“Practice what you plan”…that’s the title of an article in the August/September issue of Planning, the magazine of the American Planning Association. The article features Ankeny Row, the groundbreaking co-housing development built by Leland Consulting Group Senior Project Manager Dave Siegel and a small group of likeminded active and retired professionals in Portland’s eastside Buckman neighborhood. What’s unique about Ankeny Row is its high-amenity location (a Walk Score of 92 and Bike Score of 98), its sustainable building practices and materials, and its net-zero energy use (having been built to Passive House standards). Like the other Ankeny Row partners, Siegel’s reasons for participating in creating this co-housing development was the thoughtful planning process to make sure the development achieved its core values: sustainability, infill, walkability, high energy efficiency, ability to age-in place, the sense of community afforded by an intentional community, and proximity to transit and to downtown Portland. Rather than building the higher-density, multi-story “stacked flat” development the zoning code would allow, the partners decided to design a more medium-density townhouse development that better fit within the surrounding neighborhood. Ankeny Row is a successful, physical embodiment of what many planners and place-makers are preaching and working with local communities to achieve across the nation. You can access the full article (courtesy of Planning magazine) here: Practice What You Plan - Planning Magazine.
