Ecocities

The idea of Ecocities is a new approach toward sustainable living. Environmentalists used to believe that city living was pollutive and destructive to the environment because of the amount of sewage, trash, and unsanitary conditions created and dumped onto the environment.

However, the alternative was to live in the suburbs, which is also damaging to the environment because cars are needed for transportation, and the amount of energy used in a house by a single family (or a person living alone) is much more per person than the amount of energy used in an apartment for multiple family housing.
Contents

* 1 Solutions to urban sprawl
* 2 Politics of Urban Elitism
* 3 Agriculture in Ecocities

Solutions to urban sprawl

Because people would like to reduce urban sprawl, reduce the length of daily commute, environmentalists, policy makers, and developers are seeking new ways to allow people to live closer to the workplace. Since the workplace tends to be in the city, downtown, or urban center, they are seeking a way to increase density without increasing the problems usually associated with inner-city and urban environment, such as burglary, murder, gangs, riots, and other disruptions, as well as unsanitary conditions, like old sewage, gum on the ground, and cars.

One of the new ways is the Smart Growth Movement.

Other solutions include increasing public transportation. Again, the problem is that the viability of public transportation depends on how many people are willing to take it. Increasing population density as well as decreasing the appeal of driving a car is a necessary step to encouraging people to take public transportation.

Politics of Urban Elitism

Because the cities tend to resist new development, such as more housing units, they contribute to the high costs of living in the cities. As a result, there is an increasing disparity in income between the rich and the poor in the city, while middle-class people tend to live in the suburbs. As a result, many of the recent political campaigns have focused on "urban elitism," the idea that the city is the domain of the rich, the bohemians, and those who like to talk down to the middle-class.

This conveys the idea that the suburbs are home to "real America," gun-toting, race-car loving, conservative, average Joes, while the cities are home to elites who are liberal in terms of government policies and progressivism. Moreover, city-living people are considered to enjoy composting, recycling, and taking public transportation — activities portrayed as part of the fringe of mainstream society.

The reason for the lack of housing development is due to the neighborhoods that comprise the city. They tend to have strong community that are unwilling to allow developers to disperse them by tearing down the old housing and building new ones.

Agriculture in Ecocities

Not only are environmentalists, developers, and policy makers looking to try to increase population density, they are also seeking to put production of crops closer to the cities to reduce transportation costs, amount of pollution involved in transportation, and also increase freshness of the crops produced. The Columbia University's Vertical Farm Project is one of the most well-articulated conceptions of this idea.

 

 

 

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Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Area Info

Climate
The Gulf Coast Area has a mild climate with an average annual temperature of 67.4 degrees. The average temperature in January is 51.4 degrees. The average temperature in July is 81.8 degrees. The average annual precipitation is 67 inches, and the growing season is 292 days.

Education
Education is a fundamental block in building a bright future. The Gulf Coast Area opened a brand new high school during 1999 in Gulf Shores (ph. 251.968.4747). The area has two elementary schools; they are Gulf Shores Elementary (ph. 251.968.7375) and Orange Beach Elementary (ph. 251.981.5662). Gulf Shores Middle School (ph. 251.968.8719) offers an excellent curriculum in preparation for high school. All public schools are part of the Baldwin County school system. If you are interested in private education, you also have the option of Bayside Academy (ph. 251.955.5211), which includes age 3yrs – Grade 4.

Healthcare
The nearest hospital is South Baldwin Regional Medical Center (ph. 800.580.3627) located in Foley. South Baldwin Medical Center offers 24-hour emergency services (ph. 251.952.3400). Numerous medical professionals practice in the area providing both family practice and specialized care.

Airports
Corporate and Private air service is available in Gulf Shores from the Jack Edwards Municipal Airport, with a full Instrument Landing System and the longest paved runway being 7000 feet. The closest commercial air service is available in Pensacola, roughly 30 miles away, at the Pensacola Regional Airport (ph. 850.435.1746). Major carriers serving the airport are Continental, US Airways, Delta, Northwest, and American. Other commercial airports are located in Mobile (ph. 251.633.0313) and Gulf Port, Mississippi (ph. 228.863.5951).

Shopping
The area offers many shops ranging from casual apparel and beachwear to upscale fashion and specialty boutiques. If you are a bargain hunter, you can find 120 factory outlet stores in Foley.

Parks and Recreation
The nearest state park is the Gulf State Park (ph. 251.948.7275). The 6,000-acre park area offers campsites, picnic areas, 18-hole golf course, 825 foot fishing pier, 144 room hotel and convention center. Other parks in the area include Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge (ph. 251.540.7720), Meyer Park (ph. 251.968.4420), Johnnie Sims Park and Kids Park (ph. 251.968.4420), and Wade Ward Nature Park (ph. 251.968.4420).

State/Local Income Tax
For detailed information about Alabama income tax, contact the Alabama Department of Revenue, Individual and Corporate Tax Division (ph. 251.242.1000). In most instances, local governments in Alabama do not levy city, town, or county income taxes.

Property Taxes
Property (Ad Valorem) taxes are taxes on real business and/or personal property. “Ad Valorem” means “according to value”. For details, call the Revenue Commissioner’s office (ph. 251.943.5061, ext. 2840).