The other half of the story

May 13th, 2009 · 6 Comments

So I have been asked quite a bit lately, “So what are you going to do?” With concern and empathy people wonder, what else is LJ Urban, or Micah, going to do. This is a difficult question. I find myself daydreaming about what is next, but at the same time feel the weight of what is present. This is a time of great uncertainty and craziness in the world and I have to say I don’t always know where we are going. I am working to still put our projects on hold and downsize LJ Urban as you have seen recently with the new co-working space taking over most of our space in the building. I am ready to start looking a little further beyond real estate and into renewable energy which I think will bring forth truly sustainable communities in the future. I am sorry for the melancholy post but I think what is really going on right now is that I am missing the optimist who has been at my side through the last few years of hard work. Levi and Jessie and their kids should have landed in Ethiopia as of this post and we are waiting like the rest of you to hear what they are seeing.

Tags: author: micah

6 responses so far ↓

1 Steve K // May 14, 2009 at 11:24 am

I found this quote relevant: “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

LJ Urban was the effort of many folks with a ton of energy. And your role as co-creator will serve you well in new, sustainable opportunities.

There are good things ahead!
2 Heather // May 18, 2009 at 1:38 pm

I agree with Steve K’s quote. I heard about LJ Urban’s story on NPR the other day and was inspired! As a college student interested in pursuing a career in sustainable city and regional planning, I was encouraged to see that there are folks out there who are working to realize this ideal. Keep up the great work.
3 Ian M. // May 20, 2009 at 8:01 am

The success of LJUrban is its unique niche in the marketplace. If you pursue renewable energy, know that there are lots of people with years of experience in that field. Find out what nobody else is doing. Don’t depend on relatives, banks or stimulus packages.

There is a difference between those who create and those who traipse about life. Choose which one you want to be.
4 Gerard // May 30, 2009 at 8:56 am

Micah,

First,

I have to say I understand how difficult a personal adjustment it is when you’ve worked with someone this intensely and this long, and built a pattern of behaviours together, and that person is then absent… it’s just not easy.
the good news is multiple here:

Levi and Jessie will be back, as you now, and you will have some sporadic contact with them too… plus there is a whole community of folks ranging from the close friends to the general eco-urban supporters who would be happy to give you some positive feedback – I know I am!

I agree that renewable energy is an area that’s big enough and diverse enough to look at – but Ian actually has a good point in terms of the uniqueness of your niche now versus the growing focus in the renewables area.

IMHO, I would think of how best to intersect your interest in renewable energy with your existing core expertise as an eco-urban developer – for example, forming a joint venture with a solar integrator (with enough scale and good enough tech to support this sort of thing) and possibly a local architecture firm to set up mixed use / resi eco-urban projects with an almost utility-scale PV or wind installation as part of the onsite park. This could also tie the project into a bunch of additional funding sources that are out there at the moment – you get the idea…

- G
5 Micah // Jun 1, 2009 at 2:34 pm

Thanks everyone for your comments and support. I think I will be able to put some of this to use soon.
6 Jeff Walker // Jun 28, 2009 at 6:34 pm

The work you are doing is great, and very important. I wish you the best in completing these projects in the near future. Renewable energy is great but not as vital to our lives and communities as sustainable, walkable urban development.
There is a growing demand for these types of projects. I am 24 years old and in about 5 years will be in the market to purchase a home or condo, along with thousands of young people in Sacramento. What we want is different from what our parents wanted at the height of the automobile era. When the economy is healthy you will be in a great position to cash in on the growing demand for urban infill housing. Hopefully when this momentum grows you will be able to help other neighborhoods in Sacramento rise to their potential. Best of luck to you!