This is an intriguing little article, tucked away in a corner of Newsweek this week. A silver (or green) lining to the current US economic downturn. Apparently, conservation groups are taking advantage of the current drop-off in US developers buying up land to do the same themselves. Then they convert the land into wilderness, parkland or recreational space. It's an interesting idea, and perhaps a unique opportunity - to be taken whilst demand for land is lower, but before the recession bites into the revenue flows of charities and conservation agencies. The legacy will, hopefully, last much longer than any economic downturn, to be enjoyed by future generations.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
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4 comments:
Great news!
I love this concept of buying and preserving land for 'common ground' - I would be interested in finding out whether there is funding to do this in the UK. So far - I have only been thinking about private/community/trust funds to do this - but there should really be some funds out there in the coffers for this kind of thing. I really want to launch a project where a bunch of people in 'social networks' club together and buy land for public use.
It would not only be a good way to preserve greenbelt areas from being destroyed by commercial developers, but could be a great way to green the brown field sites - instead of another tesco - how about a community maintained park or nature reserve?
Get the young kids involved at primary school - with a bit of luck by the time they are 13 they won't be hanging out vandalising and binge drinking in there.
Have you read 'Lucky You' by Carl Hiaasen? Great read - don't want to spoil it - but similar sentiment wrt private purchase of land for preservation of wilderness and biodiversity - with lots of twists.
Thanks, Paul
I like your idea of community parks. There are a few of those here in New York - sandwiched between the apartment blocks. I'm guessing the land was acquired when old buildings were knocked down. It must have been city land, therefore, that was 'gifted' to the community. Either that, or it was bought by a philanthropist. I can't imagine a group of local people would be able to afford to buy up prime NY real estate to turn it into a park, without some help, but I could be wrong!
And, yes, why not get people to pitch in through some kind of communal ownership model to buy other plots? I suppose, at the end of the day, this is what the National Trust is in the UK - though it still has unfortunate 'elitist' overtones, which is a bit of a shame...
E
I am thinking something like a bit of an extension to the domestic garden - not necessarily even local (although I am sure a good percentage of 'stakeholders' would be local to the plot.
There is lots of potential for diverse use - I can well see this kind of thing being more common and even necessary as we make the transition to post-peak-oil. An extension to allotments..? I dunno - maybe I am just projecting my own utopian ideal on this, but land where humans and nature can happily co-exist (in the case of occupied and managed woodlands/meadowland) is more valuable to the future of the planet as we know it that nature reserves per se.
You are right about the National Trust - very different in practice to what I have in mind but very similar in concept. And yes - quite stuffy ;-) NT properties always feel Victorian to me...
Forestry commission are also quite good, but not really a social enterprise behind it ;-)
Ha ha - yes, NT properties... either Victorian or Georgian, as a rule!
They do protect some heathland, beaches etc too of course - but I could never quite understand their allowing stag hunting on their land. So incongruous. At least to me...
E
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