr'says, "What";e build today casts a shadoW on the future."

And it'adds a spatial dimensi.on. ,We are forced to consider at what geographic scale it makes sense to try to be su·stainable. Ult imatety, we must be susiainnble at the'globallevei. But the planet is far too big fqr,most people t~ grasp. A 'more manageable unit is the region, or, ideally; the bioregion,

In the rest of this special issue, we explore the' concept of . sustainability in more detail. We offer examples of how

orgMizations across the cont ine~~ have defined sustainability and have tried to articulate how to practice sustainability at the regional and local levels. We ~lsQ discuss how coiwentional economic, indicators lead us away from sustainability.

, We also attempt to' create an index'

I..oo:::~~

of sustainability for Northeast Ohio-a set or indicators tIiat wil l ' point us, toward a s~stainable . future. We invite all our readers to comment on th is draft index. After ' ai l, .sustainabiliry 'must be a communitY project. 0 ' ..

~~~~~~~~~~~ I ourvisi~nisofalife-~ustaining What in ·theworldis a _

earth. We are committed to the susta inablecom mun ity? achievemeAt of a ' dignified,

A sustainable community respects its own divers~ty. values the complexity of the nag,JTal peaceful; and 'equitable world, and accepts responsibility for the social, economic and ecological well-being of present

~xistence . We believe a and miure generationsthrough individual and collective actions. ' . '

Activities may be consid~red sustainable when they: sustai[1abl~ United States will 0 Use materials in continuous cycles.

have an ecqnqmy that o Use renewable sources of energy , , " , ' -Come mainly from "human potential (i.e., com,munication, creativity, and spiritUal an'd

equitably provides opportunities intellectual development). '

for satisfYing liveliljodds arid a '. Respect arid support complex ecological relationships.

safe, healthy. high quality life Activities may be considered non-sustainable when they: ' • Re.quire continual input of non-renewable resources.

for current and future ' 0 Use'renewable resources faster than their rate of renewal. . • Degrade the .social and 'natural el).vironment. . ' .'

generations, 'Our nation will o Require resources iliquantities that could never beaccessible to people everywhere' .

'protect its ·environment its o Lead to the extinction ofothedife forms.

natural resource base, and the A sustainable community might be envisioned as one: , ~That is at a human scale (everyone can participate and influence).

functions' and viabilitY of natural o Where basic needs are equally accessible to all (food 'and water supply, shelter,

system~ 0(1 whiCh all life emp loyme~t, healthcar~). ' . • In which hu'man activities are harmoniously integrated into tt"!e natural world,

~ependS, ,oThat supports healthy' human develop'ment and can be successfully continued into the

~PreSident's Courlcil on indefinite future. ' , , ":"Sustainable Community Roundtable

Sustain;:tble Development South Puget Sound regiOJi of Washington

• .. what it [sustainabilityj refers

to is a very old and very simpl~

cqncept-, th~ .ability 1'0 keep

going over .the long haul:As a

value" it refer~ to. giving equal

weight in your decisions to tbe , ., . . '. .,

.future ,as well as.thepresent.

You might think of it as

extending the Golden Ruie ..",. -

through time, S0 that'you do •

, unto future generatjons,'(as well

as to your present fellow

beings) as you wciuldhave

them do Llnto you ..

-Robert Gilman.

"Sustainability:

The State of the Movement"

,EcoCiTY CI~EIANd 0 May 1995 Tom TolesIBuffa10 News

5

WHAT ' S SUSTAINABLE? '

Guiding principles for

. .

sustainable development To prepare a provincial strategy for ' sustainable development, the government of Ontario, Canada, establi shed the Ontario Round Table on Environment and Economy: The : round table has set fO(1h six guiding principles: .

• Anticipation and prevention of poten~ial environmental degradation. The response of the past- "react and . curelO-has proven to be' economically, socially and e!1vjronment~lIy e~pensive: We have had to fix problems after they occur through poih,ltion control and regulation. We need t,o 'shift to a . 'philosophy which "anticipates and . . prevents" environmen,tai degradation at the planning stages of our development projects and when we make consumption gecisions. We need to prevent po llutio~

before it happens. • Full cost accounting. 'Our natural assets-air, water, land, soils, forests,

wilderness and wildlife-are the underlying base of all our economic' activity, To '. prevent over-use and exploitation, all prices ideally should reflect full environmental and resource costs. For example, health costs arid crop damage resulting from pollutimts like acid rain would he included in the price, of products whose manufacturing process contributes to a~id rain. Applying this principle in all areas will provide economic incentives for wise resource use,

• ,Informed decision-making (environment-economy Integration). Sustainable deyelopment requires the, integration of environmental and econ,omic considerations in decision-making. Consideration'must be given, to both the short and long-term conseq~ences of these decisions, ln' addition, the decisions must be based on sound information: And those who make econo'mic dec isions must be resppnsible for the environme[)ta l consequences of those decisions,

. ' Living off the interest (doing better 'with less). This principle treats our limited natural resources as part of the province's capItal wealth, 'Such "natural '

, capital' t... must be rep laced as it is depleted, or else,be reused or recycled. If not, we will ' b~mkrupt ourselves just as if we had spent all our financial resources, New

' m~chanisms to keep the province's accounts and to manage ecological capital will be required, , • Quality over quantity. Creating a sustainable society will require changes in lifestyles, attit!ldes, expectations, behaviors and values. An increasing focus on quality' of economic development ,will result in,smarter production an'd'consumption patterns- such as improved product durabiliry and energy efficiency in the production and marketing of goods and services, '

• Respect for ,nature and the rights of future generations. Our eco'nomy depends not 'only 'on the continued flow of resources, but also on the protection and enhanc~ment of ecosystems and habitats, The decision-making process must consider,not only to'day's needs, but the neyds of future generations by ensuring that a long enough horizon is used in the evaluation process, 0

6

Ecological planning at the local level . What can we .~o at the local and regional leye] to create more sustainable communities? The Citizen Planner's Project of Ventura County, California, provides some ideas in the following 'lecological , planning principles, II

• Protect, preserve and restore the ,(Jatura.~ , environment. Acknowledge that undisturbed natural beauty enriche:;-our lives and 'that the natural enyironment, functionil'!g in a healtl,1y manner, is basic for a healthy WOrld, a healthy economy and healthy society, and that. in fact it is our life support system.-

• Establish true-cost pricfng 'economics. Establ!Sh true-~ost pricing as the basis for ecoDo!Dic viability: Utilize whole-system thinking tQ recogniZe the true long-term costs and benefits of actions from an ~onomic, environmentaJ and social standpoint.

• Support local agriculture and local business , products and servi~es. Use community pro~uets and, services for the cycling of economic wealth within the community, Integrate b~ic food production within ,and near the local community 'to support local self-

-sufficiency" " .D~velop clustered, mixed-use, pedestrian

oriented eeo-communities. Clustering reduces jnfrastructure costs and pays for the reclamation of open space within exis,ting commun,itiesJ llDd'protects'

, and pays for 'open space within rural areas. Clustering also encourages walking, bicycling and public trapsit

- (including rai l) and enhances the s,ense of community and place. ,

• Utilize advanced transport, communication and production 'syst~ms. Reduce automobile . dependence, traffic congestion, air and· noise_pollution, and operating and maintenance costs by establishing rail-ceotered transportati~n which uses clean, localiy renewable fuels, Utilize advanced communication systems to move information in preference to people and materials. Employ advanced production

"technologies to reduce cost, increase quality a,nd '; produ~tion, and reduce 'pollution and energy use.

• Maxjrnize conservation and ~evelop J~cal 'renewable re.sourc~s, Max'im'ize the u'se of '; conservation technology and practices, reduce·the use ofnon~renewa:ble resources, and develop local renewable energy, water and material resources, ;. • Establish recyclipg programs and' recycled materia ls industries. Expand recy:cling-technology and'establish extensive recycling and composting progrartls to supply local industries with raw_materials: Encourage the use of non-toxic, reusable and recyclable products. Redesign pro~ucts for longer life and t9 reduce consumption of energy and materials,

• Support education for parJicipatory 'governance. Build educationaJ awareness and public consensus for ecological planning and policy issues both locally and countywide, through broad.based citizen participation, '

EcoCity ClEVElANd 0 May 1995

Four strategies for sustainable communities Can large,lndusft:ial cities ~ver beco~e sustainable? .surely, it will be a long time before they are transfonned into eco~ciiies that are completely self­sufficient and impose no enyiromnental burdens 'On the rest of the planet. But, even today, our dties can ruake dramatic progress towards sustainability, We have the ~owledge and technologies to improve by orders of magnitude, All it takes is the will and the vision to make the

The Center for Neighborhood Technology, a nonprofit organization in Chicago, has long been advocating ways to revita lize cities while promoting a healthy environment and healthy communities, The chart below includes the center's ideas for transfonning four key areas of urban life-materials use and reuse, manufacturing, tiansportatiori~ and energy. The chart also exp_lains ,how changes in th~se four areas would improve the environment, empower communities and create oppo~unities for productive wQrk. necessary changes. ' '

Strategic policy objective

Materials' uS'e and reuse

To shift fram waste generation and dispasal to policies and strategies thal 'Optimize, the canservation and ' recycling of rT]aterials; ta promote cammunity economic develapment; and to improve the quality ot the ' environment. "

. ....... "., .. -~-Values:

. Healthy environment

Values: Empowered communities

Va'lues: Productive work

The reuse of scrap materials has the potential to conserve energy, ,eliminate the need far waste

1 incineratars, save landfill space, ~ decrease the generatio,n of water m pollution and reduce virgin

resource ,use,

Scrap· based industries- provide communities with more equitable

. and diverse'economic'development opportunities that can be more easily influenced and managed 'compared to large, end·of-pipe" disposal projects,

Recycling creates mare jobs than .~ conyentional waste disposal

methods, Reuse ani:! recycling operations are ofte'n labor-intensive and can be a 'sourpe of entry- and skilled-level positions, Additional

<' jobs can be created locally by , attracting industries that will turn ' recovered materials into finished products,

,. ,

EcoCity ClEVElANd 0 May 1995

Sustainable manufacturing

To shift from end·of·Pipe waste treatment to pollution preventian and waste minimizatian; to shift from minimalist "envirqnmental remediation" to comprehensive economic and ecological restoration; and to support local and regional markets, cultur~ and rules which v,atue industry as a full and'permanent partner for

, sustainable communities,

Toxins should not be released into the environment or workplace, Industry should substitute safer materials and processes; minimize remaining risks; and constantly improve, P,rior environmental contamination requires comprehensive economic and ecological restoration, ' Environmentally·driven economic conversion requires both industriat retentian and renewal.

Communities have a right: to know about lo'cal and regional flows of materials and energy, including

, those which threaten human and ecological health; to the authority and resources necessary to

, minImize and counteract such threats, both by cooperative assistance and enforcel)lent of law, Industry and public agenCies have a right ta reasanable opportu(lity to change behavior. and to necessary , technical and financial assistance, Communities with perst'stent health threats have,a right to reparatians, including ecological restaration, inch..isionary economic conversion and compensation,

The retention of good paying inner­city manufacturing jobs requires ongOing investment in small . industrial plants for process modernization, pollution prevention and energy efficiency; cteanup and restoration of contaminated sites with atteridant local CC\lpture of new

, Jabs created; and that industrial markets take full advantage of environmentally·driven demand,

Transportation an\! air quality

To minimize 'transportation demand by supparting local and reglanat selt-rell~nce; to minimize dependence on motorized transportatian through increased availability of ,mass transit, local

, amenities. community security, and pedestrian and bicyc1e access, resulting in improvements in air quality; and to re·knit the regional fabriC by supporting decent surface intercity trahsport, including hlgher-' speed rail and waterw,ay systems, '

Place matterS, Densely populated commun'ities and regions are resaurce-efficient, if amenities and work are proximate, Sprawl is both damaging and politically, economically'and environmentally non·sustalnable. Transpartatian systems have largely developed recently .without regard to'human and ecological well-being: future

, development needs to be fully costed,

Communities have a right to basic health, education and security amenities, affardably and equitably distributed with maximum local ownership opportunities, Communities have a right to knaw about local and region,al flaws of

, capital and credit and to redlrect capital an/;! credit tow~rds working community economies, The conseNation of existing communities shauld have the first c1aim on transportation resaurces,

The work that most needs doing is in the places that most ne_ed work, The abandonment of and disinvestment from once·thriving central city and industrial areas both fuels and is fueled by fear of crime, racism. environmental threats and political motivations, Publicly regulated investment should be oriented to and screened for emplayment and environmental impacts, Land uses and transportation systems should support the right to work, Good paying jobs and amenities should be proximately, universally and colTlpetitively accessible by public transpart,

Community energy

To shift energy Investments from supporting and increasing supply to decreasing demand by promoting energy, efficiency and renewable resourCes and to target benefits in 10'oY-income communities,

Cam~unities and facilities should ,be designed to use eneigy efficiently; to the extent pas sible, energy,demand should be met by renewable'sources, Energy should have minimum pollution and health effects. arid should not generaie ' unconyertible, non·reusable wastes,

Resources should be retained 10callY, 'as,much as possible. or else eommunity economies wlli suffer. In exchange for the mOriapoly granted utilities, communities have a righf to equitable, quality and affordable services, and to reasonable stewardship offinancial and natural resources, Investments in energy efficiency and renewable resaurces should be made equitably and investments in unnecessary supply or capacity should not be publicly funded,

Dollars spenfon energy and invested in energy effiCiency should result in targeted econamic

, benefits for community 'residents and institutions, The full costs and benefits of current investment pattel!1s should be fully disclosed and energy·related opp6rtunities to retain/create jobs for low-income workers shpuld be directly and fully valued, not treated as "externalities,"

7

WHAT ' S SUSTAINABLE?

The indkators a 'society

. chooses to reportto itself

aboUt itself are. surprisingly

powerful, They refled

~ollective values and irlform

collective pecisioms, A

nation t~at keepsa

watchful eye on its salmon • -. < - ,

. runs or· the safety of its

' str~E;ts makes different

choices than does a nation

,th.atis o'nlypaying attention

tp its c5N.P"Theideapf

.citizens choosing their own

. indicatorS is something

neW under the '

. sun-'-something intensely

democratic ,

-Donella Meadows

co-author of

. ' Beyond the Uinits

• Unlike many past

conservation initiatives,

community sustaihability

efforts attempt to bufld a

new future, 'rather than '

working simply to co~rect

. pastri'1istakes,.'Thei

integrate ?ocial, economic '. . . .

and' environmel1tal

cohcems, rather than

addfess,ing each one alone,

This new perspective

fOClJ~es on th,e 'positive

aspects of comm,unities and ,~ -, - ,

encourages citizeJ']s to build

.8 '

. on these $tr~ngth; -.:.,..lzaakWalt(ln League '

Carrying Capacity Project

How "are wedoi,ng? A sustainability index

for Northeast Ohio ' If we "are to move towards s~stainability in our region,-.we.must decide what we value, find indicators to measure, those values, arid k~ep track <;If our progress:So, to start a discussion about what sustainability ·means. in.Northeast Ohio, here . is "a proposal for a sustaimi.bility index. . -

· The creation of such an index involves a host of thorny problems, First, we must decide what's imp~rtant to me~u.re. The indicators must be popularly .' accepted and unper~tood (see discussion of the characteristics of good .indicators below). And, retoghi~ing that we will never be able to measure everything, we need a few

.' indicators that will tell us ' about the state of many other things. This is what

· ecologists do when they s~lect a sentinel spec.ies· to monitor the health of a whole ecosystem. For example, the reproductive health of bald eagles a~ the top of the food chairi is ail indicator otthe overall health of the Great Lakes e.cosystem. . ' . .

We must .also decide what geographic area our · index should cover. Ideally, we would monitor our .' bioregion, which we tik~ to be the watersheds ' ,. · flowing north to Lake Erie from the V~rmilion

River on the west t!l the Grand River on the east. But, since pur society doesn't co llect much

. infonnation .b:y bio~egi.Qn, we will be· forced to

define the region more conventionally as the seven-county area (Cuyahoga, Lorain; Medina, Summit, Portage, Qeauga and tflke counties). In . addjtion,. seyeral proposed iildi"cators, such as education and health',-focus just on the city of­Cleveland. We.do this because sustainabi lity

include's an efl.1phasi·s on .equity. A community or region cannot b~ a healthy place in the long run if one part of it is. left behind.

B'y' einphasi~ing long-term sustainability •. this Ind~x ' differs from other recent attempts to monito~ the progress of the region, For instance, the Gitizens League has developed ,a ."Rating the Region" index ' to track the competitiveness of Northeast Ohio. Unfortunately, marly. of its -. indicators fall into the

;:bigger ·is better" trap and treat growth of all kinds as an unquestioned gOOd. The local. media a.1so treat g.r:owth--of population, shopping centers, Q.ew .home siarts, power consumption--':""as autot~latic progress. .

The in.dicators.on the next page ,view progress in a different light. Th'ey 'seek to tell· us what we" need ·to know 'in order to live in Northeast ·Ohio for the next 200 y.ears. They are not absolute measures'. Rather t.hey tell us whether we are moving in tho_right direction, Tbe goal. is to pr·ovoke.discussion. a~4:change, 0

What mal(esa good indicator? 'Some of the most interesting work on"indi<mtors of sustainable commuhity co'mes from Sustainable Seattle', I~ recent y~s, 'th~ group has organi~ed an extensive public discussion to develop a set oJ su~tainaQility indicators and track long-ter~ trends in the Puget Sound region.

According to the group's 1991 report, good indicators: ~ Are bellwethe~ tests of sustainability arid reflect something basic and fqndamental· to' the long-

term economic. social or-environmental health ora community: over generations. ' .

• . Can be understood and accepted 'by the community as a valid ~ign of sustai~ability or symptom of dis.tress. . . . . '

• Hav~ interest and app'eal for use .. by lo'c~l -media .in 'monitoring, reporti~g and ·an.alyzing' general trends toward or away from sustainab lc; commu!lity practices, ..' " . . .

. • Are statistically measuTa~le..in our geographic area,' and preferably ~oni.parable to other citi.eslco~unit.ies; a practical fonn of data collection. or_measurement .exists or c~ be created,

Sustainable Seattle admits· that no scientific model of sustainability exists. Thus, indicators for a . 'particular region must evolve through long, public discussions about what constitutes' a. sustainahle society. . ' , .

EcoCily ClEVElANd 0 May.1995

.indicators . pgverty r~te in Cleveland or the pe.~centage"of children living in poverty in the region. Or wecoqitllook .ttl1e'growing income disparity between thecit~ ofqevehurd and '

racism

i . in civic· life. Orle possible indicator

'is the percentage oflhe eligible'populatioll voting in odd-. year, lo~.atelection's ..

.0 L';cal .fo~d production. A sustainable' food. system 0ouldfavor fresh, locally.grow~food over ' -chemically treated'allp oUlnufacturedfond trucked -i~ from farav.:ay places .. As Ilme~ure o["1ooal s~lf..::reliance,,~e could ,­track the R~rCentage of produce consumed . tn~t. is grown tn

. the region, or:the number of acre~ of land_available for·

.~:~:~;~~:~[~~;!~~~~f~~~;frpi"alIYmeaswed - agriculture iIt ,the:regiQo, . ", O,fi:~~;:~;~~;~;~~::; energ;y , 0 GlobarTe.sp6t1sibility.:.P6; gloOal .citizens, we' have t!J sorr-e of it ,is _ '. a r.~spon,sibility to l,11"iIiimize ,our.damage to the rest.~fthe _

!~~~fi~~~~!:~~~;~3~f:~~~i1~:~~~ we need_ . . planet. .One way to track our 'progress woul& be to measure . ' could-; traek the tons ~.{ greenhous,? g~cs pr~duced in tne regIon eflc~

'"',cono,my's IC'l1g.te~r~~f;:~~:J~'~( arid resi:,Unlce.to recessions, to. estimate the percentage of ~mplQ~mel1t:rn

locallY-colitr."(l,,d bu~inesses, -assuming that local companies -'in_the health of the com~unity. We '

o(althepel:'" ent~geof workers with .advanced

;;;:~~r.~c~,j:~~:~ aJLic,di(,.tl)[oftheresearchcapacity.of " ItS "Ollilty to technologlcal-challge,_

::~~~~;'~~~:~~~I~~~eli~~wealth~,.ReCOgni~lng that· the . by concentratiqlls'of poverty and this . w_e co.uld 1rack the

EcoCil)' ClEVE~~d 0 May 1995

year.

What do Yol.lthihf{?. . .' We. peep your !deas! Wmthese i,ndicators help'us bec~me more s_ustainable; 'in Northeast phio?'Are we measuring the ri~h! things? What haye w~ missed? What indibators might ·. ~e more me~n~ngful? Arc thc~e .~ome useful data ·sources we should knoW-about? ' . - ' ~ . ." '" ~-'-

Please call Of- writewith.'your comm~nts, We ,plan to "'-(efine the index in the comi"ng' months~ collect data for e'ach

ind;icator. and publicize the resuHs, We-want an:in'd~~ th-at . .~3n be used:y:eat after' year to track ourregio~'s Rro'gress,

9

WHAT'S SUSTAINABLE?

100 much and too long, we seem.

to have surrendered commu':1ity

excelierlCe 8Cld community values

in the mere accumulation of

. mate'rial things. Our gross

national product, now, counts air.

pollution and cigarette advertising

and amElulailCes to clear our

.highway carnage ... It cotJnts the destruction of·our redwoods 'and

the loss of our natural wonders in

chaotic sprawl. .. Yet the gross national pro'duct

does [)ot allow for the health of

our children:the qU<ility of their

education, or thejoy or their

. play, " It measu res fleither oU(\Nit.-

·norour.courage; neither our

Wisdom nor ou'r learning; neither .

our cQmp,!ssion,nor our devotion

to. our cQuntry; it measwres

everYthing; ii:l short, except tnat

which makes lif~ worthwhile."

.-Robert F. Kennedy: I . '

10

WE. VSe.D To C!\\..,., Til!;"" ' BUMS"; THE.N WE. CAl.l.t.o TI-I~M "rNE. l'joME.L.ESS':

NoW WU/J.T DO wE. G\ .. l rf.l£.M?

LlADING · INDICATOR'> .

,"

Toni ToJe:s/BufTalo News

Redefining ' progress Why our "leading economic indicators"

promote destructiveact/vities . One of the biggest barriers to a s/fstainable sociery.'is our method 0/ accounting. The full environmental and social costs afthings are not reflected in their price. And destructive activitie~, /lice cigarette production and· advertising, are counJed as a positive ' . ·contributlon (0 our nation~l economiC output. . .

Many ecological economists are now .attempting to devise alternative i':'dicators of -· economi~ performance. In their Doak, For the Common Good, former World Bank economj~t Herman Daly and John Cobb propose an "Index of Sustainable Economic

. Welfare. 1/ Germany ;s developing a ·"Gross Ecological Product: II And the San Fr~ncisco­based organization, Redefining Progress; proposes rep/adng the u.s. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ,with the "Genuine Progress Indicator." Below.the organization explains why the CDP needs to be overhauled to take·-environmenial and social costs into ' account and to point us in the d.~reC/jon of sustainabi/ity.

Since i~s introcJuction during Wor.ld War II as a ·. measure ·ofmilitar.y c.apacity, the Gross National Product (now routinely measured as Gross Domestic Product, or GDP) has becoine our foremost indicat~r of progress-a p~rpose for which it w.as n(:ver intended. GDP·measures ·on1y the total value of-goods and services bought and sold, witho.ut differentiating between prqductiye and destruct.ive, sustainable and unsustainable economic activities.... .

As Vice-President Al Gore has stated so emphatically, "We must address the deficiencies . of our cu~ent meth6ds for ~efining what is

progress and what is absurdity: .. There is no excuse for not changing the definition of GNP." Consider the following: .

• G·DP takes no account of the depl~tion or degradation of Qatu l."al resources. For example, the destruction ofan ancient redwood forest adds to the GDP the market value.ofthe wood. No consideration; howevc;r, is given to the ·long term.economic, environme'ntal, and social

' costs involved in the loss of the forest. • GDP increases wit~ polluting activities

and again .with clean-ups. This is hoyi the Exxon Valdez oil spill l~d ·to an increase in the

EeoCiTy ClEVElANd 0 May 1995

GDP.-~~t only does the cost aftransporting oil ' niise the GOP, but the money spent to clean up' the

. devastation caused "by oil spills is also added.

unemployment and .underemployment remained high during the GDP boom of the 1980s. Real wages also suffered a decline of almost 14% from 1973 .to 1993, ~hile the richest 5% ofh.ousehotds increased their real income by almost 20% in.the

• GDP leads us away from "sustainability. Because the GDP ignores· the depletion and/or degradatio~ 'of the natural resources used to produce goods and ~er:vicesJ it encourages us to maximize short term .ecoIJomic production at the expense of our ability to sustain productive .

1980s alone. . . ... • GDP ignores the ·drawbacks of living on

foreign assets. Accumulation of foreign debt . · pemits consum~rs and the govefnr.n~ri~ to incr·e<¥ie their spending, which rai"Ses the GDP. The need to . capacity for the long term.

. . .• GDP ignores non-mQnetary tr·ansactions entirely . .The societal benefits of chifd care; elder care and other hoine-based tasks are nor included in our national account. GDP does count as a plus, however, costs of prisons, social work, drug ab·use anp psychologJc~1 counseling that result from

: r"epay this ·~ebt is not calculate9 in ·the GDP: To the · exten! that w.e borrow for purposes of consumption rather than capital investment, we are living

· beyond· our means whjle redu.cing our national auton~my and sustainability.

. The Genuine Progrl?ss In~icator proposed by Redefining Progress corrects -for the flaws -in the GDP and provides a b.etter measure ·of generaJ well':being and sustainability. For more

. neglect offamily. . • GDp· takes rio account of income

distribution ar unemployment. It·is assumed that a rising GDP btmefits all. However, the rate of . information caU (415) 543-6511. '0

Sustainable Development . AssoCiation?

Carole Hoover, PreSident, GI-eaterCleveland Growth Association David Beach, EcoClty Clevefand A· new name for new times ·

Dear Ms . Hoover:

Congratulations ·on being ' named the new · president of the Gre.ater Cleveland Growth · Association. In .your new position you will be

shaping our chamber of coIDIilerce to . enter the 21 st Century. In that · regard, plea,se allow me to ' suggest · one ' Simple, yet Significant, change . you can make to signal to the co=unlty that · 'you are ready to meet the challenges and realities of the next century. You can change

· the Growth Association's name · to the · Sustainable DevelopIIient Association.

Don;t laugh. :0Ui" industrialized economY is . . .stretching the limits of the planet. We must change our emphasis from quantitative growth . to qUalitative development. Our tas\< is to . develop creatively in' an era of ·limits .

So please' conSider changing yoUr' organization's name .. Business must take the lead in re.defining economic progress.

EcoCiiy ClEVElANd 0 May 1995

Sustainability ,resourc;es

. 'Canying Capaoity Project of the Iiaak Whltol,l League of America, :707 Conservation,Lan,e, Gtuthers~~rgJ MD 20878, (301/548-0150). .

• Center for Neighborhood Technology, 2125 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL'60647, (3 q/278-4800).

• Citizen Planner's Ptoject of , Ven'tu-ra'County, 509 Marin~t.~Suite

13 i, Thousand Oaks, CA 93160. (8051495-1025). .

. c Co-op """erica, 1850 M .St· NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036, (2021871,-5307) .

rI COJl1Itlunity SllshlinabilitY Resource InstitUte,.PO Bo~ 1"1343, Takoma Park, MD 20912; (301/588-7227). .

• Conso~iurn f0l1Re8i9~~1 Sustainability/ fl.lfts Uniyersity • Curti. lJaI~ 47480slon Ave" Medford, MA 02155, (617/628-5000):

• Enrtli Island Institute Urban HabitatProgrrun, 300,Broadway, San

. Francisco, CA 941221 (4151788-3666). '

Global Cities Project of tlie . Envirorunental Policy Center;:2-962 FullmoreSt.,SlmFrancisco, CA 94123,.(4151775.079'1 ):

w Green City Projeot of the Plane! Drum Foundalion, PO Box 31251, San Francisco, CA 94.J'31, Shasta Bioregion, (4J51285-6556).

• Irtstitute for Local Self­Reliance, 24~5 18th SI. NW, Washington,DC 20009, (202l23i. 4108). . .

. , 0rt~ri~,~Q,und Table on Environment and Economy, 790 Bay

, ~t; Sujt~10~3, ;roro~to, Onfario " M7A.IY7, (4161327-2161).

• :eiesid~nt's' CQun~rl on Sustainable Development, MS 7456-MID, 1'849 CSt. NW"Washington, . DC.2024Q, (2021208-7411). .

"Redefining.Progress, 1] 6 New Mo~tg?merySt"Su1~2~9, San Francisco, CA 94105, (415/543-65Jl). '

• Rocky __ l\1ountainlnstitufe UrbaQ,RenewalProgr~m, m39 Snowmass Creek Rd .• Snowmass. CO 81654, (303/927-3851). .

. . • SjeiTa.ClubLocal;Carrying. ' Capacity Campaign, 408·C Street NE, Washihgton,.DC 20002, (2021547-1·141'). .

• Sustainable SeaUle, , MetrQcenter. YMCA, 909 <north Ave., , Seattle, WA 98104, (206/382-5013) .

• Urban Ecqlogy, 405 14th St.; Suite 701,·Oakl.and,' CA 94612,

11

1 I

ECOCITY DIGEST

Kent thinks ' 5ustainably' This speCial is~ue .on sustainabiJity would not

· be complete without recognizing the good . work of the Kent Environmental Council

· under the leadership of Harold Walker .. The Kent folks are developing "Environmental Principles and Guidelines" for tneirj)artQfthe regia,n. Our proposed Index ofSustai.I?ability draws on their ideas. For more information, contact the Council atP.O. Box 359,_ Kent, OH44240,

Sweating out the hot ones Local air pollution officials will be lookipg

". anxiously"at ozone levels this summer-and lo'oking anxiously at the weather. That's because the U.S. EPA is close-to declari~g that

· Northeast Ohio has met air-quality goaJs"for ozone (the harmful, ground level ozone that's the main component' of smog, not the

· . stratospheric ozone that protects us from . ultr~violet rays). But one bad .ozone day in the

· next few months could torpedo the 'redesignation and 'push EPA to impose even , toug~er emission controls on the region. . . Since ozone form.s whe'n hydrocarbon and nitr~gen oxide emissions react'with ea~h other

in the presence of ~uhlight, the ~anger of

,--..,-,"" •• violatiQns is worse on hot, sunny .days with stagnant air. A Northeast Ohio Ozone Ta;;k Force:'

wili be working with weather forecasters.this · summer ~o predict when conditions are . . · favorable for ozone formation'. .

The task force will-then declare an ~'Ozone

Action Oay,t' when people are asked to voluntarily change their habits !o 'reduce hydrocarbon emissions. Actions can includ~ reducing driving; waiting until evening to refuel vehicles, delaying. la~n cutting with gaso line-powered mowers, an:d avoiding the . use of charc?allighter fluid, solvent-based

· paints or degreasers. But the key is the ·weather. If we have

another hot summer: like 1988, a·ll. t~e volu~tary actions in the world .pr.obably won't

· be enough.

What bicyclists want ' At a' May 13 bicycle plan.ning workshop hosted by the Northeast Qhio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA); loca l cyclists emphasized they' don't necessarily want more . bike lanes and off-road paths, What they really, wani is to be comfortable using the streets f~r bicycling- for commuting, running errands, makil1g social tfips; as we ll" as for recreation.

. The priorities for making the streets safe include better pavement, wider curb lanes, . "share the road" signs to educate motorists;

. p~bli~ e~ucation, an9 secure bik~ par~i~g.

12

Fixing the suburbs? ,, ' " ' The May 15 issue of Newsweek earned the cover sto~., B~e-Bye Su~urban Dre.am, an . excellent critique of suburban sprawL and the banal, allenatmg, costly places which are spreading over the American countryside, It included the following 15 ways to fix the suburbs:

. 1. Give up big lawns, Move homes closer together and closer to the street to create a more intimate environment for people and save o'n infrastructure costs,

2. Bring back.the corner store. PFovide the o.ecessities of life in the neighborhood to, 'avoid five~mile car rides for a loaf of'bread. .', ' .

3. Make the streets skinny. Create,4 pedestrian environment by rpaking streets narrow and corners'sharp: . .' . ' " , . ' '

, , 4. Drop the c~l-d.-sac, Build grid~ to distribute traffic mstead offuoneUmg It all to a few congested roads. .'.. . ,. . ,~_ . '

5. Draw boundaries. Create u,rban growth boundaries. to focus new developme,At olose to the urban core of a region. . '.', .

6. Hide1he garage. Houses hiding behind enormous garage doors present a tlesol~te face to the street. . , ',. 7. Mix bousing types. Promote diversity instead of homogeneity. .

8. Plant trees curbside. Humanize the street w~tb overarching shade trees, . 9. Put new life into old ,maUs. First~generation malls (such as Severance Mall m

Clev~land Heights) should reinvent themselves as I'fIjxed-~se developments. . . 10. Plan for mass transit. Build' transit lines,where .dense development IS plB;rmed. , 11. Link work to home. Offices and clean industries don't have to be isolated ·away from

home, shopping and day care, ' , - , " " ' , ' 12. Make a .town center. Every town needs ~ :geographlcal 'reference pomt and .public

space, " , " " , 13. Shrink parking lots. s.tores could share their asphalt ,wast~lands aod locate more

parking in back. " . ; . . ' . .. . , , ' . . 14 • .rrurn down the lights. Where possible~ turn dow~ the ga!lsh sodl.um-vapor street

lamps, that intrude on the p~acefulness of tb~ night. ' , . 15. Think green. Preserve the countryside before it becomes real estate.

Dogfight over Hopl<ins expansion , '

Two though!s on the recent· legal toushng between Cleveland arid Brook 'Park -over the rights to develop land around Cleveland Hopkins Airport: •

'. If alJ the money being spent to expand · airports in the Midwest were spent to bui!d a. high-speed rail network, vie might ease airport cQngestion and have a better tr~spor.tation system overall .

, . • The ~orst ·thing that could happen to-the'

region-with respect to urban sprawl-would . be to let Hopkins get so obsolete t~at pt;ople start pushing fbr construction of a new airport out in Hie country. .

'Ohio Toxics 'Coali'tion formed Earlier this year citizen activists from around th'e state ca~(! ·to'gether to create the Ohio . Toxies Coa li tion to assist 'local commu.nities

. an'd share information. For more infoniiation, call Teresa Mills of the Ohio Environmental

' Counci l at (614) 224~4900,

EcoCiTY ClEVElANd 0 May 1995

I" '

I

ECOCITY DIGEST

Good medicine To fight Congressional efforts to . w.eaken the Endangered Species Act, envi~onmenial groups have organized ·a "Medjcine Bottle Campaign." Citizens across the country are being asked to send e·mpty. plastic medic.ine bottles to their elected representatives

· as a ~~minder that many of today's most important. medicines, as \vell as future

· cures, come from a full range of ' , species fr~m the forests to the . oceans. The Endangered. Species ~oalition has prepared 'preprinted stickers to affix to each bottle:

For, more inf~rmati9n, call the Ohio Endangered Species' Coalition .1.(614) 326-3633 or .the Ohio P.ublic Interest Research Group at 791- 1116,

. f/the owi can't adapt to the superiority a/humans, then scr.ew it: '·

-Rush Limbaugh

To ask What a species is good/or. · is the height 0/ ignorance. , ' -Aldo Leopold,

\I L--1 L __ ~ L----.J

Not ready for the big one The U.S. Coast .Guard recently conducted an exercise io test the ability oOocal authorities to .. respond to a chemical spill in-the Cleveland area. Whil~ the exercise gave agencies a chancf; to 'practice cooperation, it did little to prepare the region for a major spill on· Lake Erie. Little· einergency .response cap~.bility

. is based on the Great Lakes, even though the lakes are especially vulnerable to spills. Rapid response teams funded by . the petroleum industry' ar~ based .on the o.cean coasts:

' Congressional hearings. several years ago found that the Great Lakes lacks equipment.to respond to. spi ll s. In addition, the Coast Guard's. Mari~e Safety programs to inspect·shlps have. been cut to the. bone, and the . EPNs storage tank· inspe.ction programs are also short-:staffed ..

. A worst~case acCident in . Cleveland wou1d invoive the

EcoCiTY' ClEVElANd :0 ' May 1995

" sudde~ rupture of one ofihe . huge petroleum storage tank~ in the Flats,

Bringing home sewage to light

· The Friends of the Cro·oked River and the Cuyahoga River Rem~dial Action Plan are .

· co ll aborating on an e9ucationa~ video ~n home sewage sy~tem

.' management. . Poorly maint.airied sep~ic systems are a major water quality problem in Northe~st Ohio: In Cuyahoga County alone, there are 18,000 homes with individual septic systems. Most are old ~nd s!Jbstandard. Many homeowners, however,· don't understand t~eir systems and don't realize they are responsibfe for fouling local streams \:yhen their septic systeJ11s fai.1.

Indirectly. failing septic systems also ·prom:o.te urban sprawl. The Ohio EPA '

. frequently forces areas with large humbers of inadequate septic systems to tic.into

· municipal sewage plan~s. The new sewer' lin.es then open up the area to more intense deve.lopment (which, ironically,. degrades local streams 'in othe.~ .

:. ways through increased runoff).

Organic farm a,",d garden tours The Ohio Ecological Food and F~ Association's' 13th annual .farm and gardeJ1. tour seri.es ·runs . from June 17 through September 16. This summer's series featUres 15 farms around the state which illustrate . ecologically-sou nd faf!11ing methods and local food marketing programs, For more infonnatioit, call (614) 294· FOOD,

Students aid global research )lay High School is one of II Ohio schools participating in GLOBE, the Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment'program. Students· will help evaluate satel lite imagery and share data witil students' in more th!ID 13.0 countries via the Internet.

, "

Pressure pOints • Ta,>c:ing transportation alternative~. It's been sad to watch

local politici~s attempt to renovate' Cleveland Stadium for the Browns on !he.oack of transportation a lternatives. Cuyahoga County Commissioner Lee W,?ingart advocates diverting sales tax revenue from RT A. Other politicians favor a parking tax. While a parking tax ~ight.discourage a few commuters to stop driving (a positive change), it also would create an incentive to pro~ote driving a~d parki.ng ,to pay ,offthe,stadi~n,t bon~s. It

,'also would disprpportioo!!tely affect')owAwage offic.e w,-o.rker~ . . • M~n~or Lagoons. Powerful Mentor developers Rich~d' al1d

Jerome Osborne recently ~on court approval to QUY Mentor ,Lagoons, one of the most precious stretches of undevelop.ed lakefront in Ohio. Now it's ~p to the city of M~ot'or to pursue eminent qomain tq. protect this unique natural area, , .

• Ohio EPA stands tall on Tinkers Creek. In the face of intense pressure from develope~s. the Ohio, EPA has d~nied·.a wetlands permit to relocate nearly a quarter mile of Tinkers Creek and fill wetlands in Twinsburg. The Whitlatch development company had. proposed to move the creek to mak.e way for a superstore development at 1-480 and . SR 91, [n rejecting'the application, Ohio EPA ~irector Donald ' , Schregardus wrote that the project Ilwill result in both short and, long tenn impacts on water quality in Tinkers Creek which is the largest tributruy to the Cuyahoga River. .. I a~preciate the efforts made,by you to ameliorate

,damage d1]fing construction; hqwever, tbCfre· is no.evi~ence that the quality,ofthe habitat which, e~ists in Tinkers Cre~k can be successfully dup'lieated 'in the 'relocated' channel.1! Puttin~ adde(lpress~re on Ohio . EPA, facithat the Ohio,oepaltplent of Natural Resources caved 10

to,I:\t.ede,'elclper and approved tl\e p,roject. On tb,iwinning si'le, wetland activists in the region deserve credi,tfor making a strong case to

I' p,roted the creek,

, • Sewer spr;twi. LoraiIi County and'North Ridgeyille are J'lannin~ to extend a sewer line to open up thousands ofacies to development in the west e'nd of the city and neighboring Eaton Township. One motivation forthe extenslon is to reach more customers to provide more revenue; to improve North Ridgev'ille's French Creek WaStewater Treatment PI.ant.

'Thus infraStructure creates ineentives to buiJd more infrastructure. , ~ TaxatIon without anfle~ation. House Bill 269 in the Ohio

General Assembly would, allow the fo~atio.n· of jOint economic ' development districts so cities can reap taxes from businesses jn ru~arby townships withou't formally annexing the land, The measure could ' , accelelate urban sprawl by making it easy for citiesto extend city services !\'ithout the pofitical hassles of annexation.'

. , NII,dina tops sprl'lwl. Medina County had the fastest population growth in Northeast O~io between '1990 wid 1994, according to ' the Northeast Ohio Ar~awide ' Coordinating,Agency, Medina County's population grew 8.7 pc;rcent to 133,405, Meanwhile, CUY,ahoga County lost 0.6 percent oUts popUlation,

• Too late now;Bainbridge Twp. residents are concerned that a proposed office, complex at US 422 and Chillicothe Road will open their area of Geauga County to more commercial development. Of course, that ~as the whole idea behinQ the state's investment in the YS 422 highway extension.

" • ,Why waste time with democracy1"WeJust move quickly on everything. l'm not a· procrastinator.~' (Ohio Tl:Irnpike Commission chainnan Umberto Fedeli qupted in th,e PD on w..hy, the~e was.n!? public notice' of a surp'rise.toll hike to pay for new lanes on tbetumpike,)

J3 ' '1 1

I

GLEANINGS

Environmental grantma.l<ing A number of local foundations support environmental' and urban initiatives "in' the region. Here is a.s,!mmary afrecent grant activity.

• . The George Gu.nd:. Foundation

(March 1995) . • TI;t.e Nature Conservancy, riati.onal ·

freshwater biodiversity classification system

• Ohio &. Erie Canal Corridor Coalition, education .and technical assistance 'On. corrid"or ' planning, $18;000 over two years . .

• NavarreIBethlehem Township Historical . Society,. canal gre;enway action guidelines,

$4,650. . • Cuyahoga Valley Scenic:Railway

Association, maste~ plan implementation, . . $350,000 over three years. .

and appli~ation in the . Great Lakes and Ohi·o, fijl-....... -IiIJII",· .. _-..

• Shaker Lakes Regional ' Nature Center, full-time natura!ist, $40,000 over t'?t'o years.

$450,000 over. three years. • Detroit Educational

Te!evision Foundation, "Great Lakes Alive" .. documentaries and outreach, $70,000 ov~r two years. .

• ~ocietY of . Environmental Journalists,· workshops on "takings" is,ue" $25,000 .. . .• Chagrin River Land

O;mservancy, rri·erger and startup for watershed-based land· trust,

·$25,000. over two years.. .. Sierra Club Founaation, Inner City

Outings national conference at Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center, $5,000. .

• ·Ohio Erivironmental Council, grassroots . . organrzing and,coon;tination of the Campaign

for an Energy Efficient Ohio, $i05,000. • Safe Energy Communication Cou~cil,

media and. public inJomiation for the Ca.rt?-paign for an Energy Efficient Ohio, . $80,000. .

• Center for Clean Air Policy, technical aSsistance for the Campaign for an Energy ' Efficient Ohio, $80,000. ' .

• Sierra Club Foundation, Ohio coalition on sustainable transportation, $30,0.00.

• Citizen's Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste, Alliance of Citizen Organizers program in Ohio, $15,000.

• In Defense of Endangered Species, . workshop on the EQ.dangered SpeCies Act

reauthorization, $10,000. • Cuyahoga Valley Trails Council! natural

history guide of the Cuyah.oga.. Valley National Recreation Area Towpath Trail, $15,000.

• Cuyahoga V.alley .Association, book on the Cuyahoga Valley Nationa~ Recreation · Area, $45,000 over two years.

• Ohio .Canal Corridor, prom.otion of the Ohio & Erie Can·al Heritage CorridQr, $40,000.

l4

.-Greater Cleveland Roundtable, film project abqut Shaker Heights! "Struggle for ~ntegration,!I $72,997: • Greafer-Cleveland Roundtable, economic education in Cleveland's

. African-American community and creation of a .com~unity-based

capital pool, $65;000. . . • Cleveland State-Dniversity,

NeighborhoodLink Proj'ect, $31,128 . • Case Western Reserve U~iversity,

RegiQnal Economics Institute Sp·onsors Program, $100,000 ov'er two years.

• Council for Adult and ExperientIal Learning, Cleveland workforce development programs, $50,000. .

• Greater Clevel.!md Habitat for Humanity, urban initiativ~, $40,000. ·

• WECO Fund, . community .development . credit union organizat~on, $40,000.

·OhioCDC Association, operating su!'port, $20,000. . • National

Neighborhood'Coalition, operating support, $17,500.

• Lakewood Christian Service Center, development of housing · options for Lakewood residents, $5,000'-

. .• The Enterprise Foundation, National ~ommunity Developmen~ ·Initiative meeting in Cleveland, $2,000.

• NeighbQrhood Progress Inc., Cleveland neighborhood ·revitalization activities, . . $2,000,000 over three years.

• St. Vincent Quadrangle, streetscape and .. design ~ervices, $66,700. .

• Detroit Shorewa"y Community Develop~en·t Organization, Gordon Square · Arcade gatlery renovation, $6,000.

• The Nord Family Foundation (1994 grants) .

• Citizens. for Economic Growth (Anlherst), comprehensive zoning pl~n for growth management~ $18·,000 .

. • City QfNorth Ridgeville, educational prograrti for ·users of composted bio-solids, $30,570.

~ Community Foundation of Greater Lo.rain County fcir L.orain County Chamber ·of Commerce, development of a regional planning process for Lorain County, $25,000.

• EcoCity Cleveland, support' of en,Yironmentai.journal, $15,000.

• South Lorain Community Development .Corporation, housing rehabilitation, $50,000.

• Corporation· for Educational RadiQ and Television (New York); PBS series on reclaiming urban neighborhoods, $10,000.

• New Organization for the .Visual Arts, art and activism project, $5,000.

• lhel525 and Second Foundations (past six months)

• Clean-Land, Ohio., Trees for Tomon:ow planting program, $50,000.

• Cleveland· Bicentennial Commission, ·Settler's Landing Park development, ~

$300,000. . • Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway,

extension of rail ·service to downtown qeveland and Akron, $250,000. .

• Ohio State University Extension, urban gard~ning program, $5,000. . • WVIZ-TV" naturi: . programming, $8,250.

• OhiO Enviro·nmental Education Fund . (Spring 1995) . • Lake !yletroparks, enyironmental ec!ucation program for ele~entary school siudents, $~,533.

• Friends of the Crooked River, video oil home sewage system maintenance, $31,700.

• Cleveland State University Geology Dept., study .of Tuscarawas River, $27,186, . . • Cuyahoga ComIIi~nity College, Globai Issues Resource Cen·ter, $:?6,850.

• Clean-Land Ohio, Ilbuy "recycled ll

program, $25,000. 0 . '

EcoCiT)l ClEVElANd 0 May 1995

'.

BIOREGIONAL CALENDAR

June 17 Summer wildflowers, folklore and identification, Stanford Trailhead o(the

· Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Anm ·1 .. .. . , p.m .

June 17 1 Weed Nt F~ed Banqu.et fundraiser for the·

iii· . Sierra Club at the Taverne of

Richfield. Dandelion chef Peter ~ . .. I qaiI"will discuss edible weeds and

assist in the harvesting. and . cooking of unusual weed di!!hes.

$25 per person. c::all George Coder at 221-6319 for details. . .

June 18 ' Tour of the oak forest ecosysteD:l restoration project at the Cleveland Metroparks ;Brecksville .Reservation, 2 p.m. at the Oak Grove Picnic Area Shelterhouse.

June 21 Annual meeting and awardS luncheon of the

· Cleveland Neig·hborhood Development Corpo·ration, 1.1 :30 a.m .. at the State Theater .in Playhouse Square. Call 687-0177 for details .

June 21-23 Healthy Com,!,unities Action Proje~t of the National 9v.ic League meeting in Cleveland. For info"nation, ca)1 (303) 571-4343. '

June 22 Friends of the Black ·River tour of Ross Env.ironmental Services hazardous waste incinerator, 6: p.m. M·eet at the Ross

. . administration building, 35716 Royalton Rd., Grafton. . .

·June 24 · Hike to explore beaver pond ecology. Meet at

1 0 ~.m. in the parking lot at Riverview and Vaughn roads in the Cuyahoga Valley National ·Recreation Area. Bririg waterproof . footwear and lunch.

Jun.e 24 L~arn. t.;. can·oe in a Red Cross program offered by the Geauga Park District, 8 a.m. to noo.D, Lake Kelso in BurtOJ:l. Preregister at 285-2222. ' .

June 25 ·Tour d~. Cleveland bike rally sponsored by . the Cleveland ~aterfront Coalitioll"~d the American Lung. Association to promote clean air and a lakefront bikeway. Call 771-2666 or 781 , 5656 for details.

June 25 Landscaping for wi~dlife, a hike to discov.er ways to make backyards more appealing to bird~ and butterflies, Kendall Lake Shelter of the CVNRA, 1:30 p,m.

June 27 Circle dancing at 7 p.m. at"the Crownpoint

EcoCiT)l ClEVElANd 0 May 1995

Ecology Learn"ing Center, 3220 Ira Rd. in Bath. Call 666-9200. .

June 28 Sierra Club Northeast Ohio Group meeting; 7:30 p.m .. at the Cleveland Metroparks Mill Stream Run Royal View Shelter. Picnic at 6:30 p.m. with hike following. . ..

June 30-July Z Ohio River Summer"Bioregional · Gathering at Knobstone Fa~ near Salem IN. Call (317) 846-6671 for information. '

July I .

S.ummer solstice' events June 21

Creatures ofCh·ippewa Creek, an in-~reek expl?ratiQn of how and why water quali.ty is important for insects, fish, birds and · mammals. Cleveland Metroparks Brecksville Reservation River Ford parking lot, 10 a,m. For gra~es· 4-6 with adult companion; Call 526-1012 to register.

. • W~l~ome 11]0 s'¥lrise an(l'th~ beginning of summer, 5:30 a.m. atHuntington ,Woods

.Juiy 2 Tallgrass prairie re.storatio.n tour, 2 p.m. at the Cleveland Metroparks Brecksville Nature Center. . . , .

July 2 . Night work ·on the Ohio & Erie Canal, ·a reenactment"of life along the cartal towpath through the Pinery Narrows,. Station Road . Bridge Trailhead of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Atea, 8:30-.10 p.m.

July 6 . EcoCity Cleveland. editor David Beach will ·speak on the early environm~ntal . movement in Cleveland, at the Peace House · Summer Supper Seminar series, Friends Meeting House, 10916 Magnolia Dr. in Un!versity Circle. P'?tluck supper .begins at 6:30 p.m. and the program begins a17:30.

. Reservation in Bay Village. '!Solstjce muffins"· piovi4ed.

." Celebration at the Crown Point Ecology Leafuing Center, 3220 Ira Rd, in .. Bath; froIIi 7 to 9 p.!U. Cali 666-9200 to RSVP:.

• Celebration atTowne~t~ W:pods.near Krlnt at'7 p.m. Sponsored by PLACK

July 7-9 "Birds in the Balance,." the bienniar Great Lakes Conference of the National Audubon ~ociety in Olivet, Ml For registration information, call (6.\4)224-3303.

July 9 . A walking geologiC history of ledges along the Cuyahoga River. Meet at the Octagon Shelter off Truxeil Road in the Cuyahoga Valle~ National Recreation Area at 1 p.m.

/ Board meetings of regional agencies'· . . "\ Here are the regular? monthly meetirig time~ of agencies that are shaping our region.

Call to conftrm.· . , .

• Clevelan.d-Cuyahoga County Port Authority: Ie)} Eri~side Ave. ·Clev~land, 241-8004. Friday of first fuJI week at 10 a.m. . .

• Cleveland Metroparks, 4101 Fulton Parkway, C'leveland, 351-6300. Second and fourth Thursdays at 9 a.m. . . - • Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, 323 LR:keside Ave. West, Cleveland, 443-3700. Sef ond Tuesday at 2 p.m. . ,

. •. G~e~ter Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA), St~te Office Buildi~g~ 615 Super~or Ave. NW, Cleveland, ·566-5100. F.irst and third Tuesdays at 9 a.m. . .

. ~ North~ast.Ohio Area~ide Coordinating Agen~y (NOACA), 668 Euclid Ave., . . . CleveJ~d, 24.1-2414. Board meet~ng second Friday at 9:30 a.m. Tran~portation Advisory

Committee third Thursday at 10 B.rn. . . • Northeast Ohio R~gional ·S~wer District, 3826 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 881-6600.

First and third Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. '.' . : .

-, rl· J5

I

• .. .

MAP OF THE MONTH

Cuyahoga River' tributaries

. . Map by Tomiya Mollohan from the Friends ofthc Crooked River Ri l'erDuy Book J?~5

.J.?" .' . . . . . ' . . .

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FORWARDiNG AND RE1URN . POSTAGE GUARJ',NTEED ADDRESS CORRECTION REOUESTED

I: Kingsbury Run 2: Morgan Rlm .

· 3. Burk Branch 4. 'Big Creek 5. Mill Creek 6. Tinkers Creek

- 7. 'Pond Brook 8. Chippew", Creek, 9. -Brandywine Creek

10. Stanford Run · 11 . Slipper Run

12. Boston 'Run 13. Haskell Run . . 14. Ritchie Run '15 . Salt Run '16. Dickerson Run 17. Langes Run . 18. Robinson Run 19. Furnace Run 20. Yellow Creek

, 21. North Fork 22 Woodward Creek 25. Mud Brook 24. Powers Brook ~5 . Little Cuyahoga River

· 26. Springfield Lake Out~et

27. Wingfoof Lake Outlet 28. Fish Creek 29. ·Plum CreeK 30. Breakneck Creek 31', Potter Creek 32, Black Brook 35. Sawyer Brook 34. Bridge Creek ' 35. West Branch ,' ~6. Butternut Creek 37. Tare Creek

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