Reality Check - Are You Ready for Growth?

I had the good fortune of participating in ULI’s Reality Check event this week. Reality Check is a regional planning exercise with the goal of giving folks the chance to think through high-level ideas of how we will handle the growth projected for our area (1.2 million people to the 15 county region of the Triangle in the next 20+ years).

At our table were business leaders, elected officials, community and non-profit advocates, and citizens from all over the region. We even had a visit from the local news station, but more on that later...

The key here is the word ‘region’ – not individual cities, towns or municipalities. If we are going to avoid the mistakes of the sprawl formerly known as Atlanta, we HAVE to address density, mass transit, mixed-use development, and jobs. Not only is this the basis for sustainable development, it is the ONLY way we can grow and maintain the quality of life that has and will continue to draw people to our area.

My role at Reality Check was to facilitate the planning exercise for the participants at my table. We developed ‘guiding principles’ for our growth simulation, heard from voices hailing from all over the Triangle, and had a great time reversing the development regulations of the Research Triangle Park. Our table was completely covered with greenways and conservation areas, and we ended up with lots and lots of density all along I-40 and in each downtown area. One recurring mantra at our table made me smile – "No new highways!"

Okay, so there was zero connection between development and costs. There were no ‘consequences’ for adding 50,000 housing units to RTP, how/where we would locate transit lines, where jobs would go (ideally in/near the housing). There was no discussion of how we would support this growth with our natural resources, or whether a specific area had the infrastructure required to handle more people. It wasn’t intended to dig down into (any) details, rather offer a 30,000 ft. view of what it will take to grow ‘smart’ and not out. It was eye opening to any non-planner of all the sticky issues that come up when you are making decisions that have such a big impact on a region.

My takeaways included:
• People were generally for density, mass transit, lots of greenways and conservation areas, and a diverse job base
• No matter how hard we work to come to agreement on a visioning exercise, people will always revert to ‘protect’ their own areas (mass transit from RTP to Pittsboro and Siler City?)
• Having a little disagreement in the group is a good thing – as long as people can vocalize their differences and work to resolve them
• Protecting greenways and conservation areas is not controversial at the 30,000 ft. view – of course, we had no developers in the group trying to add mixed-use developments on Jordan Lake
• Everyone agreed on diversity of housing, jobs, and cultures - were we enlightened, or what?

All in all, the exercise was a big success. And, a shameless plug, little 'ole me made it on the evening news. The follow up results summit is on Friday – Hope you can join us!(RSVP on the web)
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Will it stay or will it go?

In this economic turmoil we find ourselves in, there has been much speculation about how charitable companies will be in 2009. Many companies are scaling back their work force, reducing (or freezing) all expenses not deemed critical to doing business, reducing hours, and seeking many different ways to trim the fat. So, what will be the fate of the CSR programs and sustainability initiatives that have just begun to take hold? I think the answer may actually surprise you...

Nationally: A recent article in the Washington Post detailed how they followed stock prices of public companies that have been rated for their sustainability and CSR functions from February 11, 2008 - February 10, 2009. The goal was to look for any performance differences between companies that ranked high vs. low for CSR activities. The premise was that companies that don't do a lot can cut their 'unnecessary' expenses (i.e. charitable giving) easier than those that make CSR a priority, and would therefore fare better in economic turmoil. Not so fast! Turns out it was fairly even (CSR winners performed slightly better, actually). The article goes on to talk about what companies that ranked at the bottom are now doing even though the economy is tanking.

Locally: I sit on the Board of Directors for Rebuilding Together of the Triangle, a non-profit that helps low income homeowners stay in their home through modifications and improvements that address health, safety, and wellness. We have the good fortune of hearing from some local corporate citizens looking for an opportunity to bring their employees together for a volunteer event. They've set aside a pretty nice donation for 2009 for one or more projects. We're talking with more than one company about this very topic, and are expecting a surprisingly busy year. I'm not saying this will be a record year, but not bad for being in the middle of a recession. Isn't it interesting that these companies are viewing this as a way to improve employee morale while also giving back to the community?

So, what is the lesson learned so far? Companies are seeing the value in corporate social responsibility - beyond just some good PR. It helps build teams, improves morale when employees need it the most, and says a lot about the values of the company. Nothing like a crisis to bring people together and remind us of what is really important.

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It's the little things

Ever hear people say things like 'being green is great, but I can't afford it'? Have you ever thought about small changes you could make that would help without costing an arm and a leg?

I'm here to say, it's the little things that make a difference. We find more products everyday that help us take baby steps towards living a greener lifestyle. A few favorites:

- Bamboo coffee filters
- Recycled content paper towels and toilet paper
- Storing up on reusable containers rather than using plastic bags for lunch food
- Recycled aluminum foil
- Use vinegar and water vs. chemical cleaners (Also helps your indoor air quality - no toxic chemicals is a good thing!)
- Oxy-clean vs. bleach
- Buy local whenever possible
- Shop for furniture at the Goodwill store (haven't had much luck there yet, but I'm persistent!)
- Read the paper online vs. the paper version
- Use washable dishes/cups rather than disposable (corn plastic is great only if you are composting)
- Nalgene water bottles vs. disposable plastic water bottles
- Use a jump drive vs. printing
- Recycled content paper products such as printer, folders, etc.

With a few strategic changes to your everyday routine, you'll find yourself living a greener lifestyle and hopefully changes that will improve your quality of life. It makes me feel like I'm having an impact when I add up the variety of changes. AND, I didn't have to spend an arm and leg to have that impact - just the opposite in some cases.

And, finally, a note on the chemicals we use in our homes. After growing up with Formula 409, bleach, scrubbing bubbles, and other chemicals around the house, I'd become desensitized to how toxic some of these cleaning products can be. After learning of the report that Seattle scientists detected cinnamon in the treated sewage headed for Puget Sound, it hit me like a ton of bricks that the chemicals we use in our houses are having an effect on our water systems. Didn't mean to be dense, but sometimes it takes things like a little used cinnamon in your salmon to realize everything else we're doing at home is in there too. 

My next goal is to make my own detergent. I've heard some reports about it being more effective than store versions, and fewer toxic chemicals going into our sewer system - always a winner in my book.

So, don't fall into the thinking that the more environmentally friendly version is more expensive. There are some great things you can do, one step at a time, to make a difference.

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