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Sustainability and the Legacy of Our Built Environments

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Start With The Concept of SUSTAINABILITY Very Simply able to be maintained Or the ability to meet our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs Or the potential longevity of vital human ecological support systems Or

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And Then Ask Some Basic Questions Am I sustainable? Do I live sustainably? Do you live sustainably? Is my way of life sustainable? Do we all live sustainably? What are the costs? Consequences? Short Term or Long Term?

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Then The Most Important Issue Is it mandatory that we live differently? Does our future depend on a sustainability model?

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So What Are We (You) Doing?

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Lets start with our Current Relationship to the Earth? Land consumption (development) since 1984 is more than development the previous 300 years. Between 1970 and 2000 the percentage of the USA population living in suburbs has grown from 38% to 50%. 37.4 % increase in suburban poverty from 2000- 2010 Between 1986 and 1997, an estimated 58,500 acres of wetlands were lost each year in the United States. Worldwide - that is about 60 acres per hour since 1780!

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Recreating Landscapes to Suit our Needs Not the Environment

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Degrading Water Supplies In The Process

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Fundamentally Changing Our Water Cycle

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To Fundamentally Change Our Environment

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Alter Stream Channels

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What do we do? Because we manipulate the Natural Environment to Build the Human Environment

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With Only Our Idea Of Land Improvement

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What Happens? With General Disregard for Natural Resources

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Creationg Ecosystem Wide Problems Extreme Siltation and Pollution of a Resource

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Into What Only We Consider Harmony With Nature?

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SoHow Did We Get Into This Model Of Land Use Anyway? We Value Private Ownership of Land Use of Land is a Local Issue A Local Government is Sustained By Tax Revenue Majority of Tax Revenue is Generated through Property Developed Property Increases Revenue

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Early Model Downtown as the center of Commerce and Residential Density Rural Areas as dispersed farms, mills and homes. Dispersed Environmental Impacts because much of the ecosystem unaltered But construction around water resources as a highway of commerce

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Downtown

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Blackwater Creek

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Mills

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Environmental Impacts Existent but consider the pattern of human use. Deforestation and Erosion Farms and remaining wilderness. But Consider the lack of Impervious Surfaces.

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Transitional Model Initial Model Downtown as the center of Commerce and Residential Density Rural Areas as dispersed farms, mills and homes Fundamental change from Rail to the Automobile Individual Mobility!!! Downtown as Crowded and Less Desirable Living *Fundamental Shift - Rural Areas as Shopping Centers and Neighborhoods

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Pittman Plaza Lynchburg Subdivisions Malls Interstates Parking Lots Development follows the rooftops

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Average Home Size 1970 1500 sq ft 1990 1700 sq ft 2003 2300 sq ft Family size over past 30 years decreases by 25% House size increases by 50%

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Environmental Impacts Increased Use of Land Per Capita Paved Surfaces Generation of Traffic Loss of Farmland Erosion, Sedimentation Filling of Wetlands

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Current Model Initial Model Downtown as the center of Commerce and Residential Density Highly Desirable Rural Areas as dispersed farms, mills and homes Transitional Model Fundamental change from Rail to the Automobile Individual Mobility!!! Downtown as Crowded Rural Areas as Shopping Centers and Neighborhoods Fully dependent on the Automobile Individual Autonomy Downtowns Abandoned Rural Areas aggressively consumed for Shopping Centers and Neighborhoods Chain Development in firm control of our Lives Economy driven by consumption Must be NEW! Past infrastructure abandoned Environmental protection only when convenient

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To Have Something Like This

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Sustainable Communities?

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Ultimately - Our Current Reality

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Modern Stream Alterations

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Home Depot

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Idea of Wetlands

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Integration Into Environment

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Abandonment of Properties

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Plaza

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Downtown

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What Did We Expect? 1.All of our Stream are Impaired. 2.We really dont have time/resources to help you with this problem until 2022. 3. In 2022 we will start the TMDL 5-10 year process only putting resources toward identification 4.When we finish you will need to implement solutions

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What would we Expect? Chesapeake Bay TMDL is expected to cost 15 billion dollars. Needed to stem current pollution loads and loss of fishery.

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So What are the Considerations? Do You Value: Our Water Environment Wetlands Development Water Quality Economy Consumption

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New Considerations? When did you decide to be part of this model? Are you independent from or dependent on a corporate created existence? Every day we decide to support this model or reject it we vote with every penny we spend. Remember - the Environment is intertwined into every choice you make so - make a difference.

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Create Positive Changes

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And Dont Ever Give Up