Welcome to a Sustainable Dunwoody

http://www.sustainabledunwoody.com/

The Heneghan family is back from our yearly vacation to Chicago where we split half our time visiting Kristin's family on the farm and then my family in the city. A good time was had by all!

With the creation of the City of Dunwoody, blogs are popping up all over and Pattie at Sustainable Dunwoody has created one that I will be reading on a regular basis. In fact with only a week in existence, she and I seem to see eye to eye on making Dunwoody a walkable & bikeable city, with ample green space for enjoyable living. (Point taken Pattie on the bike racks, they should be added to the City's Comprehensive Transportation Plan along with the bike lanes and curb cuts.)

I still have much to learn on sustainable businesses and sustainable food but I have already been researching the Oakhurst Community Garden for it to possibly be duplicated at the available Brook Run greenhouse or maybe at the Donaldson Chesnut House (Vermack & Chamblee Dunwoody Rd)?

Pattie is planning an aggressive schedule, check back often.

* Monday: Sustainable Business (sole proprietors, small businesses, large corporations and everything in between)

* Tuesday: Sustainable Food (local organic farm and prepared food via grocery stores, farmers markets and CSAs as well as community and home gardens)

* Wednesday: Sustainable Transportation (commute alternatives, new technologies, urban planning, and did I hear talk about kudzu as a bio-fuel?!)

* Thursday: Sustainable Greenspace (parks, nature preserves, pesticide-reduction, unstructured outdoor play, and community beautification that encourages outdoor exploration and enjoyment)

* Friday: Sustainable Neighborhood (walkability, safe routes to school, lawn reduction, backyard wildlife habitats, edible landscapes, rain harvesting, increased home efficiency, solar power, etc.)

Pattie defines sustainability, when applied to urban and suburban environments, as the creation of health, wealth and community while retaining and restoring natural resources. The goals of a sustainable community, as she defines it, are to have:

* A vibrant local economy of small businesses supported by citizens as well as responsible corporations that tread lightly on the land and give back to the community

* Robust neighborhoods that enhance social capital and increase safety

* Transportation alternatives that reduce dependence on automobiles and encourage the health of citizens

* Recreation opportunities that enable safe free play and interaction with nature

* A secure, affordable local food system

* Active protection and enhancement of natural resources such as green spaces, the local watershed, and the air we collectively breathe

* Educational opportunities that enable our children to develop in 360-degree awareness of the world in which they live