Beyond Solar Suburbia

This is RAIN's somewhat influential reprint of an excellent set of reminders by urbanists Peter Calthorpe and Susan Benson -- originally published in the late lamented journal Progressive Architecture in April of 1979. At the time this piece struck me as yet another cautionary tale about the destructive, innate human predilection for supposedly simple and shiny technological solutions. We should never allow ourselves, or those in power, to become distracted from an appreciation for the wonderfully complex work of community improvement, which is best driven by communities themselves. Watch this video to get a sense for Calthorpe's efforts these days, and give his open source urban scenario planning tool a try. --GB