How Do You Live a Smart Growth Lifestyle?
We asked our supporters to tell us how they live a smart growth lifestyle, whether it's by finding alternative modes of transportation, recycling, or speaking up for more walkable communities. Below are some examples. We'd love to hear from you too - tell us how you find ways to live more sustainably, and you could be featured on our site!
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
Mary von Euler - Bethesda, MD
Cameron Conway - Washington, DC
Margaret Boles - Prince George's County
William Herbig - Washington, DC
Mary von Euler:
Wood Acres is pretty walkable, but I'm one of the few people who walks to Giant (1.3 miles each way) or Safeway (1.5 miles each way). Only people who live nearer walk to stores, though many of the others walk for exercise. I use a wagon when buying more than I can carry in a backpack, which works well.
There are some sidewalks, but it's ok to walk in the street, and far better to do that in winter. Not only are there a few people who don't clear their sidewalk, but people and plows pile snow at the crosswalks, leaving perilous piles -- even in years when snow isn't as deep as this past year. I'm 80 and in excellent physical shape, but must be careful not to fall, so sidewalks aren't always the solution. Cities are more walkable than suburbia, which in my opinion is a wrong-headed design for living, though we've lived here for almost 50 years (for reasons other than walkability -- NIH, good schools, and good government).
Cameron Conway:
I've been living an amazing smart growth lifestyle for about seven years now. I never owned a car growing up in suburban Virginia Beach, so my bicycle has been my best friend for quite some time. It's honestly the best way to get around Washington D.C. in my opinion. I live about six miles away from my workplace and I bike it every weekday. My commute can be up to a half hour in each direction, although I don't have to worry about a morning run or going to the gym after work because its built into my commute.
I mostly bike through downtown Washington along Massachusetts Avenue. This may seem like a biker's nightmare, as Mass Ave doesn't have any bike lanes and features up to six lanes of traffic, but it really isn't. Drivers rarely travel faster than 20-30 miles an hour which is only a bit faster than I bike. Traffic is consistent so drivers are usually paying attention, and therefore I rarely encounter dangerous driving.
The biggest hassles that I've encountered in living such a lifestyle are grocery shopping and being sweaty at work. To cover both problems, I shelled out 60 dollars for a pouch that sits on the back half of my bike. This is big enough for minor groceries and since I pass a grocery store on my commute, I can make a bunch of small trips as I need things. I hear this is how it was done back in the day. I also keep a towel in my pouch, which allows me to be presentable.
Other than that, life is awesome! I never have to wait in traffic because I have the option of being on the street or on the sidewalk. I also can easily make use of the whole city on my way to or from work which is really nice. I love grabbing food to go from anywhere in the city! Anyway, my name is Cameron Conway, I've never owned a car and my life is awesome.
Margaret Boles:
As a part of our everyday life, we have been recycling our compostable waste for over 20 years and using it in our garden. I walk 2 miles at least 5 times a week unless there is pouring rain or ice. Since the county started recycling we crush and recycle all that we can, plus we have a trash compacter to enable us to put even less into the landfill.
I taught for 30 years in Prince George's Public Schools and for many of those years conservation and care for the environment were a regular part of the curriculum. I attended the William Schmidt Environmental Camp with my classes for 15 years. During that time many of my students came with me to County Budget Hearings to testify for saving the Camp as a part of our science curriculum and a necessary part of elementary school learning.
I was also Willow Grove Citizens' Association President for over 10 years, and am still their historian. I belong to the Prince George's Herb Society. I am active for quality of life concerns for all citizens in the county, but especially in my area and the inner Beltway, which is where I taught many children. I am an active member of The Prince George's Council for Justice and Advocacy, a branch of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC.
I wish you much luck as we hopefully move forward for Smarter Growth and a more unified plan for the county. I was on the Citizens Planning Committee for the Largo-Lottsford Master Plan, but much of what we wisely envisioned was scrapped by the owners and planners when their coalition dissolved.
William H. Herbig:
I moved from the City of Atlanta to Washington, DC late last year. I was drawn to the area by the fact that I could live a complete and authentic urban lifestyle that simply was not possible in Atlanta. DC’s walkable streets, human scale cityscape, and vibrant neighborhoods made the decision to move easy. Additionally, I was drawn to DC to work for the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) to serve our country and continue the work of building a capital worthy of the nation. Prior to arriving in Washington, I served as Director of Urban Design for Atlanta’s Midtown Alliance.
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