Article Category: Smart Growth

Jacqui Patterson and Mandy Lee: Centering Equity in Sustainable Buildings: Why Green Buildings are a Civil-Rights Issue

Centering Equity in Sustainable Buildings: Why Green Buildings are a Civil-Rights Issue By Jacqui Patterson and Mandy Lee   [caption id="attachment_5141" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Sustainable buildings promote the health and wellbeing of building occupants while minimizing climate change and pollution, but not everyone has equal access. Photo courtesy of iStockphoto /...

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Small-Scale Residential Housing: Infill Housing, ADUs and Tiny Homes

Small-Scale Residential Housing: Infill Housing, ADUs and Tiny Homes Joe Archibald   Often when people think about sustainable building, they think about material sourcing, location of the building on the property, renewable energy sources and the other more common metrics. Just as important a factor, however, is where the building...

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The Value of Carbon Offsets: Testimonial from a Former Skeptic

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The Value of Carbon Offsets: Testimonial from a Former Skeptic Chrissy Burton   The term “carbon offset” is unfortunate. It is so literal but still somewhat figurative. What exactly is a carbon offset? It begins by calculating my personal carbon footprint. How much carbon is produced every year in support...

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Jason Martini: Dome Dreaming

Dome Dreaming: Local Monolithic Dome Serves as New Model of Stewardship and Harmony Jason Martini   We are living in such a time where old systems are collapsing and failing, and it’s time to create new models that will support our future generations to survive and thrive. There are so...

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Garret K. Woodward: Breaking Through

Breaking Through: Green Built Homes Certification Program Hits 1,500 Milestone Garret K. Woodward   What once was considered a fringe industry has now become a force in the housing market of Asheville and greater Western North Carolina. “It does seem like a green-certified house in our market has become less...

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Jeff Staudinger: Room for Everyone

Room for Everyone: Asheville, Buncombe County Seek to Expand Affordable Housing Jeff Staudinger   “Affordable housing” may seem an oxymoron to many people in Asheville and Buncombe County. And for good reason. Although there is plenty of residential development happening in the area, most of the new rental housing developed...

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Sean D. Sullivan: Aging in Place

Aging in Place: Accessibility Is “Hip” in the Mountains Sean D. Sullivan   t is often said in our household, particularly on birthdays, that “you are only as old as you feel.” The truth of the matter is that we are all aging in place every day. Most Gen Xers...

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Leigha Dickens: Being a Better Corporation

The Journey to Being a Better Corporation   By Leigha Dickens “We envision a global community that uses business as a force for good.”  That is the opening line of the B Corporation declaration, a document that business leaders sign as part of a final step to transfer their company’s...

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Ryan Miller: Following Asheville’s Lead

Following Asheville’s Lead: Growing Green Building Across the State By Ryan Miller   Alright, Asheville. As the North Carolina city with the deepest market penetration and strongest consumer demand for green building, the rest of our state looks to you for inspiration and leadership in green building.  Many of the new...

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