Stockton Preserve Project being evaluated for One Planet endorsement
Stockton. September 1, 2009.
BioRegional
North America has been commissioned by developer A.G.
Spanos Companies to help architecture firm Gensler
develop a comprehensive Sustainability Action Plan for the
Preserve - a proposed 8,000-unit mixed-use development in Stockton,
California. The draft Sustainability Action Plan has informed the project's
recently announced Master Development Plan. BioRegional is expecting
a finalized draft of the Sustainability Action Plan to be submitted
late this fall to our arms-length Expert Review Board for consideration
as an offical endorsed project. The Expert Review Board rigorously assesses
a development's ability to deliver on this statement: "If everyone
in the world lived in similar communities, we would be truly sustainable."
Endorsement is a sign of deep green leadership; for every 3 projects
that develop Sustainability Action Plans, only 1 will meet the full
criteria for endorsement.
Due to several online articles that have incorrectly identified the
Preserve as an official endorsed project, BioRegional has released an
official
clarification on the status of the project as a candidate
One Planet Community.
(more…)
New Study on Carbon Footprint of Neighborhoods to be Launched at LF09
Portland. May 7, 2009.
BioRegional
and green developer Codding Enterprises
have been invited to launch a major new report in a plenary address
at the sold-out Living
Future conference - easily the most advanced green building gathering
in North America. The study compares the total carbon footprint of households
in various green building scenarios. The report finds that to reach
"truly sustainable" levels, US households must achieve a 75%
reduction in total carbon footprint. Households in a LEED-ND Platinum
project achieve only an 18% reduction - indicating that green buildings
and smart growth planning are an important step but clearly are not
enough. To learn more about the study's findings on bridging that gap,
drop in on the conference Thursday May 7.
(more…)
Kite-skiiers on longest unsupported polar expedition promote "one planet living"
Greenland. May 7, 2009.
A
British and two Canadian adventurers will be attempting a unique unsupported
traverse of the full length of Greenland, from the Atlantic Ocean on
the south coast to the Arctic Ocean on the north coast between May and
July 2009 to draw attention to the need for "one planet living".
The team will also raise awareness of the effects of global warming
on the Greenland ice cap and carry out scientific monitoring. Using
the power of the wind to kite ski and haul 150kg sleds for 2 months
over a 3500km route that has never been done before, the Emirates NBD
Greenland Quest will also likely be the longest unsupported Arctic Polar
journey in history. Become a fan of the Greenland
Quest Facebook page!
(more…)
BioRegional win Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship
Oxford. March 26, 2009.
Labelled
"the Davos of social entrepreneurship" by the Observer, the
Skoll World Forum on Social
Entrepreneurship is the gathering of the world's leading social
entrepreneurs. At this year's Forum, One Planet Communities co-founders
Sue Riddlestone and Pooran Desai were presented with the Skoll Award
by Ebay founder Jeff
Skoll and Dr
R K Pachauri, Nobel prize-winning chair of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). BioRegional was selected as one of seven
organizations leading in the areas of tolerance and human rights, health,
environmental sustainability, peace and security, and economic and social
equity.
(more…)
One Brighton construction in full swing
Brighton. March 20, 2009.
Sustainable construction is progressing smoothly at One Brighton in
the English seaside resort town of Brighton, according to Daniel Viliesid,
the developer's Sustainability Integrator. "The external walls and the
clay blocks are all complete. 60% of the wood fibre insulation and 50%
of the render is up. 54 of the 172 apartments will be ready for handover
this summer. The wood-fired boiler is now on site, ready to be installed
and commissioned over the next 2 months. The PV panels are installed
and ready to be commissioned. The brown roof is there and ready to be
seeded with tailor-made Brighton seed mix. The in-vessel composting
equipment known as Big
Hanna has been ordered and will be delivered soon". Read
more about innovations during construction, such as renewable site
electricity and biodiesel generators...
(more…)
Worldchanging.com: Is Green Suburbia Possible?
Seattle. February 2009.
We recently gave Adele Peters of e-magazine Worldchanging.com
a tour of Sonoma Mountain Village. Adele's article suggests: "The
community is a good example of how developers can go far beyond the
highest LEED standards by taking an approach to sustainability that
considers the full system. "
Head of UNEP addresses first-ever "One Planet Conference"
London. December 4, 2008.
Today, Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Environment Programme,
addressed a sold-out crowd in London, UK at BioRegional's One Planet
One Day convergence. Watch
the Youtube video as Achim describes the One Planet program as the
vanguard of a global movement towards a green economy, and calls for
our partners to work with UNEP to provide the solutions that will drive
this transition forward. We invite you to learn more about the conference...
Presentations are available here.
Photos of the day are available on flickr - here
. The Sustainability Action Plan for the event is available - here.
Governor Schwarzenneger names Sonoma Mountain Village Winner of Environmental Leadership Award
California. December 2, 2008.
Today, Governor Schwarzenegger announced that Sonoma Mountain Village
has won the 2008 Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award
(GEELA)for its plans as the first One Planet Community in the United
States. GEELA is California's highest and most prestigious environmental
honor. Sonoma Mountain Village won the sole award for Comprehensive
Land Use Planning. "I'm proud to honor this year's award recipients
for their sustained commitment, innovative solutions, and strategic
investment to protect our environment and boost our economy," said
Governor Schwarzenegger. "Tonight's honorees have shown extraordinary
leadership in modeling environmental stewardship with long-term goals
in mind."
One Brighton named Residential development of the year
London, UK. 22 November 2008.
One
Brighton has been awarded "Estates Gazette Residential Development
of the Year". The respected Estates Gazette Green Awards highlight
and reward excellence in sustainable development and raise environmental
awareness.
Dwell Magazine declares Sonoma Mountain Village "Best in the US"
California. October 2008.
Dwell Magazine, North America's highly respected industry publication
for modern architecture and design, had this to say about Sonoma Mountain
Village in the October 2008 edition: "Naturally, sustainability
guides the design, from framing made from locally recycled cars to alternative
energy for all 1,900 homes. A "five-minute living" layout
makes it easy to walk to the daily farmer's markets in the town center,
and a local business incubator encourages residents to cut down on car
commutes."
One Gallions planning application submitted
London, UK. 1 August 2008.
Crest
Nicholson and BioRegional Quintain today submitted their proposals for
the One Gallions sustainable community development for planning permission.
The exemplar development will provide 260 new homes and set a benchmark
for sustainable zero carbon twenty first century living in London.
One Planet Communities Lecture @ American Institute of Architects
Boston. May 15 2008.
![]()
BioRegional North America Executive Director Greg Searle will be addressing
some of the nation's top architects on May 15th at the American
Institute of Architects 2008 National Convention, on a panel alongside
green building pioneers Bob Berkebile (BNIM) and Pliny Fisk (CMPBS).
The continuing education seminar, entitled "Breakthrough Community Design
Planning", will discuss Zero Carbon, Zero Waste, and the ambitious objectives
of the One Planet Communities program. ![]()
(more…)
National article on Sonoma Mountain Village
Washington DC. May 3 2008.
Saturday's
Washington Post real estate section ran an article entitled "In
California, Building a Town With a Gentle Footprint". The article
provides a good overview of approaches used at Sonoma Mountain Village,
and states that "'The most interesting aspect of this project could
be ... creating a sense of community and a consensus for living within
a smaller ecological footprint."
Green Buildings + Green Lifestyles
Vancouver. April 2008.
We
were invited to speak this year at our favorite green building conference,
the Cascadia Green Building Council's Living
Future "Unconference". In addition to co-presenting on the Sonoma
Mountain Village One Planet Community project with green building &
energy gurus KEMA,
Greg Searle was also invited to address the plenary with "15 minutes
of brilliance". He used the opportunity to launch the Green
Living Manifesto - a call to arms for green building professionals
to also focus on green lifestyles. Treehugger says: "yet another affirmation
... that green buildings or sustainable technologies are not enough
in themselves - social solutions are just as vital if we are ever going
to dig ourselves out of the mess we have created. An initiative well
worth supporting."
BioRegional Behind Reality TV Show
New York. April 2008.
Wa$ted,
the reality eco-TV show that BioRegional helped develop and film, debuts
April 15 at 7pm on TLC. The show was developed as a flagship for the
new Discovery Planet Green channel, which launches in June. BioRegional
provided the Wa$ted team with footprint reduction science and tactics
to provide "sustainability makeovers" to ordinary American households.
Participating families implementing BioRegional's advice have achieved
a 30% average reduction in ecological footprint, and created some compelling
TV. Check the
website for future shows.
Sustainability Report Released
California. April 2008.
April
2008. Developer Codding Enterprises
and BioRegional have published a Sustainability
Action Plan Report for Sonoma Mountain Village - America's first
official One Planet Community. The report includes a "mini-plan" for
each of the Ten One Planet Principles, and details how the suburban
neighborhood of almost 1900 homes plans to slash total direct emissions
by 83% (down to just 2.6 tons CO2 per year per household). The One Planet
Community will meet the targets laid out in California's stringent AB32
emissions reduction law 5 years early, and by 2020 will radically exceed
the targets (AB32 requires a 25% GHG reduction state-wide).
One Planet Community Under Construction in Brighton
Brighton, UK. August 2007.
August
2007. Construction has started on the One
Brighton project in Brighton, UK this summer, and homes are now
for sale. The 1st official One Planet Community to begin construction,
One Brighton is a zero-parking development with renewable energy generated
onsite from a waste biomass Combined Heat and Power Plant, and a "green
lifestyles concierge" for residents.
RIBA and BioRegional Host Architecture and Climate Change Dialogues
London. August 2007.
The
Royal Institute of British
Architects (RIBA), in partnership with the One Planet program,
are hosting "International Dialogues: Architecture and Climate Change".
This major programme continues this autumn with a series of talks exploring
climate change and the ecology of places and spaces around the world.
Bringing together visionary thinkers, practitioners and policy-makers
from a range of disciplines to consider new possibilities and partnerships
in the global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, this
series focuses on the social, cultural and environmental role of our
urban landscape in the transformation towards a low carbon world. Curated
by Tamara Horbacka, RIBA Trust.
British Housing Award for One Gallions
London, UK. 31 May 2007.
One
Gallions announced as winner of the BHA Housing Project of the Year
award, sponsored by the Mail on Sunday. The judging panel, Chaired by
Michael Manser, CBE, one of the most distinguished architects of the
recent decades, commented, "The [One Gallions] project shows excellent
use of sustainable technology and innovative solutions towards the low
and zero-carbon challenge."
Sarah Hartley, Deputy Property Editor, The Mail on Sunday, praised the
project saying, "Communal rooftop gardens where residents can grow
their own fruit and vegetables are a unique feature of One Gallions,
by Crest Nicholson (Eastern) and BioRegional Quintain.
One Planet Suburbs Report
London. March 2007.
BioRegional has just released a new report entitled ONE PLANET LIVING
IN THE SUBURBS. It examines the challenges and opportunities of creating
a more sustainable society and identifies some of the real hurdles facing
the UK government in its commitment to cut carbon emissions by 60 per
cent by 2030. This case study focuses on Solihull in the UK, but the
lessons learned, and the suggested targets for ecological footprint
reduction for other suburbs, are worth a look for a wider international
audience.
BedZED Cover Story in Urban Land
Washington DC. June 2006.
The Urban Land magazine's green issue this month features a cover story
by Stella Tarnay on the BedZED urban eco-neighborhood that inspired
the One Planet Communities program. BioRegional and architect Bill Dunster
began planning BedZED in the mid-1990s, and it was completed in 2002,
jam-packed with sustainability features that only now are being considered
in cutting edge developments in North America. "BedZED's environmental
achievements suggest that neighborhood-scale sustainable development
can go much further than has been imagined in the USA."
Achim Steiner - Executive Director, UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT
PROGRAM

Sonoma Mountain Village, USA
One Brighton, UK
Mata de Sesimbra, PORTUGAL
One Gallions, UK
BedZED,
UK
Masdar
City , UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Hill
East, Washington DC, USA
Sibaya,
SOUTH AFRICA
Panyu,
CHINA
London
2012 Olympics
Footprint
Reductions on TV