LIFE STYLE 2013

Community Gardens

A darling of both organic advocates and the local-food movement, community gardening is a trend that’s bound to grow. "[Shared gardens] fulfill a lot of wants for people—a desire for fresh food that’s affordable, for activities that help create a community, for a place that can bring people in a neighborhood together," says Gayle Berens, a senior vice president at the Urban Land Institute. "In addition, they’ve proven to be an effective use of vacant land—if only temporarily." Not only is the trend a haven for foodies and consumers looking for a bit of pastoral simplicity in hectic times, but also for builders and developers looking for shelter from the hefty costs of expensive community amenities, such as golf courses. An inexpensive feature in their own right, community gardens also help cut down on landscaping costs while adding green space to a neighborhood.

Car and Bike Sharing

There used to be a stigma attached to sharing vehicles, but it’s safe to say those days are gone. Thanks to organizations such as Craigslist and Freecycle, consumers no longer blink at the thought of using products that have been passed around the community. And due to the ongoing economic turmoil, thrift is decidedly in vogue; which makes this a perfect time for new-home communities to start incorporating car and bike shares into their master plans. For smaller projects that may not be able to sustain facilities like a Zipcar location, builders can tap into programs such as Getaround, which facilitates local car sharing among those in a community who either want to rent a nearby car or lend theirs out for a fee. And in a perfect example of development karma, fostering a sharing-focused neighborhood will bring good things back to you—in this case, in the form of LEED credits.