Tracking sustainability news and events in Savannah, Georgia (and beyond)
Category
Preservation
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11.10.11Explore Fort Pulaski by bike this Sunday with the Savannah Bicycle CampaignThings look different when viewed from behind the handlebars and that's especially true of our local landmarks and attractions. The Savannah Bicycle Campaign's Jerry Jaycox Wheelie ride on Nov. 13 offers a new perspective on the Fort Pulaski National Landmark site and nearby trails: "The ride, now in its fourth year, is named for founding SBC board member Jerry Jaycox who passed away riding his bicycle. The ride will again take riders of all abilities through the trails and dikes of Fort Pulaski and include a spin out to the McQueen’s Island Rail Trail which parallels the south channel of the ...
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08.31.11Parking lots cause lots of problems, inspire lots of quotes and, once upon a time, started a movementBill Dawers has strong feelings about parking lots, which he shares in his City Talk column, "Another parking lot detracts from downtown's vibrancy" in today's Savannah Morning News: "They tend to rend the residential and retail fabric. They repel pedestrians. They generally generate far less economic activity than more intense uses. They create heat islands. They contribute to problems with drainage and polluted stormwater runoffs." And he's not alone in his thinking. Here's Donald Shoup quoting Jane Jacobs on how parking lots affect the sidewalks they border and the city at large: "The presence of open shops and people on the street encourages ...
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11.02.09Charrette particpants asked to describe DeRenne Avenue now and in the futureAs cars and trucks droned by outside, citizens streamed into a former auto parts store at the corner of DeRenne Avenue and Montgomery Street. The purpose of the gathering tonight was the launch of a week-long design charrette focused on the DeRenne Avenue corridor, arguably one of the most important yet troubled streets in the city. Factor in its use by commuters from outlying areas and its importance and troubles become regional in scope and severity. Facilitators from Kimley-Horn and Associates described the work they had done in Phase One of the project and outlined the goals for Phase Two and, ...
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11.07.08Streets: Destinations or simply ways to get there?In recent blog post, Savannah Morning News Environment Reporter Mary Landers plugged her address into Walk Score. Running your Walk Score number is fun and can be instructive, athough there are flaws in the Walk Score methodology. I described them here. and Landers finds similar bugs. Landers expresses concern about the walkability of her Parkside neighborhood, writing, "I can and do walk the area for exercise, but there aren't many walkable destinations as far as shops and restaurants." She'll be happy to know there's an affordable and widely available device that will effectively double or triple any neighborhood's Walk Score. In ...
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07.09.08ImaginationLast night, creative city making champion Charles Landry spoke to a packed house. I had the pleasure of being in the audience along with most of the usual suspects (govt., real estate development, business, downtownies, a few artists & SCAD folk) . . . you were probably there too. He was worth standing up for, even if my feet are paying the price today. For those of you who couldn't make it, I'll briefly summarize. Landry defines creative cities as those in which ordinary people (along with their local bureaucracies) solve problems (or rather, create opportunities) in imaginative ...
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06.19.08Green Bridge gets green lightFrom Effingham County one morning this week, Michael Maddox wrote in his blog, “After many long months, or more correctly years, I finally have approval from the Effingham County Commission to proceed with my project.” The project, Green Bridge Farm, is one I have mentioned here before, and it’s been covered in local news. Initial resistance from the county stemmed from Maddox’s request for a variance to have the community road paved with recycled concrete rather than asphalt. The variance was hard won and took many months to secure as an act of conservation. But it was worth, it, Maddox says: ...
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01.15.08For what are streets made?Two comments in the Savannah Morning News' Vox Populi section caught my eye this morning. The emphasis in each is mine. "Close off the streets for the kids to play basketball? My neighborhood looks like a dump after these kids play. Their language from the youngest to the oldest comes from the dump as well. Streets were made for automobiles." And... "Streets are for driving not playing basketball. If you want to play ball go to a playground or gym. It would be different if the kids would act like people did a few years ago and move out of the ...
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11.15.07Learn neighborhood recycling on Dec. 1Like the bumper sticker says, "Historic Preservation is the Ultimate Recycling," or as the National Trust for Historic Preservation puts it, "recycling on a grand scale." It's easy to see the green advantages to be derived from rehabilitating a historic structure. To quote the National Trust again, "reusing existing buildings is itself a green building practice. Preservation conserves building materials and embodied energy." But even new construction in historic neighborhoods can yield dramatic sustainability benefits. First, existing neighborhoods do not require the deployment of new utilities, streets, parks and other civic amenities. Second, neighborhoods created prior to the WWII often ...
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09.16.07Civic by Design: Learning Lessons from Pioneering Planner John NolenIn his talk, Tom Low, director of Town Planning for nationally recognized urban planners Duany Plater- Zyberk & Company, will suggest principles of human -scale planning and highlight Savannah's highly successful living example of Nolen's work, Daffin Park. The event is presented by the Daffin Park Centennial Committee, the Historic Savannah Foundation and Live Oak Public Libraries and will be held at the Bull Street Library, 2002 Bull St. For more information, visit the Historic Savannah Foundation Web site.
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07.18.07Too late for the calendar: Town hall meeting tonightA meeting at 7 p.m. tonight in the Savannah the Civic Center Ballroom will include discussion of historic preservation. The Historic Savannah Foundation is encouraging its members to "attend and advocate for our historic downtown and the outlying residential historic neighborhoods." In particular, the HSF is concerned about: 1. Incompatible large scale development in downtown Savannah 2. Better enforcement of historic board of review decisions 3. Converting East Broad and Price street to two-way streets (this would increase livability along Price and East Broad by slowing traffic and encouraging a more pedestrian friendly environment) More information on the ...
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About
Transportation, land use, local farming and green building are all potential topics for Sustainable Savannah. The goal is to aggregate content about local events and projects, so there will be a central place to review everything that’s happening. The site is aimed at encouraging collaboration and information sharing between groups and individuals currently engaged in sustainability efforts. The site can also provide a snapshot of Savannah for green-minded people who are considering visiting or moving to the area.
