Tracking sustainability news and events in Savannah, Georgia (and beyond)
Category
Recreation
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04.18.09
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03.02.09Planning for people, not carsI was finally able to catch Fred Kent's much-talked-about Savannah lecture in reruns, so to speak. An edited version of his Feb. 6 appearance at the Coastal Georgia Center aired on Government Channel 8 last Thursday night. I was struck by this comment from Kent: "If you plan for more cars and traffic," he said, "you get more cars and traffic. If you plan for people and places, you get more people and places." Those unfamiliar with the daily rhythms of Savannah's Forsyth Park might presume the photo above was taken during a festival of some kind or at least on a ...
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12.04.08Join the last Wheelie ride of the year this SaturdaySince Earth Day, the Savannah Bicycle Campaign has sponsored monthly "Savannah Wheelie" bike events, casually-paced rides that have attracted hundreds of participants. Each ride stakes out a different of the community and gives people the chance to see their city by bike. Photos from previous Wheelie rider can be viewed on the group's Flickr page. This month's Wheelie, scheduled for Dec. 6, will find cyclists joining the annual Christmas Parade. There is no cost to participate. Details on the December Savannah Wheelie, which features a post-ride gathering at Blowin' Smoke BBQ are available on the Savannah Bicycle Campaign Web site.
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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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06.10.08The Columbian ExplanationThis Sunday's New York Times Magazine featured a short interview with Enrique Peñalosa, a former mayor of Bogata, Columbia and current urban planning consultant. Peñalosa is associated with Bogata's Ciclovia, described by Streets Films' Clarence Eckerson, Jr. as "a weekly event in which over 70 miles of city streets are closed to traffic where residents come out to walk, bike, run, skate, recreate, picnic, and talk with family, neighbors and strangers…" Eckerson's street film about Ciclovia is viewable here. Now Ciclovia is migrating north. Could Savannah support a Ciclovia? Judging from the more than 250 people who turned out for the ...
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06.05.08Local volunteers working to make Oxnard’s greenbelt wish come trueSavannah Morning News columnist K.W. Oxnard has recently returned from vacation and in today's paper she shares some of the good ideas she saw in other cities. Among them, a series of connected greenspaces: Unlike Savannah, New York has spent the last 20 years creating a greenbelt through all five boroughs, patching together individual parks with stretches of waterfront to make open space available to everyone. Oxnard should be pleased to learn that people from Savannah and other coastal Georgia communities are working to create an even larger project than the one she describes. It "will connect South Carolina to Florida through ...
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05.12.08Middle of May means many green eventsThere's something sustainable happening every day for the rest of the week. Doubt me? Submitted for your consideration: Tuesday: The May installment of Green Drinks Savannah happens at Cha Bella, located near the corner of Broughton and East Broad streets. The events starts at 5:30 p.m. More information is available here. Wednesday: SCAD's chapters of the The American Society of Interior Designers and the International Interior Design Association present a lecture called "Off the Grid," by Mariyn Whitne and Cindy Faulhaber. The event begins at 7:45 p.m. in Room 104 of Eichberg Hall, located at 229 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. ...
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04.12.08Sustainable transportation in Savannah: Are the planets (or at least the logos) aligning?The coming week will bring plenty of sustainable transportation news and events. While there are connections between the groups and individuals behind these developments, a pleasing element of serendipity can be found in the fact that they are all happening within the next seven days. First, the Savannah Bicycle Campaign will mark its official launch with a press conference on Monday, April 14 at 11 a.m. in Johnson Square in Downtown Savannah. All Savannah cyclists are invited to attend and show their support for the SBC mission. The group was organized to work through the political, public policy, and citizen advocacy ...
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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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10.22.07Coastal Georgia Greenway: Watch the video, then catch the meeting on Oct. 23"Imagine traveling on foot, bicycle or horseback through coastal Georgia, winding through arches of live oak trees on your way to tour one of many historical or recreational sites." It does take a little imagination to wrap one's head around the concept of the Coastal Georgia Greenway, an alternative transportation network that aims to connect South Carolina and Florida through coastal Georgia to promote development of biking, hiking, equestrian and water trails. A promotional video, now available on the Coastal Georgia Greenway Web site, makes the greenway concept a little easier to grasp. Chatham County residents, who are inspired by the video, ...
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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.
