{o ,^ove forpoarA, cowvt^,u*ities tteet, b l,z.
l<e a staT back
a*d, weate a lovtg-terw snstair" abilitg
a*A,gor jr.rst wigitt, be the ?e$orL to gat goilr citg's starteA,.
a movement toward more sustainable com-
ities are stories of regular people leading the way
g action in all areas ofsustainable living.
Daniel Wallach's story, for example. He
wife, Catherine Hart, lost their life savings
I bills while living in Colorado. They
in rural Stafford County, Kan., where
ed start a local foods co-op that served
residti@,'In the towns of Pratt and Greensburg.
\{hen F*:7*nile-wide tornado destroyed just about
every.thing in r.5-mile-wide Greensburg, Wallach
found himself once again with a blank slate. He
advocated for the town to be rebuilt green, and
today, just four years later, it's a global model for
what's possible.
John Heneghan's approach to sustainability was
to work through the channels of local government.
Heneghan was elected to city council when citizens
of Dunwoody, G&., a suburb of Atlanta, voted for
the suburb to become its own city. Committed to
making the maze of suburban sprawl more walkable
and bike-friendly before the new city started
operating, he attended a Green Communities
workshop given by a regional planning agency.
Heneghan spearheaded the creation of a citizens'
advisory board to help Dunwoody pursue certification
for implementing policies and practices that reduce
its overall environmental impact. As a result, the
7 2 URBAN FARM o urbanfarmontine.com
Vla*-
BY PATTIE BAKIR
city was awarded Certified Green Community
status on December 1, 2o1o.
Holly Freishtat's story bears some similarities to
Heneghan's. While living in Washington state,
Freishtat worked with institutions to make her
community more sustainable. She connected
hospitals and retirement communities with local
farmers and developed a program to teach low-
income students about nutrition through gardening
and cooking. Freishtat also coordinated the develop-
ment of the first USDA-inspected mobile slaughter
facility in the country, thereby enabling small farmers
to process meat on their farms. When Freishtat
moved back to her hometown of Baltimore, she was
hiredas its first food policy director.
Before he could get solar panels installed on the
roof of his home in Salem, Ore., Larry Lohrman
had to amend the covenants of his Creekside
Estates neighborhood homeowners' association.
Lohrman spent nine months working to change the
covenants and, as a result, changed minds, raised =
awareness and helped homeowners across the
z
country change their neighborhood rules.
These four people are on the front lines of a
growing movement to create more sustainable o
communities. They have different points of entry- E
green building, livability, alternative transporta-
z
tion and energy, food-but the sustainability
 *
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":+ffi.
*:s

1 4 URBAN FARM . rrbanfarmoniine.com

 But green? Greensburg residents told Wallach
that they didn't want to carry the stigma of being
left-leaning, liberal tree-huggers. "Greensburg is
the most conseruative part of a very politically con- Wind turbines
servative state," Wallach explains, "yet so many take advan-
green attributes are really basic, sound principles tage af
that were already embodied in the community's 6reensbut'g's
ancestors. These include using windmills, building natural power
with the sun's orientation in mind, living off the re50urces.
tand by hunting and fishing, and being tied to
nature in ways that are truly authentic." Going
green for Greensburg was not as big of a stretch as In exanirting
it might have seemed at first glance. sustainability,
As city officials embarked on a comprehensive plan question your
io rebuild Greensburg as a model of sustainable liv- tity's ciedica-
ing, Wallach launched Greensburg GreenTown, a tion to rety-
- grassroots, community-based organization that cling facilities.

E
z
E

movement is diverse and multifaceted. These people

have a lot to teach us about making our communities
more sustainable.

i=: :: ii *.i 3-: l=: :

=
-.= i: :=i * i::i1 ::
=
According to a t987 report by the United Nations,
"sustainability" is the ability to meet society's
present needs without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own.
Although most people immediately associate
sustainability with the environment, it also
includes economic and social aspects, such as
creating robust local businesses and ensuring that
no segment of society (like the poor) gets cut out
of the good stuff (sidewalks, green space, farmers'
markets) while shouldering more of the burdens
(landfills and recycling plants).
Why would a city even want to become more
sustainable? Because sustainable cities use less
energy and produce less waste. They make it easier
for residents to walk and ride bikes, thereby
improving their health. They make it easier for
seniors to "age in place." They prepare children for
the challenges of a changing world and are more
resilient in the face of disasters and emergencies.
=

-".'"
"Greensburg was utterly devastated and materially
depleted by that tornado," Wallach says, "and z
there was a hunger to make something positive out =
of it."

MARCH/APRIL 2011 1 5
"What is your vision for the
Dunwoody regarding sustainabi[ity?"
That's what I asked every candidate for
city counciL when residents in my Littte
sLice of suburbia voted to become a new
city. A seasoned btogger, I [aunched a new
bLog named SustajnabLe DunwoodY
(www.sustainabtedunwoody.com) so fo[ks
could see what choices a brand-new city
faced regarding sustainabiLity.
About half of the candjdates responded.
I heard encouraging answers invoLving
waLking and biking, creating a farm/Life
museum, and expanding our meager green
CitY of a committee of cjtizens, and advocating
for sustainab[e practices and policies at
city haLL. I was then chosen as a member
of the comprehensive [and-use-plan steering
committee, which gave me the opportunity
to hear about community issues, learn
from other citizens as weLL as consuttants,
and advocate for sustajnability attributes
to be integrated jnto the 20-year ptan for
our new city.
I joined fellow citizen actjvists
(activist? When did I become an activist?)
to starl the first community garden in our
city, which serves as an jncubator for other

space. Inevitabty. a few candjdates aLso gardens and an example of sustainability I've a[so learned:
questioned, "What's sustainabitity?" principles in actjon. I eventuaLLy resigned S Vision matters. A city can't ralLY

I didn't intend to get involved beyond
my btog, but when candidate-etect John
Heneghan and I attended the same Green
Communjties workshop given by the
At[anta Regional Commission in our neigh-
from the sustainabiLity commission to
focus more fuLLy on these gardens.
My city is siitl finding its way, and I've
found my place in our sustainability journey
as a "planter of seeds," both literally and
around a vision if there isn't one.
# "Going green" shoutd be fun (even
when jt's hard work). If jt's not, you're doing
something wrong or moving too fast.
& Passion is irreplaceab[e. When passion

boring city's LEED- (Leadership in Energy
and EnvironmentaL Design) certified city
haLt, a new direction emerged for my life.
Appointed the chairperson of the new
city's sustainabitity commission, I suddenLy
found myself working with city staff, Leading
figuratively. Two years ago, I never would appears in your city, harness jt and Let it run
have befieved I woutd be so familiar with in the direction of your city's dreams. Don't
our city's Leaders and issues. However, as a bog it down with bureaucracy.
result. I consider myself to be a better advo- S 0ne person can make a difference in
cate for sustainability close to home and your city. And you may be that person.
around the world. Baker
-Pattie

works hand in hand with the city to educate the
community, serve as a conduit for donations and
information, establish incentives to encourage
business and resident participation in building
green, and stimulate green economic develop-
ment. After four decades of decline, this small
rural city of fewer than t,ooo residents in south-
western Kansas now finds itself in the spotlight as
it aims to rebuild a prosperous future through
common-sense green solutions.
"If ihe folks in this little rural town can embrace
green living so enthusiastically, it can be done any-
where," Wallach says.
5*=Eesse*:LgEY 5**tu: ?*€g
Dunwoody faced a different kind of blank=?.e=E
slate.
On December 1, 2oo8, it became the newest city
in the United States and the rgth-largest city in
Georgia, with about 4o,ooo residents. Its first
two years of operation included the creation of a
comprehensive land-use plan and the kickoff of
various master plans, all of which contain or are
expected to contain references to sustainability.
However, with an established infrastructure, a
car-based culture, limited green space and divergent
opinions about how to preserve the past while
embracing the future, the green journey has not
been smooth or certain.
Councilman Heneghan remains focused on the
city's long-term sustainability. "I beiieve that when
I have the ability to make a difference, I have the
responsibility to do so," says Heneghan, who took
on many issues in his popular blog (www.dunwoody
north.blogspot.com) even before running for office.
"And I was hopeful we'd be able to make the small
changes needed to set us on a sustainable course as
a city. Now, those little things have the potential to
add up to make a big difference."
He offers this advice for those in Dunwoody and
elsewhere: "Citizens can help city officials stay
focused on sustainability by writing comments on
blogs and letters to the editor ofyour locai newspaper.
Elected officials definitely follow these exchanges of
ideas and opinions. I knowthis firsthand."

1 6 URBAN FARM . urbanfarmonline.com

 r. i: - .=1 j: 1.: !. : :,: t; ,:= ::,! :j
With an established sustainability plan,
Baltimore is focusing on six of its z9 sustainability
goals, including those related to food systems,
and it appointed Freishtat as its "food czar."
Freishtat says that title can be a misnomer
because, as she explains, "I'm not here to tell
people what to eat. I'm here to heip them have
access to choices."
Freishtat oversees the city's efforts to establish
Baltimore as a leader in sustainable, local food
systems through strategies such as increasing the
percentage of land under cultivation for agricultural
purposes, improving the quantity and quality of
products available at food outlets, increasing
demand for local food by schools and residents,
and developing an urban agriculture plan.
"I want to emphasize how important food policy
is," Freishtat says. "With strong local food policies,
a city can offer farmer-friendly terms, such
longer lease agreements, so urban farms can flourish
and increase access to healthy, affordable food in
food deserts and throughout the city."
i',:,:.
Folks who live in Creekside Estates in Salem, Ore.,
are not so different from the other 6o million peo-
=
z
I
a.: ;.: ,: '.]'.,: :-, ple in the United States who live in neighborhoods
with homeowners' associations. They want to
preserve the appearance oftheir neighborhoods so
they can maintain properly values; however, many
of these neighborhood associations have outdated
covenants that restrict practices increasingly seen
as desirable.
"When I asked the Architectural Review
Committee for approval to install a solar photo-
voltaic system on my house and it said no, I would
have gone about my business," explains Lohrman.
"However, my neighbor, Burt Bogart, wanted one,
too, and that kept me involved."
Lohrman chronicled the "solar story" on his
blog, Sustainable Creekside (um'w.sustainable
creekside.org), and he used the blog to educate
and connect with others in his neighborhood. He
sent a mailer to his neighbors to announce the
website and invite participation in a survey,
as which revealed support for solar. He and Bogart
then helped write new solar-installation guide-
lines for the neighborhood.
On Earth Day zoto, the Creekside Estates
Architectural Review Committee approved the new
t,..',. -,, t.'.'l solar guidelines. About six weeks later, the first
solar panels in the neighborhood were installed on
Bogart's roof.
tiiy lcntl set
aside for food
cultivatian is a
sign of c dty
rcmmitted to
a sustainabLe
food systern"
l"lARCH/APRiL 2011 1,1
Creerishurg,
itsn., rasir!e:tis
er-r:brcced
i?r.i-iiirs,
renet:irg *r:C
:ery:l.ing in
tneir reb*ili'
ing" e*Ctitctd
ir this sil,;
i:ane.

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&

=
o

ii"r0- snd
green-bt iiiCit:9i
reqlir*ri*ris
helped tro're
6reersl:urg's
sta<e 'it: a
Lruly green
folrt,r,

z
:c

Lohrman suggests that others who live in neigh-
borhoods with homeowners associations "read
your neighborhood's covenants, know your state
laws, communicate with your neighbors about
environmentally related issues, look for other
neighborhoods that have dealt with similar issues,
and be persistent."
a -t : ' food production and provide incentives for alterna-
Your city may already be on the sustainabilitv train, or
it could not yet be aboard. Take a look around,vou:
Are there bike lanes? Sidervalks? Parks? Are
there public recycling bins, farmers' markets,
community gardens, solar panels? Are people rep-
resenting all aspects of the communilv seruing on
commissions at city hall? Are there independent,
local businesses? Do schools have no idling, walk-
to-school, classroom composting and other "go
green" initiatives?
Does your ciqv purchase environmentally prefer-
able products and services, conserve water and
protect the cit1,'s trees? Does it encourage local
tive energy and other green-building features?
How about turning offpower overnight, supporting
transportation alternatives, using nontoxic and
native landscaping solutions, and encouraging or
requiring rec-vcling?

1 8 URBAN FARM . urbanfarmon[ine.com

 "g Form a sustainability advisory group.
€ CatL ;t the Green Team. Eco Group or
something catchy reLated to your area.
:]: Look at your HOA covenants. See if
d=they reflect current eco-reaLities and
make accommodatjons for energing ones.
Things to consider incLude:
on aLL that "seasonaI cotor" annuaI trans-
ptant stuff, too.)
* The aLlowance of small-scaLe food
production, such as front-yard vegetabLe
gardens and backyard chickens
'€ Rain harvesting/stormwater so[u-
tjons, such as rain barreLs, rain gardens

€ The aLlowance of soLar power (and and permeable pavement

not just on the "side of the house that
can't be seen"-that may or may not be
where the sun shinesl)
3i The allowance of recycled materials
for fences and pLay equipment
€ A broader color patette for roofs to
accommodate increased reflectivity (and,
€ Energy-efficient Lighting at your
neighborhood entrance
F The aLlowance of "solar drying"-
the clever term for clotheslines
-tr Gather baseline data. Figure out your n:e Determine and implement an actjon
*.3 neighborhood's recycting rate. What js
**plan. Consjder sending out a survey,
your city's average. and how does your creating a bLog and estabLishing a

thereby, reduced heat-isLand effect and neighborhood stack up? What'hood has the Facebook presence. Invjte feedback and
jncreased energy savings) most homegrown food? What subdivisjon participation from residents. Communicate
i:,Natjve, drought-toLerant Landscaping sees the highest number of kids watking or steps taken, actions jnjtjated and results
in your common areas (You'[L save money biking to schoot? achieved. Celebrate successes.

If these initiatives aren't immediately apparent,

consider whether you could be the sustainability
champion your community needs. Start with
research. Scan your city's long-term vision, some-
times called a general plan or comprehensive land
use plan. Learn about your city's intentions
regarding transportation, green space, real estate
development and more.
Read master plans for economic development,
transportation, parks and green space or particular
areas ripe for redevelopment. Inquire about a sus-
tainability plan or food-policy council. Check out
your chamber of commerce, too, for encourage-
ment of local businesses, specifically "green" ones,
which could be anlthing from a caf6 that claims
zero waste to a carpet-cleaning business that avoids
-
harmful chemicals.
The smallest step you can take is also the largest:
Get involved. Attend meetings at city hall.
Encourage your community leaders to consider
sustainable practices when making decisions.
Bring your children so they can see how decisions As Wallach recommends, "If you want to get Acrass the

affecting their future are made. involved in creating a sustainable city, just plant county, home-
tr
Some folks are swayed solely by numbers, so
lli::ih:::: ilo gllr-
awners' associ-
seeking out and sharing the details you uncover
::--::n::: 11 I"-11'111 aticns are
about sustainable practices may help engage people. Pattie Baker blogs about sustainability at FoodShed turning pra-
Some people respond weli to personal stories of Ptanet (wrrlov"fcods hedplanet. com) a nd writes for roaftop saldr
those trying to make a difference and to successes publications and corporations committed to suslajn- psneL.

from other cities around the world. Some people anitity. 5he'is an avid home and ccmmunity gardener
just want to see sustainability in action so they can and a 1O-year CSA member. She naw only altends
start to understand it better. meetings in her city that require a pitchfork.

|4ARCH/APRIL 2011 1 9