In today’s economic and political environment, change continues to force itself upon the land development industry, and one thing is clear: If a new set of comprehensive best practices aren’t developed and formalized by the industry itself, they will be by government and/or other stakeholder groups.  In fact, many groups and government organizations have already developed standards for certain components of projects, some of which offer good solutions for part of the challenges we face today. Those can and should be included as part of the overall solution.

None of those systems however, offer a comprehensive perspective designed to maximize the social, environmental and financial/economic outcomes.

The way land development has been conducted in the past is no longer enough for survival. It is time for a new model, and in order for that model to meet everyone’s needs, it needs to be developed from a level playing field, with all professional and stakeholder interests incorporated.

As introduced in the May, 2007 SLDT article entitled, People, Planet and Profit (http://www.sldtonline.com/peopleplanetprofit), SLDI is now developing a set of sustainable development best practices designed to meet all stakeholder demands that can be used as a decision model for land development project teams, and is seeking feedback from industry professionals and stakeholders for the development of its initial draft outline.

The comprehensive model is intended to provide a user-friendly and value-added set of practices that can enable project teams to:

• Achieve greater balance among people, planet and profit;
• Enhance project development processes;
• Reduce project development and land holding costs;
• Better address financial risk;
• Enhance property values;
• Differentiate your project and gain valuable marketing benefits;
• Enable more effective response to project opposition;
• Receive quicker regulatory review of projects;
• Qualify for a growing array of federal, state & local government initiatives;
• Be recognized for leadership and commitment to sustainability issues in your community, your organization (including stockholders), and your industry.

The objective is to help land development professionals achieve greater ecological stewardship and social equity, but to do so through the simultaneous achievement of greater economic results. That is achievable, but high standards of performance are required. Fortunately, high-performance professionals and new technologies are bountiful throughout our important industry.

The need for – and benefit of – formalized professional project best practices is now central to continued land development success. The type of model used, however, is equally as important as the mere act of using one. In order for a best practices system to achieve sustainable use and value, it must be based on the principles of sustainability. It must successfully balance – in fact maximize, the triple-bottom line perspectives of people, planet and profit. Ultimately, it is impossible to achieve any one without the other two.

An effective model must facilitate more effective project processes – not hinder them. Achieving sustainable development according to the triple-bottom line perspective requires adhering to practices that encompass a holistic perspective – one which focuses on positively addressing the vital issues of ALL stakeholder interests throughout the development process, not just one or a few. Such a successful system must also model the project development process by placing the perspective of the team-building, risk-taking, and ultimate decision-making developer at the fore.

It must embrace the profit motive by addressing project inputs such as management processes, market dynamics and cost controls. It also considers ecological needs such as natural systems, energy flows and biodiversity. Further, the model will help project teams analyze social considerations such as community access, spiritual connectedness, well-being, and governance. Additionally, it considers the interdependent nature of the relationships among economic, ecological and social forces, and among all stakeholders who possess special interests.

The SLDI best practices system will be a tool designed to help fragmented stakeholder groups find commonality in their purpose. It serves to balance the needs of all interests to aid in the sustainability of our world.

What practices and experiences can you share in each, any, and/or all of the areas of sustainable land development outlined above? You can contribute to the development of these best practices by going to www.SLDIKnowledgeProject.com and adding comments and information to the structure that is on the homepage. Or you can send your comments and suggestions to Tony Wernke at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it In next month’s issue, we will offer a first draft model of best practices based on initial industry feedback for further comment. Thanks in advance for your feedback, and for your professional contribution to the advancement of the entire industry.

SLDI Guiding Principles

As a comprehensive decision model, the SLDI Guiding Principles depicted in the diagram at right provide a gateway to all of the best practices of a successful sustainable project according to the triple-bottom-line needs of maximizing social, environmental and economic capital.

While these nine principles have universal application, the specific practices and processes (and ultimately, the products and services) that provide the greatest leverage (ease of implementation) and value (ROI) ­depends on the specific context of each individual project.

Profit (Economic Capital)

Create Value – Maximizing financial value for all stakeholders is vital to the success, and overall sustainability, of every project. Financial value can be added throughout the process in many innovative ways.

Eliminate Waste – The budgeting and cost control practices throughout the project are vital to maximize the return on investment of the project. SLDI offers a three-part webinar educational series, called, “Developing for Profit,” which covers the proven best practices in budgeting, scheduling, bid and contract management, and land, real estate and parcel management. By being effective in these areas, returns can easily double. Minimizing unnecessary expenses associated with the project is definitely a “killer app” in terms of maximizing financial ­return.

Profit / Planet

Recognize Interdependence –  By including all of the stakeholders with a variety of interests throughout the planning and design process, and by expanding the scope of interest beyond the confines of a specific project to include the neighborhood, the municipality, the local watershed, and beyond, development teams are well on the way toward achieving the optimal economic and environmental returns on investments. Over the longer-term, there can be no economic capital without preserving and maximizing environmental capital.

There are a number of great programs which put forth standards for a variety of components of sustainable land ­development. By incorporating those programs into your projects, professionals can fulfill specific subsets of the comprehensive goal of sustainable development.

Planet (Environmental ­Capital)

Model Nature – The purest and most valuable form of environmental stewardship is to model our natural systems in our developments. All the sustainable technology and intelligence necessary can be found by understanding and modeling our natural systems in our developments. This can be best achieved through two related areas of study – Biomimicry and Biophilic Design.

Biomimicry – Biomimicry is an emerging discipline that studies nature’s best ideas and then ­imitates these designs and processes to solve human ­problems.

Biophilic Design – human beings have an innate and evolutionarily based affinity for nature. Biophilia is defined as, “the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life.” Connecting developments to nature equals success from an environmental, social and financial context.

Energy Flows – Capturing and leveraging our natural energy systems through renewable energy sources and biological materials is the nature of this principle. Additionally, minimizing the amount of non-renewable energy and pollutants used throughout the product manufacturing, use, maintenance and reuse is vital to achieving best practices with the Energy Flows guiding principle.

Planet / People

Humans and Nature Co-exist – By incorporating natural “no-impact” development techniques, land development can deliver a sustainable imprint that not only has no impact, but we can restore the natural systems to greater health through effective development. For a sustainable future, humans must integrate with nature, not separate from it.

People (Social ­Capital)

Accept Responsibility – It is the developer’s professional and ethical ­responsibility to assume leadership over the vision and values for his/her project. Adhering to a decision model that ­maximizes financial results, minimizes environmental impact and restores degraded ecosystems, and maximizes the quality of life for the community within and beyond the scope of the project in question gives the land development profession the opportunity to restore its tainted public image and deliver uniquely valuable solutions for the future of our civilization.

Quality of Life – By focusing on the innovative ways to meet and exceed the community’s quality-of-life needs, land development can provide unique value to communities within and beyond the immediate scope of the project in ­question.

People / Profit

Share Knowledge – Without sharing the knowledge gained through the project development process to other stakeholders in the project, projects can lose financial and social value, and can become unsustainable. It is vital to sustain the original intent for all projects through the transfer of knowledge about the project, so current project team members can more effectively integrate their efforts and products. Further, future owners and stakeholders must understand the original project vision and intent in order to maintain the sustainability of a project indefinitely. Lastly, sharing knowledge gained on specific projects to stakeholders throughout the industry will help improve the professional status of the industry in the public’s eyes, and will play an important role in ensuring our sustainable future for all time.

New Preferred Providers Signed

SLDI is pleased to add the following organizations to our Preferred Provider ­Program. For a  complete listing and ­information about SLDI Preferred Providers go to www.SLDI.org.

Drainage Systems
Multi-Flow drainage systems are effective, durable, versatile, and affordable. Collector lines are panel-shaped and can be installed either vertically in a trench or horizontally on an ­exposed base. Multi-Flow is one-inch thick and comes in six-, 12-, and 18-inch formats. Enclosed flow channels provide superior flow rates and strength. A wide variety of connectors and outlets make unlimited configurations possible. Confirmed members qualify for complimentary, personalized, design assistance as well as a 10% discount on all orders in excess of $1750.

Stormwater Management­­­­­
StormChamber™ is an open bottom, arch-shaped, HDPE infiltration chamber which functions in both permeable and non-permeable soils for subsurface retention, detention, recharge and reuse of storm water, designed to overcome the deficiencies of other technologies. It provides a higher level of nutrient and pollutant removal by taking advantage of the natural biological and physical properties of the soil.
StormChamber systems mimic pre-development conditions by putting post-construction run off back into the ground approximately where it used to go, maintaining base flow to streams, wetlands, lakes, ponds and countering salt-water intrusion in coastal areas. Confirmed SLDI members will receive a 10% discount on each SedimenTrap ordered. 

Telecommunications
Interested in exploring FTTH (Fiber to the Home) for your community? For many developers, the answer is “Yes”.  In fact, recent market data from RVA Market Research, a leading FTTH analyst, states more than 2 million households in the United States are now served by FTTH. In addition, more than 60% of new master planned communities breaking ground in 2007 will be enabled with FTTH.
AFL Telecommunications, a leading fiber optic manufacturer, is extending a complimentary FTTH Business Modeling session to SLDI members.

Utility Products & Services
HBH Gas Systems specializes in the design and implementation of fully-engineered central gas systems for developments located off of the natural gas grid.
HBH has developed, designed, and installed Central Gas Systems in residential communities, commercial developments and entire resorts throughout the US.
HBH Gas Systems is offering SLDI members an exclusive consultation and in-depth analysis of their development - planned, under construction, or completed - to determine if a central gas system is an economically feasible solution to providing their homeowners with dual-fuels.