Mesa Del Sol: New Urbanism in Albuquerque

"Mesa Del Sol will be located just outside of downtown Albuquerque and is comprised of twenty square miles of land, 3,200 acres of which are said to remain as open space.' Albuquerque is famed for it's 300 days a year of sunshine, was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the best places for businesses and careers in the U.S., is just under a three hours drive from world class skiing in Taos, and is a short two hour flight from L.A.' Mesa Del Sol's New Urbanism approach means that virtually everything you need will be within walking distance -- stores, work, schools, homes, and parks etc.'

Mesa Del Sol's first completed building is LEED certified and occupied by a solar company.' Their site says that the community will embrace the idea of sustainability by conserving water, promoting walking instead of driving, promoting renewable energy use, and offering recycling
programs.'

The community is in the beginning stages and while no homes or lots are for sale yet, home prices are estimated to start at a reasonable $150,000 to upwards of $700,000.' Homes will be Energy Star certified.'

One feature I was surprised to see in the renderings was double-lane roads running down the middle of the community, something that I have not seen in many green communities.' Perhaps this is necessary due to the size of the community and it certainly gives off a more urban feel, but I think it distracts a bit from the walking theme of the community.' The other element that I prefer to see utilized by green urban communities is the re-use of previously developed land instead of development of a completely new tract of land.' But again, with the size of this project, that probably would not have been an option.'

Overall, there is a wealth of information to take in on Mesa Del Sol's site.' This is a truly impressive large-scale project.' It will be wonderful to watch this community emerge as homes,
businesses, and the town-centers begin to develop.' Visit Mesa Del Sol's site to learn much more about the community and to sign-up to be kept up to date with the project.

All renderings credit: Mesa Del Sol."

(Via jetson.green.)

Local Food Rebuilds Small Town (And Inner-City) America

"La Finquita Community Garden via Nuestras Raíces

Our uncertain times, both economic and environmental, have businesses, individuals and all levels of government scrambling for a positive way forward. On one end of the solution spectrum is the short-sighted U.S. financial bailout. On the other end are thousands of far-sighted individuals, community groups, neighborhoods, and towns, planting, growing, preserving, cooking, and eating food grown in their own (literal and figurative) backyard..."

(Via TreeHugger.)

The 1st Annual Urban Farm and Harvest Festival

September 27th, 2008, 2pm – 7pm at the Open Space Visitor Center

Did you know that in addition to other important public lands such as the Sandia Foothills Open Space, the Petroglyph National Monument and the Rio Grande Valley State Park, the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division preserves over 366 acres of farmland within the Albuquerque area?

“Since the purchase of the Candelaria Farm Preserve in 1977, the City’s Open Space Division has proven to be one of the key local agencies involved in the protection of agricultural lands in Albuquerque,” says Mayor Martin Chavez. “Our achievements in farm preservation provide another example of why we have one of the most celebrated Open Space programs in the nation.”

WHAT: A Celebration of Open Space, urban agriculture, local food, and community with music, fun, workshops, and more!

WHEN: National Public Lands Day, September 27th, 2008, 2pm – 7pm

WHERE: Open Space Visitor Center, 6500 Coors Blvd NW. The Visitor Center is located east of Coors at the end of Bosque Meadows Rd, which is between Montano and Paseo del Norte.

COST: FREE

See below for more details!

Open Space is proud to be a part of Albuquerque’s agricultural heritage, and this year we’re celebrating with a unique event for the whole family. For the inaugural year of this event, we’ve joined forces with local farmers, local businesses, and conservation organizations to bring attention to the importance of preserving our agricultural heritage. During this event you can:

• Visit with local farmers
• Participate in free workshops
• Talk to local organizations working to preserve agriculture
• Learn more about Albuquerque’s Open Space program at our beautiful Visitor Center
• View birds and wildlife at the Visitor Center’s 24 acre farm and wildlife preserve

ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES including live music, arts and crafts for the kids, face painting and henna art by Have on Art, food demonstrations, apple harvesting, an apple cider press, and more!

MUSIC!

Enjoy the following performers on the grassy lawn overlooking our 24 acre working farm/wildlife preserve:

• 2:30 – 3:30 pm: Big Daddy Long Loin/Recycle Man ("One Man Big Band")
• 3:45 – 4:45 pm: Aztec Dancers (drumming and dance)
• 5:00 – 6:00 pm: The Rivet Gang (Bluegrass)
• 6:00 – 7:00 pm: Antares (Jazz and Blues)

Workshops and Demonstrations:

Throughout the day you can participate in free workshops including a composting demo, wild plant harvesting, water harvesting, and more!

For more information about the event, call 452-5216, or see www.cabq.gov/openspace.

Email: kswanson@cabq.gov