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Ralf Lippold

Sep 9, 2017
05:45

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Hello terrautopia-Team, 

Your proposal sounds thrilling. Two things that come to mind are:

  1. Transition Town Totnes
  2. ReGen Villages (talk by James Ehrlich)


Best of luck for the progress of your proposal and the talks in Cambridge,

Ralf 


Aadhithya Sujith

Sep 9, 2017
10:53

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Hi Terrautopia team,

I like the way you have integrated many ideas into a single proposal explaining how it fits in a city and the impact it can generate.Also great job by reaching out to the community in Cambridge.

Thanks & regards

Aadhithya

 


Emil Jacob

Sep 10, 2017
10:43

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Hi Ralf, 

 

Thank you for your feedback and for the links.

I really appreciate it.

Should a project like the one I am proposing become reality, I would like to have organizations such as the ones you sent the links for to be involved in accomplishing the optimal design.

Thanks again,

Emil

 


Emil Jacob

Sep 10, 2017
10:02

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Hi Aadhithya,

Thank you for your feedback.

I hope the City of Cambridge will receive the ideas for the project. It provides an immense opportunity for everyone from the current residents to those who wish to move into Cambridge, and for the Companies in Kendall Sq. as well as to the City of Cambridge.

 

Best regards,

Emil

 


Emil Jacob

Sep 16, 2017
07:33

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Hi Aadhithya, Hi Ralf,

 

I wanted to add another element that would make this model attractive as a way to create demand for sustainable buildings.

Addressing Obesity: Another feature for creating an optimal model for high density communities with high quality of living is the idea of walkability - not only in terms of making it easy to walk to stores, cafes etc. which are all within the site, but also to for leisure  walks. In the typical either suburban home or apartment building complex there is rarely an environment that encourages walking in terms of vicinity as well as sense of community and attractive natural elements such as trees, grass, flowers, combined with benches and pathways. The essential element here is the sense of community. There is an innate propensity to seeing and to be seen by familiar people. This attracts the occupants to walk to the extent that it would lower obesity rates relative to suburban or urban areas where such environment is not available and the tendency is greater towards watching TV then going out for a walk.

 

Click image to expand


Emil Jacob

Sep 16, 2017
11:47

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Other criteria for the Trans Project to become part of a checklist for Fossil Fuel Free communities:

  • Requirement for electric cars by all occupants

 

  • Incentives or requirements  for buyers to work within walking distance - there are numerous businesses within a radius of less then a mile in the Kendall and Central Sq areas. This element helps reduce the strain on the electrical energy needed to supply cars as well as maintain a high quality of life by avoiding traffic jams in rush hours around the complex. At the time for purchase there may be a requirement that the buyer must have a minimum of two months history working in a nearby location. If the occupant needs to move to a more distant workplace there may be a requirement such as the purchase of renewable energy credits that supply the complex. Having a workplace accessed by public transportation will be considered the equivalent of working within walking distance.

Emil Jacob

Oct 7, 2017
05:25

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The image below is an overview capturing the power of the "Electric Village" impact on reducing emissions and increasing the quality of life:

CLICK IMAGE TO EXPAND


Emil Jacob

Oct 7, 2017
05:14

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Various features make the "Electric Village" attractive to buyers (and competitive relative to suburbs - reducing urban sprawl). Parents will be attracted by features such as onsite daycare, playgrounds  and schools, green spaces, swimming and sporting facilities. Ample opportunities to play and interact make this model superior to the typical suburban home.

An additional feature that makes it attractive for parents while providing environmental and health benefits is the concept of a  mobile enclosure for sheep, goats etc. This feature provides a calming and enchanting effect as well as environmental benefits  by eliminating the need for lawn mowers and fertilizers.

CLICK IMAGE TO EXPAND

"Visual preference research indicates that the preferred view is looking to a scene of copses of shade trees, flowering plants, calm non-threatening animals, indications of human habitation, and bodies of clean water" (Orians & Heerwagen, 1992).


Drew Depriest

Nov 3, 2017
08:21

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Hi Emil,

Very interesting ideas. Building upon your point about addressing obesity - what are your thoughts on including some kind of a community garden?

Low-income areas tend to harbor food deserts, and the green space you've laid out so beautifully here could be a good place to cultivate homegrown food (and use fertilizer from the goats and sheep in your last image).

Cheers,

Drew


Emil Jacob

Nov 4, 2017
10:17

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Hi Drew,

Thank you for your comments. Yes, community garden is a perfect addition.

I am seeking to find a model as a blueprint for optimal well being for a community of apartment buildings with a list of standard requirements by which the prospective buyer can evaluate the quality of the community for green spaces to sustainable energy and much more.

So adding a minimal area of land dedicated to community gardening is e great addition.

Thanks,

Emil


Ralf Lippold

Nov 7, 2017
07:03

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Hi Emil, 

Thanks a lot for your updated ideas and visualizations. 

Thinking of a role-model from where to gain some insights, and eventually, personal connections is the initiative Wiener Wohnen (though in German) that is running the low-income housing projects in Vienna, for now, a century. 

At the moment there is an exhibition here in Dresden about it, and I would be glad to help in making some relevant connections. 

Let me know.

Best, Ralf 


Emil Jacob

Nov 9, 2017
05:33

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Hi Ralf,

 

Thank you for thinking of me.

Yes, I would appreciate getting in touch with anyone interested in the topic - Transforming low income housing areas: SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE, PROFITABLE

There are many aspects of human health, including psychological health that can be impacted with improved design; and also "economic design" to improve the motivation for ownership (at a lower cost) for the occupants

And in the process developing a blueprint for a model that best meets a variety of criteria, including sustainability.

Much appreciated,

Emil

 

 


Emil Jacob

Nov 9, 2017
05:35

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Hi Ralf,

 

Thank you for thinking of me.

Yes, I would appreciate getting in touch with anyone interested in the topic - Transforming low income housing areas: SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE, PROFITABLE

There are many aspects of human health, including psychological health that can be impacted with improved design; and also "economic design" to improve the motivation for ownership (at a lower cost) for the occupants

And in the process developing a blueprint for a model that best meets a variety of criteria, including sustainability.

Much appreciated,

Emil

 

 


Caroline Liu

Nov 25, 2017
08:56

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Thank you for submitting your contest proposal.

A Climate CoLab Impact Assessment Fellow who specializes in buildings has conducted an impact assessment of your proposal which you can find under the “IMPACT” tab. Please review the documentation and model parameters. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can contact Mario Coelho at mariucoelho.


Regards,

Impact Assessment Fellows


Emil Jacob

Nov 29, 2017
05:25

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Thank you Caloline,

I am adding the following material that explains more clearly the impact on emissions of my proposal.

Sincerely,

Emil

---------------

I believe a more appropriate title for the proposal is HOLISTIC COMMUNITY DESIGN (HCD) - which I plan to update if the proposal makes it to Finalist.

 

The HCM provides a model for habitation with

High density – approx. 40k people per Sq. mile. – each community fits about 10k per ONE FOURTH of a square mile

High quality of life  - via features listed 1-8

Fossil-fuel-free habitation  - via features listed in A, B and C; and parts of features 1-8

 

Given the superior quality of life offered by the HCD model there is reason to believe that the model will become attractive and eventually become a significant segment in the future of housing markets. In the image below is an example in Cambridge, MA of a land area currently underused by its extensive allocation as parking lots and single floor shopping plaza.

Cities have an abundant number of such malls and parking lots that can be converted to HCD models. The image below shows a start with additional HCD complexes in a city such as Cambridge, MA.

 

In about two decades the HCM model can proliferate to become the dominant model. In an optimistic scenario a metro area  such as Boston there may be as many as 100 HCMs. With each community having about 10,000 people this would result in sustainable habitation for over one million people as well as a dramatic  drop in urban sprawl which further helps the ecosystem. Urban sprawl is known to be a great factor impacting emissions.

 

Given the above scenario the HCM model can be one of the most efficient ways to have an impact on greenhouse gas emission. Over two decades even if it was to attract only 10 percent of the US population to such housing it would have a domino effect on moving away from habitation using fossil fuels and extensive commutes and urban sprawl.