Serenbe is located in Palmetto, Georgia, about 30-45 minutes southwest of Atlanta.  The 900 acre community will preserve 70% of it’s land and eventual plans include about 600 homes.  All Serenbe homes will be EarthCraft certified and the community offers a variety of options including work/live townhomes, cottages, and estates.  The architecture is diverse and charming and is often inspired by historical buildings.  There’s a Dwell Home being built (see below), and the above home by Redbone Construction was featured in various green building articles in local Atlanta publications. 

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Prairie Crossing is located in Grayslake, Illinois about 40 miles north of Chicago.  This beautiful, nature-focused community has preserved more than 60% of its 677 acres.  An impressive measure which clearly points to the good intentions of the "developers", a group of neighbors who bought the land in the 1980′s with the goal of truly responsible development.  The community has 359 homes and 36 condos versus the 2400 homes that another developer had plans for.  The condos have received the highest energy star rating possible.

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Geos is a community located in Arvada, Colorado.  With homes starting in the low $200,000, it is an affordable green community seeking status as the first fossil fuel free community in the United States.  The homes combine the benefits of both geothermal and solar energy.  Homes range from 850 to 3500+ square feet and include a variety of living options from live/work townhomes to single level flats. 

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One thing we’re seeing for sure is an increasing amount of activity in the masterplanned, sustainable city area.  Last January, schmidt hammer lassen architects won an international competition to design ECOBAY, a new town situated on the Paljassaare peninsula near the Estonian capital of Tallinn.  In collaboration with Buro Happold Consulting Engineers and Møller & Grønborg, ECOBAY has been designed with everything one would need in close proximity: housing, schools, local shops, businesses, and other amenities — all within walking or biking distance.  In addition, the town will utilize geothermal, small-scale wind, and surplus energy from the nearby wastewater facility. 

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Pringle Creek Community is comprised of 32 acres of re-developed land, including protected wetlands, in Salem, Oregon.   The community boasts a wealth of sustainable features.   More than 80% of the existing trees have been preserved and the homes will be constructed using 100% FSC certified wood.  The streets in the community are narrow, allowing for more green space and their well-designed "green street" system means that 90% of the rainwater will filtrate through the soil, recharging the aquifer. 

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