The Flow Chart, The Article and Santa Clara Square
under construction, Sept 9
The following is a the text for a recent radio program. The program includes an article that describes Chicago Trend, a social enterprise company that invites neighbors to suburban strip malls, usually in marginalized locations, to invest in the strip mall to build community cohesion. After describing the article, the location and date shifts to Eugene, Oregon ten years in the future where neighbors in the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods have combined assets and bought the Santa Clara Square, the local strip mall. The article tells the story. A community action taking place in the not so distant future when many conditions of daily life are very different from what we have at present.
This episode of a primer for paradigm shift for Spirit In Action Radio will come in three parts. The first part will explain an historic time line or flow chart starting 50 or so years ago leading up to the present and then suggest what that time line could look like ten to 15 years into the near future. The time line connects the consumer culture to current historic, economic, social, political and environmental challenges, often referred to as the poly crisis.
The time line/flow chart will move through several dynamic points including common denominator, team, Movement, outreach and towards sustainability. More detail about the flow chart below after this brief preview.
After the time line, I will describe a real life social enterprise company named Chicago Trend, based in Chicago, that advocates for local people in disadvantaged neighborhoods to invest in the local strip malls that Trend would be buying. Investments can be as small as $1000. Trend operates in the Mid West.
After a review of the article, we shift from real life to the fiction. This real life model of community investment in strip malls is used as a point of departure for a fiction story about two middle class neighborhoods on the West Coast. Separated by a typical suburban freeway but with many common interests, together, these two neighborhoods buy and redevelop their shared suburban strip mall.
Both the present real life Chicago Trend and the fiction purchase and transformation of the strip mall, have their places on the paradigm shift time line.
Historically, the economic, political, social and eco logical down slope of our society will become less easy to ignore in coming years, even as the wealthy add to their fortunes. What looks whimsical and out on the fringe now may well attract far more serious attention in the coming years when down slope slope conditions, already affecting millions, will cause millions more people to gain interest in healthy alternatives to the consumer culture.
At the same time, many public interest organizations will also respond to this downslope by embracing more of the ideals and ideas of paradigm shift. Many will begin to share stories about real life examples of paradigm shift that can be inspiring and useful to their members and the wider world. Neighborhoods and communities recognizing the benefits of buying their local strip malls becomes an important story for building healthy neighborhoods in ways that address the challenging conditions of the social and economic decline.
In our fiction story, these two neighborhoods in Eugene, Oregon, learn about neighborhoods and conscious investors buying their local strip malls. Those two neighborhoods intend to take the strip mall idea to a more ambitious level. First we look at the paradigm shift time line and a real life social enterprise that is already inviting local people to invest in their neighborhood strip mall. And then, we'll start our fiction story.
Below, an historical time line/flow chart that connects important aspects of recent past history, the present and suggestions of what could be a preferred future.
This episode of a primer for paradigm shift for Spirit In Action Radio will come in three parts. The first part will explain an historic time line or flow chart starting 50 or so years ago leading up to the present and then suggest what that time line could look like ten to 15 years into the near future. The time line connects the consumer culture to current historic, economic, social, political and environmental challenges, often referred to as the poly crisis.
The time line/flow chart will move through several dynamic points including common denominator, team, Movement, outreach and towards sustainability. More detail about the flow chart below after this brief preview.
After the time line, I will describe a real life social enterprise company named Chicago Trend, based in Chicago, that advocates for local people in disadvantaged neighborhoods to invest in the local strip malls that Trend would be buying. Investments can be as small as $1000. Trend operates in the Mid West.
After a review of the article, we shift from real life to the fiction. This real life model of community investment in strip malls is used as a point of departure for a fiction story about two middle class neighborhoods on the West Coast. Separated by a typical suburban freeway but with many common interests, together, these two neighborhoods buy and redevelop their shared suburban strip mall.
Both the present real life Chicago Trend and the fiction purchase and transformation of the strip mall, have their places on the paradigm shift time line.
Historically, the economic, political, social and eco logical down slope of our society will become less easy to ignore in coming years, even as the wealthy add to their fortunes. What looks whimsical and out on the fringe now may well attract far more serious attention in the coming years when down slope slope conditions, already affecting millions, will cause millions more people to gain interest in healthy alternatives to the consumer culture.
At the same time, many public interest organizations will also respond to this downslope by embracing more of the ideals and ideas of paradigm shift. Many will begin to share stories about real life examples of paradigm shift that can be inspiring and useful to their members and the wider world. Neighborhoods and communities recognizing the benefits of buying their local strip malls becomes an important story for building healthy neighborhoods in ways that address the challenging conditions of the social and economic decline.
In our fiction story, these two neighborhoods in Eugene, Oregon, learn about neighborhoods and conscious investors buying their local strip malls. Those two neighborhoods intend to take the strip mall idea to a more ambitious level. First we look at the paradigm shift time line and a real life social enterprise that is already inviting local people to invest in their neighborhood strip mall. And then, we'll start our fiction story.
Below, an historical time line/flow chart that connects important aspects of recent past history, the present and suggestions of what could be a preferred future.
Here is a paradigm shift time line/flow chart I designed for the Primer. It starts with current historic, economic, social, political and environmental challenges, often referred to as the poly crisis and moving through several dynamic points on that timeline using the titles public interest organizations, common denominator, same team, Movement, outreach and towards sustainability.
A sustainable society will be very different from what we have now in almost every aspect of lifestyle such as food, energy and housing, transportation, recreation, employment and even social relationships. With an enormous amount of luck, we will be spending a lot of time learning and putting to use new social skills to repair the civic and environmental damage caused in the past 100 or so years of human over consumption of resources and energy. A society engaged in paradigm shift will recognize a surprising number of positive opportunities that have been with us all along, waiting to be put to use when the time comes. Our most important paradigm shift asset is positive human potential.
A sustainable society will be very different from what we have now in almost every aspect of lifestyle such as food, energy and housing, transportation, recreation, employment and even social relationships. With an enormous amount of luck, we will be spending a lot of time learning and putting to use new social skills to repair the civic and environmental damage caused in the past 100 or so years of human over consumption of resources and energy. A society engaged in paradigm shift will recognize a surprising number of positive opportunities that have been with us all along, waiting to be put to use when the time comes. Our most important paradigm shift asset is positive human potential.
The article, dated August 3 in the Associated Press, caught my attention. I learned a new term. Social enterprise. Here is a definition from Investopedia. A social enterprise seeks to create positive social impact by combining business innovation with a commitment to addressing environmental, social, or community challenges.
Below, the foto with the AP article.
This definition comes to life in the AP article about an organization in Chicago named Chicago Trend. Chicago Trend, explains itself on its website. Here is the quote, “TREND is a social enterprise formed in 2016 with a mission to catalyze and accelerate strategic commercial development that strengthens urban neighborhoods, with a focus on low-and-moderate income urban communities. TREND has a unique perspective and expertise on many aspects of commercial real estate and offers an integrated set of services to strengthen urban commercial corridors and their surrounding neighborhoods.”
Trend claims the capacity to influence a neighborhood's trajectory. The general ideals of Trend certainly share a lot of common ground with paradigm shift such as investing local, connecting people more closely with goods and services of interest to both individuals and the neighborhood plus empowering people to take a more active role in the well being of where they live.
The Primer explains civic culture, which means being more involved in the life of the community and responding in a positive way to the deepening social, economic and environmental challenges of our time. Chicago Trend and paradigm shift can claim significant shared interest and ideals. They both aspire to serve people on the receiving end of capitalism's mal practice and they both focus on actions people can take where they live to help repair the damage caused by over consumption and the consumer culture.
Below, the Trend website.
Trend claims the capacity to influence a neighborhood's trajectory. The general ideals of Trend certainly share a lot of common ground with paradigm shift such as investing local, connecting people more closely with goods and services of interest to both individuals and the neighborhood plus empowering people to take a more active role in the well being of where they live.
The Primer explains civic culture, which means being more involved in the life of the community and responding in a positive way to the deepening social, economic and environmental challenges of our time. Chicago Trend and paradigm shift can claim significant shared interest and ideals. They both aspire to serve people on the receiving end of capitalism's mal practice and they both focus on actions people can take where they live to help repair the damage caused by over consumption and the consumer culture.
Below, the Trend website.
At the present, Trend has invested thirty six million dollars and owns six urban shopping centers in Chicago, Baltimore and Columbus, Ohio. Trends offers a variety of services including development facilitation, data and analytics, survey and financing. Trend can count on many strategic partners with interest in progressive urban issues.
The article I read describes a new Trend project to buy a strip mall in an economically challenged neighborhood in north Minneapolis. There are many challenged neighborhoods all over the country. Some are economically challenged, simply poor neighborhoods with many important services and needs lacking. Civic culture is difficult to create when the basics of life in short supply.
Meanwhile, from the Primer's perspective, virtually our entire society is civically challenged even though many locations are well off in terms of conventional economics. Not everyone is a winner in regard to capitalism. Verily, the winners depend on having losers. The Primer points out, the rules and rewards of capitalism and the consumer culture are highly flawed in the first place. Some have commented that to be adjusted and well integrated within a damaged System is not a healthy condition. As mentioned in the Primer, our economic system prefers consumers rather than citizens.
Engaging with that flawed System in a conscious and purposeful way, whether the need is economic, civic or both can activate the positive human potential that we all have but is depressed by generations of social engineering. Even the modest economic participation Trend advocates is a very important start of repairing the social and economic conditions imposed by the mainstream economic System, at least at the local level.
Attracting local investment is a core part of Trend's mission and those investments can be as small as $1000. There is no claim investors will become rich, rather the idea is that even a tiny amount of ownership in a local important commercial enterprise creates a link and interest to the social and economic well being of ones self and the life of the neighborhood.
The Minneapolis project has attracted participation from several community based public interest organizations that recognize the value of local people having an ownership stake in the strip mall even as Trends will own 51% of the property. The article reports that meetings have been held to acquaint local people to the idea and opportunity for neighborhood involvement. The meetings and desired outcomes can move out in all kinds of positive tangents and can encourage people to prioritize their time and money for the good of the community.
Two fotos below, Hawthorne Crossings in north Minneapolis.
The article I read describes a new Trend project to buy a strip mall in an economically challenged neighborhood in north Minneapolis. There are many challenged neighborhoods all over the country. Some are economically challenged, simply poor neighborhoods with many important services and needs lacking. Civic culture is difficult to create when the basics of life in short supply.
Meanwhile, from the Primer's perspective, virtually our entire society is civically challenged even though many locations are well off in terms of conventional economics. Not everyone is a winner in regard to capitalism. Verily, the winners depend on having losers. The Primer points out, the rules and rewards of capitalism and the consumer culture are highly flawed in the first place. Some have commented that to be adjusted and well integrated within a damaged System is not a healthy condition. As mentioned in the Primer, our economic system prefers consumers rather than citizens.
Engaging with that flawed System in a conscious and purposeful way, whether the need is economic, civic or both can activate the positive human potential that we all have but is depressed by generations of social engineering. Even the modest economic participation Trend advocates is a very important start of repairing the social and economic conditions imposed by the mainstream economic System, at least at the local level.
Attracting local investment is a core part of Trend's mission and those investments can be as small as $1000. There is no claim investors will become rich, rather the idea is that even a tiny amount of ownership in a local important commercial enterprise creates a link and interest to the social and economic well being of ones self and the life of the neighborhood.
The Minneapolis project has attracted participation from several community based public interest organizations that recognize the value of local people having an ownership stake in the strip mall even as Trends will own 51% of the property. The article reports that meetings have been held to acquaint local people to the idea and opportunity for neighborhood involvement. The meetings and desired outcomes can move out in all kinds of positive tangents and can encourage people to prioritize their time and money for the good of the community.
Two fotos below, Hawthorne Crossings in north Minneapolis.
There are thousands of strip malls all over the country. They typically include a sizable shared parking area with anywhere from 5 or 8 businesses to dozens of stores with a large grocery or general merchandise anchor like Target, Albertsons or Wal Mart. Parking lots may range in size up to acres. Strip malls are meant to be accessible to nearby residences and are invariably designed for cars. Larger strip malls may be at the intersection of important local streets and highways. Access by foot and bicycle is often risky due to usual high traffic levels by cars. Many strip malls in larger towns and cities have a bus stop.
Paradigm shift calls for a major transformation of our automobile dominated urban landscapes, significantly reducing our eco footprints and building civic culture. The mission of Chicago Trend to invite citizen investment is a very important early step in urban repair. A strip mall guided by the values and principles of paradigm shift would evolve in healthy ways to serve people and planet that the profit motive would completely ignore. The Chicago Trend fits in.
In my own contemplations about sustainability, I have had many thoughts about suburbia, cars and strip malls. I have been transforming my own suburban property for 25 years to produce more food, water, energy and aesthetics on site. Thousands of people have visited over the years to see what can be done with a nothing special suburban property.
I gave away my 1991 Ford Ranger 3 years ago. I had a vehicle since high school but before giving it away, I was not using it much for the previous 8 or 10 years anyway. No regrets not having a car. This suburban area where I live and the comparatively bike friendly town of Eugene, especially near the River car free bikeway, is much more amendable for life without a car compared to most.
And, as described on the Primer website, aprimerforparadigmshift.org one can prioritize their time and money for paradigm shift kinds of benefits. I have been prioritizing time and money for most of my adult life. Choosing car free, vegetarian, low overhead living is a purposeful set of choices and for me and there are many benefits.
Lets create a story using Chicago Trend as a real life point of departure. Let's say that story is 10 years in the future when the downward slope of current trends continues and the kinds of social and economic changes called for by the Primer For Paradigm Shift and kindred organizations like Transition Towns and The Post Carbon Institute are actually gaining traction. This emerging paradigm shift consciousness, still very much on the fringe, is manifesting in many ways and suburban strip malls is one of those venues for paradigm shift to express itself.
Progressive urban interventions had been taking place here and there around the country at modest scale for decades such as freeway fights, the movement to create walkable neighborhoods, the first congestion pricing in New York City that has become common here in 2035, across the country. But now, not surprisingly, while many social and economic trends, familiar for decades, such as the concentration of political and economic power, climate change, more working poor, the increasing wealth of the already wealthy, the growing numbers of people moving north because of climate change have accelerated, many social and economic fringe opinions articulated for decades about our economic system and society and what to do about it, don't seem so radical now and are reaching a much wider audience.
There has been increasing coverage in the media describing examples of paradigm shift. More and more public interest organizations have been sharing stories on their websites, newsletters, magazines and social media describing individuals and groups innovating and exploring lifestyles, shared housing both urban and rural, cooperative business, downsizing eco footprints and more. For example, the American Association of Retired Persons has become a leader in advocating deep changes in lifestyle and investing to its nearly 40 million middle aged and senior members.
The two images below are foto shopped. Clik on them for a larger view. In our story, ten years in the future mainstream organizations are beginning to advocate paradigm shift. Clik on the margin of the enlarged image to return to text.
Paradigm shift calls for a major transformation of our automobile dominated urban landscapes, significantly reducing our eco footprints and building civic culture. The mission of Chicago Trend to invite citizen investment is a very important early step in urban repair. A strip mall guided by the values and principles of paradigm shift would evolve in healthy ways to serve people and planet that the profit motive would completely ignore. The Chicago Trend fits in.
In my own contemplations about sustainability, I have had many thoughts about suburbia, cars and strip malls. I have been transforming my own suburban property for 25 years to produce more food, water, energy and aesthetics on site. Thousands of people have visited over the years to see what can be done with a nothing special suburban property.
I gave away my 1991 Ford Ranger 3 years ago. I had a vehicle since high school but before giving it away, I was not using it much for the previous 8 or 10 years anyway. No regrets not having a car. This suburban area where I live and the comparatively bike friendly town of Eugene, especially near the River car free bikeway, is much more amendable for life without a car compared to most.
And, as described on the Primer website, aprimerforparadigmshift.org one can prioritize their time and money for paradigm shift kinds of benefits. I have been prioritizing time and money for most of my adult life. Choosing car free, vegetarian, low overhead living is a purposeful set of choices and for me and there are many benefits.
Lets create a story using Chicago Trend as a real life point of departure. Let's say that story is 10 years in the future when the downward slope of current trends continues and the kinds of social and economic changes called for by the Primer For Paradigm Shift and kindred organizations like Transition Towns and The Post Carbon Institute are actually gaining traction. This emerging paradigm shift consciousness, still very much on the fringe, is manifesting in many ways and suburban strip malls is one of those venues for paradigm shift to express itself.
Progressive urban interventions had been taking place here and there around the country at modest scale for decades such as freeway fights, the movement to create walkable neighborhoods, the first congestion pricing in New York City that has become common here in 2035, across the country. But now, not surprisingly, while many social and economic trends, familiar for decades, such as the concentration of political and economic power, climate change, more working poor, the increasing wealth of the already wealthy, the growing numbers of people moving north because of climate change have accelerated, many social and economic fringe opinions articulated for decades about our economic system and society and what to do about it, don't seem so radical now and are reaching a much wider audience.
There has been increasing coverage in the media describing examples of paradigm shift. More and more public interest organizations have been sharing stories on their websites, newsletters, magazines and social media describing individuals and groups innovating and exploring lifestyles, shared housing both urban and rural, cooperative business, downsizing eco footprints and more. For example, the American Association of Retired Persons has become a leader in advocating deep changes in lifestyle and investing to its nearly 40 million middle aged and senior members.
The two images below are foto shopped. Clik on them for a larger view. In our story, ten years in the future mainstream organizations are beginning to advocate paradigm shift. Clik on the margin of the enlarged image to return to text.
Again, this is a fiction story of the near future and extrapolates on the idea of community purchase of a large suburban strip mall as described earlier in this broadcast.
Continuing our fiction story. In Eugene, Oregon, board members of two adjacent neighborhood associations were becoming increasingly unsettled about the condition of the neighborhoods. Many decades long trends and indicators of society's well being continued to decline like almost everywhere else in the country. More people were struggling to get by, affordable housing was in short supply, the increasing cost of food and energy was affecting many more people, climate change was a constant worry; social, political and economic dis-equity was a bigger problem than ever. Most elected officials and governments were stuck on remedies based on market and growth based policies and approaches that can take responsibility for many of these problems in the first place.
Several members of the two NA boards had been following stories about neighborhoods and communities investing in local strip malls. The results were encouraging. Shared ownership boosted community well being in many ways. Those board members thought, if a neighborhood or community could benefit simply by being co owners of a local strip mall, what might the benefits be if the nearby community not only had a big ownership stake in the strip mall but actually helped create a plan to transform the strip mall to address many of the neighborhood's important issues?
The local strip mall was a sizable shopping center with a typically wide range of businesses including a large chain grocery store, pet store, military recruiter, credit union, tanning salon, nail shop, large thrift store, several cafes and restaurants, ophthalmologist, fast food shacks, furniture, dentist office and more. The parking lot, rarely even a fourth used, amounted to almost 3 acres. A growing number of business were failing and the owners of the mall were known to be interested to sell.
Continuing our fiction story. In Eugene, Oregon, board members of two adjacent neighborhood associations were becoming increasingly unsettled about the condition of the neighborhoods. Many decades long trends and indicators of society's well being continued to decline like almost everywhere else in the country. More people were struggling to get by, affordable housing was in short supply, the increasing cost of food and energy was affecting many more people, climate change was a constant worry; social, political and economic dis-equity was a bigger problem than ever. Most elected officials and governments were stuck on remedies based on market and growth based policies and approaches that can take responsibility for many of these problems in the first place.
Several members of the two NA boards had been following stories about neighborhoods and communities investing in local strip malls. The results were encouraging. Shared ownership boosted community well being in many ways. Those board members thought, if a neighborhood or community could benefit simply by being co owners of a local strip mall, what might the benefits be if the nearby community not only had a big ownership stake in the strip mall but actually helped create a plan to transform the strip mall to address many of the neighborhood's important issues?
The local strip mall was a sizable shopping center with a typically wide range of businesses including a large chain grocery store, pet store, military recruiter, credit union, tanning salon, nail shop, large thrift store, several cafes and restaurants, ophthalmologist, fast food shacks, furniture, dentist office and more. The parking lot, rarely even a fourth used, amounted to almost 3 acres. A growing number of business were failing and the owners of the mall were known to be interested to sell.
The two neighborhood organizations crafted a shared meeting about the strip mall that featured local professionals with collective expertise in commercial real estate, architecture, planning and social enterprise. They were asked to deliver their thoughts about a neighborhood owned shopping mall.
The meeting was a great success. Many in the audience were enthusiastic about transforming the strip mall. We could thank the enthusiasm to an overall growing interest in community affairs over the past 10 years. As important metrics of society's well being continued their decades of decline, a growing number of people were becoming interested in more un conventional approaches for dealing with the problems.
Compressing our fiction story, the neighborhoods crafted an action plan to redevelop the strip mall so it could be better set for the changing and uncertain times. There had been many meetings and sub committee meetings with residents of the neighborhoods, the merchants, city and advisors. Everyone was amazed at how much experience existed in the two neighborhoods relating to the project. Important civic assets had been slumbering for decades.
The existing owners of the strip mall, impressed with the redevelopment idea, having a change in their own world views and also aware of the changing investment and social landscapes, offered to become partners. They worked with the neighborhood group as participants not owners. The transformation addressed many city planning goals that had been on the books for decades having to do with reducing use of cars, build affordable housing, empower the community, encourage local business, reduce green house gases and much more.
In the spirit of Chicago Trend, there were literally hundreds of small local investors in the project ranging in size from a thousand dollars to over a million. Many people had come to realize, investing in the good of the community was investing in their own well being too, so they chose to put time and money into the strip mall project rather than buy a new car, kitchen remodel or expensive vacation. People were prioritizing time and money for public good.
The meeting was a great success. Many in the audience were enthusiastic about transforming the strip mall. We could thank the enthusiasm to an overall growing interest in community affairs over the past 10 years. As important metrics of society's well being continued their decades of decline, a growing number of people were becoming interested in more un conventional approaches for dealing with the problems.
Compressing our fiction story, the neighborhoods crafted an action plan to redevelop the strip mall so it could be better set for the changing and uncertain times. There had been many meetings and sub committee meetings with residents of the neighborhoods, the merchants, city and advisors. Everyone was amazed at how much experience existed in the two neighborhoods relating to the project. Important civic assets had been slumbering for decades.
The existing owners of the strip mall, impressed with the redevelopment idea, having a change in their own world views and also aware of the changing investment and social landscapes, offered to become partners. They worked with the neighborhood group as participants not owners. The transformation addressed many city planning goals that had been on the books for decades having to do with reducing use of cars, build affordable housing, empower the community, encourage local business, reduce green house gases and much more.
In the spirit of Chicago Trend, there were literally hundreds of small local investors in the project ranging in size from a thousand dollars to over a million. Many people had come to realize, investing in the good of the community was investing in their own well being too, so they chose to put time and money into the strip mall project rather than buy a new car, kitchen remodel or expensive vacation. People were prioritizing time and money for public good.
Many of the existing merchants also bought in. Several businesses with products and services based on the declining consumer culture sold out and the newly availabe spaces became open to new uses that better fit the changing retail, commercial and economic outlook.
So the final result of the strip mall project was big news. Long before the project was finished other neighborhoods in Eugene were assessing their own strip mall possibilities. One could identify about nine strip malls scattered around town that had parking lots of at least an acre and several up to three acres like Santa Clara Square. The distribution around town was just right for creating micro downtowns where most people in the city lived within a half mile of a current strip mall location. Smaller scale redevelopment projects were also attracting interest while many existing merchants, somewhat woken up by the Santa Clara project were making changes to their own to fit the new trends for moving towards sustainability.
The plan for Santa Clara Square was to build mixed use commercial and residential on the existing 3 acre parking lot. The new development includes seven multi story buildings four and five stories tall. The buildings are contemporary, most with balconies and designed for passive solar assist. There is commercial below, specifically businesses and services that have been missing in this part of town. There are several small plazas between buildings and one main plaza with fountains, landscaping, playground, places to mix and mingle, an amphitheater and more social amenities.
There is no parking in the plazas. The only parking saved from before is on the periphery. There are shuttles threading among the buildings to take people to their destinations. The entire development is very safe for children and elderly.
There are a variety of apartment designs. All are affordable. One can choose a quad arrangement where a person has their own bedroom but they share a kitchen, common space and bathroom with others. This sharing reduces cost a great deal. Renters take a course in shared living to qualify for the quads. There are a number of residential designs to fit intentional community living.
One of the most exciting attributes of living in the Square is people who do not have a car pay less for rent. There are flex cars on site so people can rent a car when they need one. There are also car share networks. Transit is enhanced with express busses to down town with a longer range plan to connect the other emerging suburban centers with each other.
Nearby streets have been redesigned to make biking and walking much safer and attractive for people living in the surrounding neighborhoods. There are cultural amenities as well including a library, maker space, gym, indoor and outdoor climbing walls, kindergarten and child care. There are even roof top terraces and gardens. With so many amenities one would think rent would be high but because of shared residential features, the cost of building was reduced a great deal compared to conventional apartments. Because there is minimal parking, space that would have been taken by cars is used for residential space and amenities instead which increases the income capacity of the project.
So the final result of the strip mall project was big news. Long before the project was finished other neighborhoods in Eugene were assessing their own strip mall possibilities. One could identify about nine strip malls scattered around town that had parking lots of at least an acre and several up to three acres like Santa Clara Square. The distribution around town was just right for creating micro downtowns where most people in the city lived within a half mile of a current strip mall location. Smaller scale redevelopment projects were also attracting interest while many existing merchants, somewhat woken up by the Santa Clara project were making changes to their own to fit the new trends for moving towards sustainability.
The plan for Santa Clara Square was to build mixed use commercial and residential on the existing 3 acre parking lot. The new development includes seven multi story buildings four and five stories tall. The buildings are contemporary, most with balconies and designed for passive solar assist. There is commercial below, specifically businesses and services that have been missing in this part of town. There are several small plazas between buildings and one main plaza with fountains, landscaping, playground, places to mix and mingle, an amphitheater and more social amenities.
There is no parking in the plazas. The only parking saved from before is on the periphery. There are shuttles threading among the buildings to take people to their destinations. The entire development is very safe for children and elderly.
There are a variety of apartment designs. All are affordable. One can choose a quad arrangement where a person has their own bedroom but they share a kitchen, common space and bathroom with others. This sharing reduces cost a great deal. Renters take a course in shared living to qualify for the quads. There are a number of residential designs to fit intentional community living.
One of the most exciting attributes of living in the Square is people who do not have a car pay less for rent. There are flex cars on site so people can rent a car when they need one. There are also car share networks. Transit is enhanced with express busses to down town with a longer range plan to connect the other emerging suburban centers with each other.
Nearby streets have been redesigned to make biking and walking much safer and attractive for people living in the surrounding neighborhoods. There are cultural amenities as well including a library, maker space, gym, indoor and outdoor climbing walls, kindergarten and child care. There are even roof top terraces and gardens. With so many amenities one would think rent would be high but because of shared residential features, the cost of building was reduced a great deal compared to conventional apartments. Because there is minimal parking, space that would have been taken by cars is used for residential space and amenities instead which increases the income capacity of the project.
The take home messages from this episode of a primer for paradigm shift is that unusual and non conventional initiatives at the present time to address the deepening challenges of this point in history many well become far more sensible to the mainstream as time goes by and be the point of departure if even more creative initiatives. From this perspective, small and medium scale projects that are citizen initiated are our best hope. What is most important as for these real life positive stories to go out to a wider audience. We have far more allies and assets to work with in our own neighborhoods and communities than we realize. Prioritizing our individual and collective time and money is how we discover and build those allies and assets.
