Sustainable.

Sustainability is America’s favorite buzz word to ignore. Sustainable energy. Sustainable agriculture. Sustainable architecture. Sustainable lifestyle. The problem is that the American dream that we have been cultivating since the end of World War II is inherently unsustainable. We aspire to own McMansions in sprawling suburbia. We sit in traffic in our own vehicles on the way to work, and then again on the way home. We drive to the convenient neighborhood Walmart to buy processed foods for our families. Giving up our large homes in sprawling neighborhoods and our cars would be unpleasant and hugely inconvenient. We need that McMansion to be considered successful, right?

I believe that effective sustainable architecture and urbanism can start to change that mindset. As designers, we can do our part to make our architecture with sustainability in mind. You don’t need a five bedroom house for two people. I am not implying that we should all throw out our belongings and move into 400 square feet. We should, however, consider how much space we really need. The “not so big” house can be perfectly comfortable and accommodating. 

Reclaiming urban layouts of a pre-automobile era can move us toward a sustainable environment as well. Some people don't want to move to the city because traffic is bad and there is nowhere to park. But what if you didn’t need your car? What if you could walk to work? Or ride your bike? Wouldn’t a little exercise to bookend the 9 to 5 be more pleasant than sitting in anxiety inducing traffic for half an hour? Suddenly, we are reducing cars on the road and helping America’s health issues at the same time. 

Smaller scale living in a dense environment can be a privilege and a pleasure, not an inconvenience. As architects, we can build and innovate with long standing successful urban models as our base. Creating a pleasant, walkable urban environment can start to change the American suburban dream. If we can begin to change the urban environment to a more sustainable model, other types of sustainability will follow.