In my backyard!

Star Tribune Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:15:24 GMT
Sarah Campbell: A church, a city and sanctuary for all

What motivates the members of the Mayflower church to build workforce housing on their land. ... In the last few years, we've learned a lot about how hard-working people in Minneapolis are struggling and often failing to get by, and that the lack of variety in the supply of housing is a big part of the problem. We've learned that higher-density development, providing easy access to transit, is far more beneficial to our planet than suburban sprawl and long, single-car commutes. We've learned that building a wider variety of housing opportunity and choice does not increase crime, or lower property values, but does just the opposite: Economically healthy cities have neighborhoods that are wonderfully complex and diverse. We've done our research and learned that the Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation, which will develop the property, builds beautiful and "green" buildings and maintains them scrupulously. Finally, as we look out our sanctuary window and see our land, we know that we can do something to make a difference.

[[keywords: LandUse;Housing;Living;Metro;]]