In May of 2009 I attended the Bertram Berger seminar in Boston regarding Climate Change.  One of the most memorable speakers was Elisabeth Hamin who spoke about smart growth and livable communities.    I loved the philosophy that new developments should be planned so that dependence on automobiles is reduced, community awareness increased, and natural, open areas introduced to urban neighborhoods.

While reading about Ahwahnee Principles in “Sustainable Infrastructure: The Guide to Green Engineering” I was reminded of the smart growth initiatives that previously intrigued me.  I decided to do research about the polices and share my findings.

The Ahwahnee Principles were initiated by Peter Katz of the Local Government Commission (LGC) and developed by innovative architects: Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Stefanos Polyzoides, Elizabeth Moule, Peter Calthorpe, and Michael Corbett.  In 1991 the principless were presented to over 100 local officials at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite, California, where they were eagerly accepted.

The first set of principles was titled “Ahwahnee Principles for Resource Efficient Communities.”  This plan includes community, regional and implantation polices.  The community principles emphasize developing neighborhoods so that homes are located within walking distance of retail shops, schools, and public transit.  There are also concepts that encourage people of all age groups and incomes to live near one another, and that highlight the importance of open space and greenbelts defining each neighborhood.  Lastly, the principles state that development should be designed to use resources such as water and energy efficiently.

In 1997, the LGC realized the need for a similar set of policies regarding the economic development of livable communities.  This was titled “The Ahwahnee Principles for Smart Economic Development.”  This document consists of 15 principles to guide economic policies that emphasize the importance of local enterprise and using regional resources.

The “Ahwahnee Water Principles” were adopted in 2005 as a second compliment to the “Ahwahnee Principles for Resource Efficient Communities.”  These principles developed out of increasing challenges related to water resource security, water contamination, storm-water runoff, and increased flooding.  The water principles include, but are not limited to: designing compact communities, maintaining natural areas, minimizing impervious surfaces, reducing water demand for landscaping, graywater re-use, installation of water-efficient appliances, public input regarding projects and monitoring of new developments and policies.

Lastly, the LGC developed the “Ahwahnee Principles for Climate Change.”  These principles prescribe methods to actively mitigate damage that society is doing to the planet, and adapt our current infrastructure systems to inevitable changes in our climate.  These principles include: reducing emissions from automobiles, energy and water efficiency for the residential and commercial sectors, and implementation strategies to achieve these desired reductions.

Like most sustainable/green concepts: the Ahwahnee Principles just seem to make sense.  I didn’t think about it when I was younger, but as I matured I began to really appreciate growing up in a historic town, Marblehead, MA, first developed in the 1600s.  In Marblehead, there are two downtown areas, several small elementary and middle schools, and many parks so I didn’t need to depend on my mom to drive me around as a kid.  I could walk to school, after which my friends and I could bike to a park, play some games outside, get dinner at a pizza place, grab a movie at the local shop, and bike to someone’s house to watch it.  Because my town was formed in a period when people did not depend on automobiles, it promoted walking and biking.  The Ahwahnee principles define several concepts that bring us back to this traditional style of development and design.

I encourage everyone to spend some time on the Local Government Commission’s website.  The Ahwahnee Principles for Resource-Efficient Communities, Smart Economic Development, Water, and Climate Change are all defined on this website.  Here you can find much more detail on each of the principles sets defined above, as well as case-studies, implementation guides and tools, and many more resources on smart growth.

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