"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now!"

So I walked by a classroom at a Dunwoody school the other day and saw this sign. I got to thinking about the daily emails I've been getting in response to my post last week about neighborhoods going green. I continually marvel at how many people in this city (and the Atlanta metro area) have a positive attitude about things they can do to make a difference and are spreading that energy a little farther each day.

I ran into the "Man in the Orange Car" who picks up litter and we got to talking. I asked him why he does that and he said, "I choose to live in a city without litter." Wow. If that isn't a simple, powerful message about our personal ability to create the city we want, then I don't know what is.

I bartered professional hours with a brilliant sustainable landscape designer named Lindsey Mann, who is designing a rain garden to help mitigate stormwater runoff at the community garden. I visited one of her projects yesterday, a wildlife habitat at an Atlanta public middle school surrounded by boarded up and crumbling homes, and was surprised to find the energy inside the school positive and uplifting. Announcements were just ending when I entered and the song, "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" blared over the PA system. Moments later, neatly dressed, polite, respectful young teenagers filed past me on their way to buses that would take them out of the squalor of the surrounding area and to the Civic Center for an arts performance.

And so I had all this swirling inside me last night as I grabbed pen and paper and jotted down a list of ideas for folks who want to make a sustainable difference in their neighborhoods. I aligned these ideas as closely as I could with the ARC Green Community measures that the City of Dunwoody is embracing little by little in pursuit of Green Community certification. Once you form a sustainability group in your neighborhood, this is a list you might want to consider for some ideas about what might work for your specific 'hood.

Your Homeowners Association

* Would your HOA add a policy that says something about "considering the environment in every decision we make and action we take"?
* Could it purchase recycled paper for any newsletters or meeting documents?
* How about encouraging waste-free parties and events?
* Have you discussed switching to organic, drought-tolerant landscaping in common areas and using low-energy lighting at the neighborhood entrance?
* If you have architectural controls in your neighborhood, do they include barriers to greening your home such as not allowing solar power, permeable pavement, or recycled materials for fencing or play equipment? Can you advocate for changing these?

Alternative Transportation

* How easy is it to use alternative transportation options in your 'hood?
* Do you have a Safe Routes to School initiative?
* Can you advocate for the improvement of nearby crosswalks?
* Can you start a neighborhood carpooling effort?
* If there is a MARTA stop by your neighborhood, how attractive and comfortable is it? Would you consider adopting a MARTA stop and adding a bench and some flowers and making sure it stays clean?
* Can you post signs or send out information reminding people that children are out riding bikes?
* Can you encourage folks not to park on the street, or to be sure to keep garbage cans and leaf bags clear so people can walk safer and so that children can be seen while riding bikes?
* Would neighbors be willing to connect cul-de-sacs with footpaths?
* Are you getting involved with the Comprehensive Plan process (click here for upcoming meeting dates and locations) and advocating for transportation options throughout the city?
* What other creative ideas can you think of that can help improve your neighborhood's connectivity?

Green Building

* Are any homes in your neighborhood Earthcraft House, LEED for Homes or Energy Star certified?
* How about homes with green features such as solar power, drought-tolerant landscaping, permeable pavement, rain barrels, organic food gardens, non-toxic interiors, sustainably-harvested wood, recycled materials, low-flow fixtures, and other examples of the latest in sustainable living?
* Are you lucky enough to have an example of a cool roof (reflective, energy efficient materials) or Green Roof (vegetative) in your neighborhood?
* Are there enough examples where you could arrange a Green Tour of Homes so that others can see these sustainable choices in action?

Recycling

* What percentage of the people in your neighborhood participate in the Dekalb County curbside recycling program?
* Could you arrange a monthly pick-up of donations for Goodwill or another charity?
* Could you organize a quarterly recycling event for copier toner, ink cartridges, batteries, cell phones, CFL lights, electronics and BRITA filters?
* Does your neighborhood have a freecycle group?

Greenspace

* How much usable greenspace does your neighborhood have? How much could you have? How much would people be willing to share?
*Could six bordering families combine a snippet of their backyards to form a multi-family community garden? What about 10 families? 40?
* Would people be willing to plant herbs (and other culinary plants) in mailbox gardens and allow neighbors to pick them? (More people would walk, cook healthy food, and meet their neighbors.)
* Would people be willing to put benches on their front property that passersby could use to rest and visit?
* Could the front entrance of your neighborhood become a pleasant place to sit and visit?
* Would the private property owners under the power lines consider a new way of looking at that space? Would they lease their land to the city for a dollar if it meant the creation of something potentially wonderful and life-changing? An urban farm? A bike path? A golf cart lane? An integrated linear park that connects neighorhoods with something for everyone?

Communications and Education

* Do you know what kind of human resources you have in your neigborhood?
* Are there folks who like to build or garden?
* Is someone an Eco-Broker or an environmental lawyer?
* Are there educators, designers, writers, public relations and marketing professionals who could work on outreach materials?
* Are there seniors with life skills that can be taught to younger generations, such as cooking and preserving healthy food, making and repairing clothing, and recycling common materials to create something new?
* Do you currently have a way of communicating with your neighborhood? How robust is your website? How current and useful is your newsletter? What else is possible?

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I'll keep updating and adapting this list as I involve myself in your neighborhoods and learn more about the wide variety of challenges and opportunities right here in our 12 square miles (and beyond).