Here at GSH, we couldn’t agree more that where you choose to make your home, and what home you choose to live in, does indeed define a part of who you are.

Shelly Banjo of The Wall Street Journal recently wrote a snappy article describing this curious thought process.

Here’s a snippet from the article:

Across the country, thousands of communities are trying to fight urban sprawl and global warming from the ground up.

Instead of adding eco-friendly touches to existing neighborhoods, developers are building whole new communities designed along green principles. Some of these developments offer very basic solutions to environmental concerns, such as street layouts that promote walking and discourage driving.

Others go much further, incorporating environmentalist ideas into every aspect of community life. Some, for instance, use eco-friendly building design and set aside a portion of the neighborhood property as preserved land. Some save on resources — and build community spirit — by having residents share amenities such as washing machines.

Here’s a look at four basic types of environmentally friendly communities that are flowering across the country.

NEW URBANIST

When the Congress for the New Urbanism was founded in 1993, the emphasis was on fostering a sense of community, not saving the planet. The founders were fed up with neighborhoods that separated residential areas from commercial ones — and forced people to drive everywhere.

Read the rest of Shelly’s sustainable article here