It is becoming more apparent that we, as humans, must plan for the future of our planet and begin to take action. This past semester, students at Florida State University were given an opportunity to apply their knowledge in practice through a class called Sustainable Development Planning in the Americas, instructed by Professor Ivonne Audirac. Composed of both graduate and undergraduate students, the course is designed to explore various dimensions of the sustainable development paradigm.

As an assignment, students were divided into teams and were asked to design a prototype campus housing cooperative. The objective of this project was to enhance the local community while linking the 3 Es of sustainable development - Ecology, Economy, and Social Equity.

Campus cooperatives generally consist of students, faculty and others who provide housing, food, and other services at lower cost to its members. Such cooperatives generally place a high value on member collaboration, trust, and sharing, which permits their members not only to generate savings in the buying of goods and services, but also to actively “walk” the sustainability “talk” by applying their environmental and social values to daily living. Members of housing cooperatives typically consume less, recycle more of their waste, and generally live with much less impact on the environment.

Audirac determined that the site of the cohousing project was to be located in the Gaines Street Corridor of Tallahassee, Florida. A property of about 2.5 acres, this particular site is located between Florida State University and Florida A & M University, and is part of a local revitalization initiative.

The students were responsible for the implementation of sustainable practices in all aspects of the planning, development and design process. They were required to complete a detailed site plan, implement eco-friendly technologies, and much more. They were even held accountable for the preparation of a realistic budget with estimated maintenance costs.

One notable project was the Collegewood Cohousing Community, designed by Sohail Khamesi, Denise Papajorgji and John Shaw. The vision of this group was to design a community where transcendent human values of love, respect, cooperation, and diversity, were recognized by the empowerment of collectively local relationships. Through their work, they came to realize that the key to building the community would be to recognize that economic opportunity, ecological integrity, and social equity are interlocking links in the chain of well-being. The group made it their mission to create a cohousing community grounded in long-term sustainability, both culturally and environmentally, through passive solar lighting, energy efficient utilities and encouragement of community growth.

The cohousing community would be comprised of thirteen individual townhouse-style units, with four bedrooms each, and space for 52 persons. There would also be common buildings containing a dining hall, kitchen, game room, an outdoor lecture hall and a barbeque pit. With built structures accounting for only 21% of the total land, Collegewood would also boast generous amounts of open space to accommodate common activities and encourage social interaction. Workshops would also be provided to encourage sustainable practices among residents.

Through careful planning, design, and the use of renewable energy, Collegewood would ensure minimum energy consumption. Amenities would include solar power, a sustainability garden, environmentally-safe insulation and energy-efficient lighting and appliances.

Each of the homes would be individually owned and residents would be granted an opportunity to participate in the planning process for the community and their own individual homes. The community would charge reasonable house payments in order to accommodate a diversity of incomes.

Another notable project was the Cascade Ecovillage by Araba Samassekou, Joseph Clark and Vahan Danielyan. The team held its highest values in maintaining friendly, open communication, taking joy from cultural, economic, and age diversity, striving for environmental sustainability, and creating a sense of community identity. The group set out to grow a community that would explore ways to conserve precious water resources and share experiences through demonstrations, workshops, and other forms of community outreach. The team intended to create a vibrant and happy community that would provide mutual support while minimizing impact on the water cycle and be a model for others.

Cascade Ecovillage would consist of three residential units of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom flats, as well as a commons house containing community cooking and dining facilities, guest rooms, workshop/laundry, and a library. The common space, designed both for daily use and special events, would be an integral part of the community.

About a third of the land would be reserved for open space and would be utilized for growing food and for demonstration projects consistent with the ideas of conservation and wildlife management. Effective use of the open space of the Cascade Ecovillage would contribute to social relationships and interaction, self-employment, and communication both internally and with the outside communities to share the ideas and values of cohousing and water conservation.

Outdoor passive and active recreational facilities would include a playground as well as a volley-ball court to serve as both sport and open area for social events, including barbeque parties, celebrations, special fairs and open-air exhibitions. Cascade Ecovillage would also contain a natural area that would consist of an artificial pond, which would be part of a water reuse/recharge demonstration project.

Although these projects were never adopted by developers, these plans could certainly be taken into serious consideration in the near future. Here in the twenty-first century, it is essential that people use opportunities to improve the world around us, wherever it may be. With all these students have taken this assignment and this class, there are few limits to what these students may accomplish for the planet and for mankind. It is becoming increasingly important for us to make efforts to plan sustainably and to take action.