The Urban Land Institute welcomed Mayor Shelia Dixon to participate in “A discussion on Sustainable Urban Development” which took place at the Johns Hopkins Downtown Center on Jan. 30th.  While it was good to see Mayor Dixon showing her support for sustainable initiatives in and around Baltimore, Ed McMahon was the real highlight of the morning’s program.
    ED McMahon is the Charles Fraser Senior Resident Fellow for Sustainable Development at the Urban Land Institute and a national authority on sustainable development. Mr. McMahon started his lecture by describing how he was introduced to the concept of sustainability. “To travel is to learn” he remarked and through out his talk he described innovations in sustainability from across the globe. His motivational delivery had the audience laughing at times and undoubtedly thinking of the possibility that the next decade could bring remarkable change to the way we see development and the space around us. Mr. McMahon compared the movement towards sustainable development with the start of industrial revolution. He exclaimed that the new revolution in sustainability must utilize all the knowledge we have with regards to environmental impact and it’s protection. “It’s about our children, our future.” Mr. McMahon describes sustainability as the state of harmony.
    Through out the morning some staggering statistics where brought to light. According to the Urban Land Institute in 1960 there was 6 square feet of retail space per person in the US. Compare that to today’s figure of 30 square feet of retail space per person and it is clear that there is a gross misappropriation of resources. Anyone who has walked the halls of Wal-mart or waited in line at Home Depot or has passed by the mega parking lots in front of such stores has seen a glaring example of non-sustainable development. What’s happened to the Main Street markets or the local avenue? It is getting harder and harder to find thriving small towns on the outskirts of city limits. One reason for the abandonment of main street America is the “cookie cutter” developments that surround warehouse retail centers, which became popular in the early 90’s. Now, for many people, to get a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk means a ten-minute drive on already over crowded four lane streets. It is a fact that some of the highest priced real estate in Maryland is in areas where walking and biking takes president to driving a car. Areas where a person can walk to the grocery store or have convenient access to public transportation will see steady increase in value as the cost of energy goes up. Mr. McMahon made the point that mixed-use buildings (retail/residential) are one of the many keys to sustainable development. If you are interested in learning more about the Urban Land Institute and what Mr. McMahon is working on click here.