1. Sustainability & the Built Environment
parks +
open spaces
buildings + building ensembles
infrastructure
domains
transportation + utility systems
James LaGro, Jr.
Department of Urban & Regional Planning,
Sustainable Landscapes Symposium - October 16, 2015

2. structure affects function Urban design matters!
Image source: Duany, Plater-Zyberk (DPZ)
“driveable suburban”
separated land uses
low densities
auto-oriented
“walkable urban”
mixed land uses
medium/high densities
transportation choices
structure
function
vehicle-miles traveled (VMT)
greenhouse gas emissions
commuting congestion
location-efficiency
energy efficiency
physical activity

3. retrofitting the built environment
location-efficiency
…places that require less time, money, and driving.
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
Rosslyn-Ballston Metro Corridor (Arlington, VA)
“The future surrounds us…
it’s just unevenly distributed.” Urban Land Institute

4. retrofitting the built environment
Storm Sewer to “Daylighted” Stream & Green Space
Thornton Creek, Seattle, WA
Rail-to-Trails
Southwest Commuter Path, Madison, WI

5. Priority (bellwether goal)
complete communities
Priority (bellwether goal)
multi-purpose
green spaces
mixed-use,
medium-density
buildings
location-efficient
housing
multi-modal
transportation
system
Pre-Conditions
zoning code revisions
green infrastructure policies
subdivision ordinance revisions
bike & ped network funding
Strategies
(e.g., policy
interventions)
A theory of change is “a description of how and why a set of activities is expected to lead to early, intermediate, and long-term outcomes over a specified period.” Source: ActKnowledge and the Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Change (2003)