Evaluating sustainability of community designs

This thesis explores the meaning of sustainability, in both philosophical and practical terms, as it applies to community design. It clarifies the meaning of "sustainable development" and discusses the philosophies of certain landscape design paradigms associated with postmodern environmental ethics and the concept of eco-development. Information from the literature is synthesized into design goals and objectives grounded in postmodern environmental ethics and eco-development These objectives are used as criteria with which to determine the relative sustainability of selected urban fringe communities: Cerro Gordo, Oregon; The Fields of Long Grove, Illinois; Golden, Colorado; Kentlands, Maryland; Laguna West, California; Village Homes, California; and The Woodlands, Texas. In addition, the philosophies, goals, and characteristics of the community design strategies associated with each of these projects are reviewed. A rating system is developed and employed in the community design evaluation process.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Landscape Architecture

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Landscape Architecture

Department dc:contributor.department

Landscape Architecture

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1996

Author dc:creator

• Henden, Linda I.

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Miller, Patrick A.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Skabelund, Lee R.
• Hull, Robert Bruce IV

• community design
• sustainable communities
• suburban development
• planning
• landscape architecture

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-09042008-063049

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44517