Sunday, January 21, 2007

Maybe Kermit the Frog was wrong.

Perhaps it is easy being green. Check out this story from Charlotte, NC.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

This article shows that it is easy to be green as long as you are willing to pay the price. These new enviornmental friendly Palisade homes cost $517,000 on average, over twice the amount of the median price of homes in a similar area of North Carolina. That being said, the fact that there is such strong demand for these houses shows the difference between cost and price. Namely, the prices of these homes are extremely high relative to the market, but consumers are willing to pay for its cost, because they derive some benefit from a green neighborhood. The article also pointed out that the Palisades planned on entensive expansion for the future. It will be interesting to see if this expansion helps to increase the demand for green houses because more consumers will become aware that they exist, or if it will hurt the demand because the idea of further development somewhat conflicts with the idea of a green society.

Unknown said...

I think there will be a growing market for these environmentally aware subdivisions and houses in the upcoming years. Charlotte has always been more environmentally aware than many other cities, and it does not surprise me that Charlotte would be the leader in an project like Palisade. Although they are very expensive, I think that might be due to the fact that there are so few and the houses are in such high demand. Many people in my experience would like to live in a place that is more environmentally aware, but they are not available. Being from New Orleans, I do not think something like the Palisade will be starting any time soon. I am hopeful, though, that these subdivisions catch on and spread fast to other cities.

Unknown said...

It's nice to see that a growing metropolitan area such as Charlotte can set a good example by developing with the environment in mind.

Adding to what Tom said: Although the costs of the houses are relatively high up front, environmentally friendly houses and neighborhoods can lower long run costs of maintaining the area.

Unknown said...
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Anonymous said...

When you pay this high of a price for an environmentally friendly home and neighborhood, you also get several other amenities not available in most neighborhoods (golf course, country club, sports complex, trails, soccer center, school, etc.). Many people have separate memberships for most of the things listed above and most likely have to travel all over town to use in them. In this type of community with all of these activities readily available, more households will enjoy them. For parents, not having to carpool their children to soccer practice everday would save lots of time and gas. By not having to drive to all these places less gas will be used. If these communities continue to spread they could have a significant impact on the environment.

Unknown said...

The idea of a high-end green community sounds ideal at first. But is it really better to spread out these homes with "buffers" between them? Would it not be better to concentrate the homes and leave more intact green-space surrounding the community?

Anonymous said...

I agree with Kelly here. Developing these vast tracts of land and spreading out environmental imapact of residential development sounds great on paper. However, such widespread development only further contributes to the problem of suburban sprawl - whereby once large tracts of land are sliced into smaller and smaller parcels with roads, houses, etc. and people are forced to commute longer distances. I know everyone wants their slice of countryside and I think thats just fine if they're willing to pay the higher price for it to be done in an environmentally conscious manner. However, I feel that more attention should be given to greener urban development in order to minimize sprawl and its associated problems.

Mackenzie Hutton said...

This is interesting and I think that it demonstrates the Kuznet's Curve. Here is an example of a group of people with high incomes who are willing to pay more money to live in a more environmentally healthy community.

Kris Brake said...

This is similar to another recent type of project I have heard of recently. There are "Green Apartment" Complexes being developed with many innovative ideas. Some of these include using compressed hay rather than wood for the doors and warm water running through the walls to provide heat. Developments such as these are really cool and have great possibility for expansion. I also agree with George's comment that focusing on "greener" urban development is a crucial step in the process. Imagine the possibilities.

Anonymous said...

This article demonstrates yet another environmentally friendly idea. With more and more attention being drawn towards environmental protection, consumers are increasingly spending more for environmentally friendly products. Besides green communities such as this one in Charlotte, the popularity of hybrid cars has recently escalated, revealing the motivation and dedication of many Americans towards making a difference in our environment, even if it means spending a premium. Hopefully this trend will continue as Americans continue to learn and understand the possible ominous future that may lie ahead.

-Jeff