Most of us like animals. Maybe not spiders or rats (those poor guys get a bad rap), but adorable bobcats or soaring eagles? Something in these creatures captivates us in an often-unconscious way. This intrigue comes from our biophilia, or ‘love of life,’ which refers to the innate tendency of humans to be drawn to other life forms. Not only do we feel an affinity … Continue reading Building with Big Cats in Mind
Columbia, North Carolina: A Sustainable Example In April 2018, Viktor Agabekov wrote a fictional, first-person account of life in a utopian, sustainable North Carolina city of the future. Read his story below. As dawn rolls through the transparent solar panel of my bedroom window, I start another day in the historic downtown of Columbia, North Carolina. Once a tiny settlement with less than 900 people, … Continue reading A utopian, sustainable N.C. city
During the drought in 2002, it became clear that UNC-Chapel Hill would need to improve water conservation efforts on campus. In addition to viewing water conservation as a good business practice and good for the environment, Carolina also began to think of it as a means to make the University more resilient to drought and supply disruptions. In 2009 the University invested in the construction … Continue reading Stormwater and the Stadium: How Carolina Became More Resilient and Sustainable
The Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee (RESPC) is a branch of student government that funds renewable energy projects on campus. The group is funded by the green fee, a $4 fee assessed on all UNC students. In November 2017, several RESPC members toured the UNC Co-Generation plant on West Cameron Street with Time Aucoin, the Regulatory Compliance Coordinator at the plant. Many students do not … Continue reading Where does the UNC campus get its energy?
As planners, many of us are familiar with Scott Campbell’s sustainable development triangle, which calls for a balance between ‘Social Justice,’ ‘Economic Growth,’ and’ Environmental Protection’.1 During the planning process, should we focus on bus services that are cheaper and accessible to lower income citizens? Or train lines that produce fewer carbon emissions? Are new developments that revitalize a neighborhood’s economy worth the risk of displacement … Continue reading A New Perspective on Resilience: The Importance of Context in Durban, South Africa
