Hello BESTers,

Reaching sustainability will require a complete overhaul of how we 
think about resources, energy, food, and waste and their interaction 
with our communities.  In Minneapolis, a community is being developed 
with a focus on anaerobic digestion and sustainability.  Called PLACE, 
the community will be converting its food waste to biogas for energy to 
use and fertilizer to grow crops in greenhouses.  While designing 
sustainable communities is nothing new (e.g. Ebenezer Howard's Garden 
Cities of Tomorrow from the turn of the 20th century or Disney's EPCOT, 
which stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow), there 
are more and more communities, commercial areas, and industrial centers 
focused on sustainability that are being realized around the globe 
today.  While it is unlikely we will see a complete sustainable overhaul 
of New York City or Chicago or the sprawling suburbs around much of the 
county any time soon, these experimental communities will hopefully set 
a positive example that will eventually become the norm.

Have a great weekend,
Ryan

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/254123221.html?page=1&c=y

Zero-waste community may sprout in St. Louis Park
Star Tribune
Mary Jane Smetanka
April 7, 2014