Click the video below and/or check out her original post here for even more information.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Greenspace - What is your Green Dream for Dunwoody?
Pattie Baker chairs the Dunwoody Sustainability Commission and is also serving on the Dunwoody Comprehensive Steering Committee which is the group helping the City and its contractor Pond & Company develop the first draft of our comprehensive land use plan. Pattie shot the video below discussing her thoughts on her Green Dream of Dunwoody and hopes the City can do better than they are initially proposing.
Click the video below and/or check out her original post here for even more information.
Click the video below and/or check out her original post here for even more information.
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7 comments:
John: Thanks for posting this. It is one of the questions that have been nagging at me throughout this process.
In all fairness, there are valid reasons why the "greenspace acres per 1,000 residents" projection is so low in the comp plan draft right now. We are pretty much a built-out community, and land is simply not available. The projections in the current comp plan draft are based on reality.
However, creativity and innovation can change that reality, and that's what it would take for our city to get anywhere close to a comparable "level of service" regarding functional public greenspace as other cities today and in the future.
The question will ultimately come down to--do we as a community value greenspace enough (especially with an eye toward younger generations who may use this attribute to differentiate among cities) to make the necessary sacrifices for its rewards?
The only way to get more green space in Dunwoody is to take it from private owners. There is the carrot on the end of stick trick for developers - letting them do things we normally would not in exchange for pocket parks.
I know Dunwoody has less than avg green space is Ms. Baker pointed out, but I also know single family home lots in Dunwoody are greater in size than many other cities.
How big of a yard to folks have in San Francisco? NYC? Phoenix? Las Vegas? I've been to all these cites (and more) and the large lots in Dunwoody surpass those cities easily.
These Dunwoody lots have private green space where neighbors gather and kids play. We also have private neighborhood pools with large play areas that are not factored in as public green space.
I too would like to see us have more green space, but I don't want it to come by allowing developers higher density.
P.R.
That is a terrific point, and one we certainly do need to take into account. My concern is when we accept that as the end of the conversation instead of the beginning, we may close the door to some innovative ideas that might really be wonderful for our city.
There is a Parks Pride greenspace conference coming up in two weeks that I am going to try to attend (at least part of it). I have much to learn.
Dear Plato
The big yard argument also does not take into account the over 10,000- 15,000 residents of Dunwoody that don't live in single family homes but in town houses, condos and apartments.
But the inner elite reidents of Dunwoody does not care about "THOSE" people.
Parks build community and are gathering spaces for people. But I guess if you live in your backyard, with your grill and swimming pool, you would not know about that.
And have the balls to use your real name instead of hiding behind that so so self important name "PLATO" Please !
Bob Lundsten
Ah, but might he just be playing the Midwife of Knowledge and leading us to the proper solution by conducting a game of maieutics?
Trade the PCID to the county for all the county's parks located in Dunwoody. The land value of the parks seems to be the hang up and rightly so between the city and county. The PCID while a lare source of funding for the city is also a huge drag on the city's limited services. The PCID by its heavy retail nature will keep CofD off of Money's mags safest cities and didn't I hear recently that the parent company of the mall filed for bankruptcy. Now might be the time to trade before the mall property gets de-valued.
A rather brilliant concept, TwoDogs Trucking, analogous to how Zeno of Kition addressed similar issues with the Agora in the Painted Stoa. You are one of the few perceptive persons in our community that has learned from history.
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