Greetings to all who came or wanted to come to our Scribble-fest last week!

We’ve created a dedicated page on our site with all of the scribbles. Take a moment and check it out. Some are pithy, others are catchy, and there are a quite a few of you with a marvelous sense of humor. Such fun…happy sigh.

Some have asked about what’s going to happen now, so we thought we’d send a short update.

Designing the Skin
Now that all these great eco-urban thoughts have gone from pen to pixel, Floyd will be working toward completing the car design during the first week of January.

Unveiling
That’s right, mark your calendars. We’re going to have the unveiling of the car at Second Saturday at Old Soul. No RSVP’s needed this time. We’ll be there and so will the car. We’ll be sending a little reminder about this after the New Year.

On the Streets
After the unveiling, you’ll start to see it on the streets…but not before–we want to give everyone who came out to the event the first chance to see it.

Keep it Flowin’
Not only can you view everyone’s work on the site, you can add more in the comment section. Tell us your favorite!

Credit Where Credit is Due
We need some help identifying some of the scribbles, so we can give credit where credit is due. If you have a moment, jump onto our site, find your scribble, and shoot me an e-mail claiming your scribble.

More to Come
A lot of scribbles that don’t end up on the car will still get incorporated elsewhere. Plus, we’re going to do a little video thing about the car that will be on the site and YouTube and anywhere else we can get it placed. I imagine we’ll continue to explore other creative avenues down the road as well…if you’ve got ideas, send ‘em our way.

Staying In Touch
Some who came signed up to Stay in Touch online; others signed in at the event and others have just been in touch with us. If you aren’t sure you are on the list and want to be, there’s a “Stay In Touch” feature on the right side of this blog.

Want More?
If anyone wants the 99 Eco-Urban Thoughts and the information on the car from the event, let me know and I’ll send ‘em your way.

Happy Holidays!

Jason

I’ve been working on a part 2 from my entry about Profit last week and am finding that its taking longer than expected. So, in the absence of original thought, I’m presenting someone who has thought much longer and deeper than I have about many important issues of the day.

For all his socially-conscious thinking, Wendell Berry, more so than any other living writer of the day, seems to eschew the trappings of comfortable political stereotypes. Case in point, although an articulate advocate for environmental issues, he takes to task the Environmental “cause” among others.

As causes, they have been undertaken too much in ignorance; they have been too much simplified; they have been powered too much by impatience and guilt of conscience and short-term enthusiasm and too little by an authentic social vision and long-term conviction and deliberation. For most people, those causes have remained almost entirely abstract; there has been too little personal involvement, and too much involvement in organizations that were insisting that OTHER organizations should do what was right.

I really connect with this. Its why we have our Heroes: real people doing things in their everyday lives to make a difference based on eco-urban convictions. You can ask them, what does eco-urban mean to you? and they can give you real-life examples in their lives that they live out every day. They can articulate a solid social vision–whether its walkable neighborhoods, alternative transportation systems, buying local or the necessity of mixed use and mixed income–and back it up with ways to live it out. The flip side of this often boils down to a thin patina of “good intentions” that rub away to reveal…well…good intentions; if change is going to happen, its not because of a “cause” with a lot of hype and hoopla, its because of individuals who care enough to do something now.

Incidentally, Wendell wrote this in 1970 as a caution to the Environmental Movement… perhaps had his caution been heeded more, we would have seen more progress than we have.

Quote is from “Think Little” in The Art of the Commonplace: the Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry. ShoeMaker and Hoard. 2003. Wendell wrote this in 1970.

Jason

Vanessa’s too humble to mention this, but she got accepted to a prestigious invitation-only event hosted by TED. We’re all pretty stoked about this. Anyone who knows Vanessa knows that she has a huge heart that beats for Africa, so her invitation to this particular event is especially exciting.

TEDGlobal: Africa, the Next Chapter
Here’s what the website says about the event:

Over the past few years a growing number of people in the TED community have become passionate about Africa, a continent that appears to be at an important tipping point. Its problems and challenges are well known. Less well known is that across the continent, change is afoot. Instead of relying only on development aid, Africans across the continent are beginning to take matters into their own hands. Ingenious solutions are being applied to tackle some of the toughest health and infrastructure problems. Businesses are being launched that are capable of transforming the lives of millions. New communication technologies are allowing ideas and information to spread, enabling markets — and governments — to be more efficient. And the numbers suggest that incomes are starting to nudge up in some countries and real growth is on the way. A new Africa beckons.

It couldn’t be a more exciting time to be holding the first TED conference in Africa. We invite you to join us on a journey into the continent’s future. The program line-up of 50 speakers — like all TEDs — includes inventors, business-leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, designers, artists, writers, activists, musicians and mavericks. But they have this in common. They are all doing something valuable for Africa’s future. Their voices will inspire. And their ideas will spread.

How She Got In
How’d she get invited?, you might ask. It was surprisingly easy. She submitted a simple application online which basically had an open field for her to say anything she wanted. Here’s what she said (Vanessa says “it sounds silly but its true”…). Being only recently introduced to TED, she didn’t really expect to get considered, so she jotted down what immediately came to mind without much thought (thus, the typo and her shock when she got accepted).

… I’m brought to tears when I think about the live-giving exchange of ideas taking place in this kind of setting… I am a partner in a development company working to build eco-urban housing that is innovative and sustainable, and a board member and FGM researcher for a NGO working in East Africa that focuses on health education and community development projects. I am working in two very different ends of the development spectrum to creatively enhance lives.

If Your Interested…
Here’s a list of speakers.
Here’s some past TEDs.
Here’s some TEDPrize winners.
Here’s some TEDtalk videos.

Pretty cool, huh?

Jason

We’re excited about a new feature we’ve got on our website. As of a few days ago, each of our project pages has their own comments section. So go ahead and share your thoughts/questions/observations…we’re listening.

Also, we’re talking about posting regular updates about our projects on Fridays on this blog, so that people can expect that Friday entries will have project-specific content (as we have stuff to share). We’re still trying to figure this out internally (who will do what) but we have a strong commitment to openness and dialogue about our projects. We know many people want to follow the progress of the projects: our hope is that some structure will transform this commitment to action.

Jason

About a year ago, we were in the throes of making arrangements to move to our location on J Street. Soon after, we started the process of outfitting the space with custom, eco-friendly cabinets, dividers, writing surfaces, etc.

A few weeks ago, we finally got some bookcases, which means we’re more or less settled… sort of…

Which also means (if you work with Levi) that its time to move.

None of us are really surprised; we actually built out this space with modular everything (carpet, dividers, cabinets), knowing that another move was more likely than not.

We’re growing. As Levi mentioned in his most recent entry, sometime in the next year, we’ll bring on more people, especially in the sales arena. And, as much as we like the team-centric open space we’ve created here on J Street, its just not going to be big enough.

Today, thanks to an Eco-Urban Hero Nomination from Mike, we went down to Old Soul and had some coffee and croissants. Their space is really, really cool, and we started talking about an alley-loaded, warehouse-converted workshop for our next space. The alleys in the urban-core are a great asset but need some help. We want to stay in this vicinity because we like walking/riding to work and we all love Midtown and Central City.

So, we haven’t begun looking around yet and thought it might be fun to give you all a heads up and see what comes our way. We need about 3000 sq. ft. of space; other than that, we don’t have too many requirements (we can lease or buy). We haven’t looked into any issues related to parking or anything, but we need some concrete locations to really dive into it first.

Let us know if you spot anything with potential…

Jason

Of late, the naming of our project on 27th and V Street in Midtown has been on my mind. Up until now, we’ve been simply calling it, “Newton Booth” However, we were never sure if that name would stick or not. And not having a “settled” name is a bit unsettling for me.

I’m probably in the minority here, but I think the naming of a project is an interesting and important consideration. Of course, I tend to get caught up with anything linguistic, which probably isn’t a surprise for any of our regular readers. For me, language defines so much of our interpretation of the world we live in: its powerful stuff and not to be taken or used lightly. It’s the blueprint and architecture of our minds. That said, here’s some of my random thoughts on project christenings:

Word Fluff
I’ve noticed a trend among a lot of projects of late that try to use the name to “project” (no pun intended) an image or feeling or “personality” for the project. Somehow, this just comes across as hokey and inauthentic and, in my opinion, runs the risk of becoming labeled as “dated” and “trendy.” Its like those “What’s Hot” and “What’s Not” lists that every magazine seems to put out annually. This years’ “Hot” words seem to be “abstract words” designed to do nothing more than “evoke.” Its “word fluff” whose only value is for marketing purposes. Like the project itself, the name will last a long time and, accordingly, should have some substance to it.

Names of Substance
What then, gives a name substance? I don’t claim to have this entirely figured out, but here’s my leading thought (I’m open to suggestions and would love some examples, positive and negative). What gives the name substance is the depth of its concrete, authentic relationship with the community or the project itself.

Sometimes, this relationship is focused on the surrounding community or history or natural resources; in these cases, its important to note that authentic relationship is important here. We’ve all seen developments that have some “nature-type” description that references the beautiful setting that used to be in the location without really folding that history/community/natural resource into the existing development. I call that base exploitation. If you had to cut down all the old oak trees to build the project, don’t add insult to injury by naming the project “The Oaks” and planting a few measly scrub oaks in the meridians. I think the best examples of this type of naming done well come from projects that take an old, well known building and convert it into a different use. The Crystal Ice and Globe Mills conversion projects shouldn’t wander too far from their original names, in my opinion.

Other times, the relationship isn’t based on “reference” or “association” with the community/history/natural setting but on its interaction with the rest of the built environment. Under this rubric fall names that relate with streets or well-known areas that everyone recognizes. By naming the project according to this relationship, people know exactly where it is and how to get there, which makes it more accessible and more relevant to the city at large. Done well, the project and its name cultivates a measure of civic “pride.” The 18th Street Lofts would be a classic example as well as our own B Street West project. Of course, this can be overdone as well and become boring, depending on how much of this type of naming has already occurred in the given area.

Other times, the relationship is purely with the project itself: the name is self-evident just by looking at the project. I good example of this is Denver’s Glasshouse project. You don’t look at the building and wonder “why that name?” This kind of name works if the project has stand-alone merit and adds value to the community simply for its beauty/innovation, etc.

Names of ByGone Years
Interestingly, we don’t see projects that take on the name of the builder or developer. Buildings like this can be found in every major metropolitan city whose history extends to the early 20th century. And I wonder if their absence is due to the fact that, by and large, the industry has lost sight of the concept of building structures whose value as a source of civic pride and community enhancement will endure and stand the test of time. Amazing as this sounds, buildings used to have this quality and were celebrated by all citizens. Not now. Many (if not most) development happens without the average citizen knowing really who the developer is. Because, it comes down to this: if you put your name on a building, you are forever judged according to this measure. Mistakes or failures fall on “abstracted” entities and accountability falls by the wayside. This is the danger of development that happens outside the scope of community interests.

Your Chance to Name
So, my idea is this…let’s collectively think about the names of our projects. B Street West was nailed down before we had our blog, but Newton Booth is still undecided. Recently, someone in the neighborhood suggested Newton Booth Corners, which seemed to hit a resonate note. Are there other names we should be considering? Or is Newton Booth or Newton Booth Corners the one?

Jason

A few comments on our blog of late have brought up the topic of opportunity and boundaries and where we define them. As Dan notes, there are lots of opportunities just outside the urban core and E points out that the city’s General Plan is “much more than just continuing the downtown revitalization.”

The topic of self-restricted boundaries is not new to us at LJUrban: about a year ago, we really wrestled with this issue for a good period of time. Here’s where we landed… for now.

Opportunity and Self-Imposed Boundaries
Ah, Opportunity. It’s endorphin to the developer. However, lest we get too addicted to the stuff and over-extend ourselves, we’ve decided to purposefully identify a few key areas that we’d like to focus on, for starters. Knowing us, if we didn’t impose these restrictions, we’d spend far more time acquiring and envisioning than actually building, which would either turn us into “flippers” or result in a very quick death for LJUrban. So, at present, we’ve identified two key focus areas: inside the central city (i.e. downtown revitalization), and the Broderick Area. The first represents our efforts to really understand and address needs in the urban core; the second represents our efforts to make a significant, long-term contribution to an overlooked and neglected area currently just outside Downtown but with all the potential to become part of the Downtown core.

Beyond the Core
As we grow and learn, I imagine the boundaries will shift some. Our focus will always be on the urban core (thus, our name); but there is a valid case to be made that the areas that service the core (neighborhoods just outside and corridors with TOD potential especially) are very important for the health of the core and should, as such, be considered a healthy extension of the core, in the same way as Broderick, Del Paso, Oak Park, etc.

At some level, its a question of how and where you define the “urban core.” For example, are the UCDavis and Sac State campuses in the Urban Core? I think even among our own team, the interpretations have subtle differences.

So, on one hand, for the purposes of our company’s sustainability, the narrow scope of “opportunity” is necessary at present; while, on the other hand, our commitment to think holistically requires a larger view which recognizes that the urban core is only one of many districts of the city. If new urbanist principles and smart growth concepts aren’t applied both in and outside the core, we’ll continue to have a Sacramento that people describe as “Two very different cities: Downtown and Everything Else, with Everything Else often viewed as an undesirable place to be (a view that I, at present, share). A city simply can’t sustain long-term growth and health with this kind of duality. If I truly love the vibrancy of Downtown and believe that, at present, it’s the healthiest expression of the city (which I obviously do), I have to support and applaud any effort that will give Everything Else the same health and vibrancy I see in Downtown.

A month ago, Levi and I went to the Urban Land Institute’s Annual Fall Meeting in Denver. Vanessa and Micah are getting their own dose of the Mile High City this week at US Green Building Council’s 2006 Green Build Conference.

I for one am really excited to hear about what they’re learning.

And now, thanks to their absence, Denver’s on my mind again.

Its interesting that Denver hosted both of these conferences. I’d love to see Sacramento host some of these gatherings (we do have an international airport) and be recognized for some great city/community achievements. As noted in our earlier post, Denver has undergone an incredible Renaissance, and Colorado in general is becoming regarded as a forerunner in the Green Building Industry. I know that Sacramento is poised to enter its own Renaissance. Not that recognition of this sort is the end-all and be-all of city life, but I don’t think its too much to hope that the transformation we want for our city would target us in the future for some of these kinds of gatherings. Its a good kind of recognition: an affirmation of city health.

From what I gathered during my time there, for Denver to gain this momentum, it took about five years of accelerated growth according to conscientious and well-laid plans lead by a humble but far-thinking mayor who brought a lot of disparate people and organizations together. And the relevance of Denver’s story is that much greater because their transformation happened even in the midst of a significant economic downturn: in Denver’s case, the dramatic collapse of their major industry.. telecom. Let’s remember that every time we see something pointing to our falling housing market.

So, from my (admittedly limited) perspective, Denver’s lesson for Sacramento boils down to this: the key ingredients for city-wide change are basic common sense. Strong leadership. Forward-thinking plans. And a community that steps up and says, “we can make this city great, and we’re going to do what it takes to make that happen.” Saying it another way: good leaders, good plans and good people.

How do we fare?

People
We met with a group of people who live in Midtown a few nights ago–people from diverse backgrounds and interests–and were really impressed with the level of belief and commitment they had to making Sacramento a great city. The urban-core, especially, has a strong sense of community and interconnection. One of them later wrote to me and pointed to a “kind of a truism among downtown Sacramento people–the amount of interpersonal connections is downright stunning.” E’s comment that “people get it” speaks to the readiness of these good people to rally.

Plans
SACOG’s Blueprint and the Riverfront Master Plan are striking examples. If you haven’t spent some time thumbing through these bold advances, you should. They certainly make this Sacramentan proud.

Leadership
The big question for me then is “who will step up to lead this,” to gather people together around a common cause? Who will take on the hard work of bridging the divisions that have historically killed good plans and the faith of good people? Because, let’s face it: the connection between the “good plans” and the “good people” won’t happen without good leadership.

As a relatively new transplant, I don’t know enough to comment about our mayor, but I also know that leadership has to arise from more places than the civic sphere.

Part of why I’m with LJUrban is because I believe it has potential to offer some of this leadership. We certainly have the vision and we’ve even got a name for it–eco-urban community. But right now, we’re still in our formative stage: we have to prove some things to ourselves, we need to demonstrate our commitment to the community and we need to spend a good amount of time listening and observing and learning.

In the meantime, I’m looking for leadership… I think we all are. Any takers? Nominees?

Jason

Urban Loss
I just read in the Business Journal that a design college and culinary school is being planned for North Natomas and will occupy 1/2 of a 2-story 105,000 sq. ft. Buzz Oates building.

All I can say is “Arghh!”

While it will be nice to have something like this in the Sacramento region, I think the downtown/central city area is so much more fitting: put creative people in a creative, vibrant setting and all kinds of cool things happen. LivinginUrbanSac suggested the Kress building which I thought was a great idea.

I could be wrong about this, but the description of the school sounded like it would be along the lines of a “tech” school, in the same vein as the for-profit University of Arizona cropping up everywhere. If this turns out to be the case, it may not be the kind of cutting-edge/artsy school that would fit well in Downtown; however, it also would pretty much ensure that those schools don’t come in (i.e. market saturation and all that). So, either way, its lose-lose.

The Natomas “campus” is slated to have approx. 1000 design students and 450 culinary students.

The sad thing is that I’m sure the school will be marketed as located “minutes from downtown” or something like that…when we all know that Natomas is neither “minutes from” or anything like an offshoot of Downtown. Contrast it with the soon-to-be burgeoning “arts district” of lower Del Paso Boulevard where this kind of school really could fit in as an immediate extension of Downtown.

Urban Score
On a much nicer note, Midtown Guru gave me some really good news yesterday morning. The True Love Coffeehouse will re-open next week one block from our office. I was excited when Grind opened six months ago on 28th and J because I could walk to get a decaf cappuccino breve without going to Starbucks a block away (if you haven’t tried Grind’s panini’s, you’re missing out). Now I have an even closer option (for coffee at least).

So my thanks to the guru for speaking out on behalf of True Love.

The soul of a city can never be defined by ubiquity. Midtown is defined by its entrepreneurs, by small, locally owned businesses, by character, by risk, by eclectic offerings, by mixed use.

First Tamarind, now True Love. Midtown just gets better and better!

Jason

So, Vanessa was on Treehugger.com and saw a video that described the identical process (and conclusions) we went through to find/design our eco-friendly office cabinets. At one point, when they started talking about decisions regarding the interior, we thought, “They aren’t going to say, “wheat board” are they?”

And yes, they did.

The green world is a small one (for now).

Jason