JOHN BROWN is the editor of theslowhome.com and the founder of the Slow Home Movement. He is a registered architect, real estate broker and Professor of Architecture at the University of Calgary.
I live in Birmingham, AL and people here always mention how B'ham and Atlanta were very similar cities up until the early eighties. Over the years Atlanta's growth has been a bit of a hit to Birmingham's self esteem since both cities were presented similar opportunities over the years (and Birmingham took a different direction). Not that Birmingham is a compact city by any means, but I'm interested to see how current gas prices will affect the city's growth in the next 20-30 years. Currently housing within the city limits is very affordable (not that its the best housing stock....but it's there). It seems like the city might be getting a second chance to do it right- if it's paying attention.
LC,
You make an interesting observation about the potential for a brighter future for smaller cities who have not had quite the same level of sprawl development over the past few decades (although I think we would all be hard pressed to find someplace in North America that doesn't have its own version of sprawl.
Posted by
John Brown, Editor
on June 14, 2008 at 01:13 PM MDT
#
We believe that our homes and neighborhoods should be healthy, vibrant places that uplift the spirit and gracefully fit our needs. We call for an end to poor construction, bad design, misleading marketing, unfair lending practices and environmental neglect in the housing industry. We acknowledge our collective responsibility to create CLOSE, SIMPLE, LIGHT places to live that leave a positive legacy for future generations.
provides design focused information that homeowners can use to improve the quality of how and where they live. It takes its name from the slow food movement which arose as a reaction to the processed food industry. The sprawl of cookie cutter housing that surrounds us is like fast food - standardized, homogenous, and wasteful. It contributes to a too fast life that is bad for us, our cities, and the environment. In the same way that slow food raises awareness of the food we eat and how these choices affect our lives, Slow Home empowers you to take more control of your home and improve the quality of how you live while reducing your environmental impact and futureproofing the long term investment value of your home.
We believe that our homes and neighborhoods should be healthy, vibrant places that uplift the spirit and gracefully fit our needs. We call for an end to poor construction, bad design, misleading marketing, unfair lending practices and environmental neglect in the housing industry. We acknowledge our collective responsibility to create CLOSE, SIMPLE, LIGHT places to live that leave a positive legacy for future generations.
Posted by LC on June 13, 2008 at 08:27 AM MDT #
You make an interesting observation about the potential for a brighter future for smaller cities who have not had quite the same level of sprawl development over the past few decades (although I think we would all be hard pressed to find someplace in North America that doesn't have its own version of sprawl.
Posted by John Brown, Editor on June 14, 2008 at 01:13 PM MDT #