Ten years ago, the idea that architecture could help save us from destroying our planet might have seemed ridiculous, or at best, unlikely.  Nowadays though, it’s become clear that every single aspect of civilized human life has the potential to either help or harm us - and it’s up to everyone to make conscious choices [...]

Filed under: I'On Group, Mixson, Urban Sustainability on October 6th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Picture from Treehugger.com
Not only does Ben and Jerry’s support small farms, donate tons of money to charity, have a bus outfitted with solar panels, and refuse to use milk from cows treated with Bovine Growth Hormone - among countless other environmental and social achievements - they are now the first company in the US to [...]

Filed under: I'On Group, Mixson, Urban Sustainability on September 30th, 2008 | 2 Comments »

In case you missed the story in Saturday’s Post & Courier, here’s an excerpt:
“People who think too much public space is devoted to parking set out to make their point Friday in an annual event known as Park(ing) Day, which in Charleston involved laying down sod and setting up lawn chairs and a pingpong table [...]

Filed under: Charleston SC Green Living, I'On Group, I'On Village, Mixson, Morris Square, Urban Sustainability, Videos & Photos on September 22nd, 2008 | No Comments »

Just to reiterate: Park(ing) Day 2008 was incredible!  Alys Campaigne, our intern Jimmy, and I all had a wonderful time staking out parking spots for people.  It was especially fun seeing babies and dogs enjoying themselves in what are usually such inhospitable places.  It just goes to show the huge potential we have here in [...]

Filed under: I'On Group, I'On Village, Mixson, Morris Square, Urban Sustainability, Videos & Photos on September 22nd, 2008 | No Comments »

Having to start over from scratch is never something you’d wish on a city.  But, as they say, it’s not what happens to you that matters, it’s how you handle it (or something to that effect).  In the aftermath of Katrina, brave, dedicated people saw major opportunities for reform - the New Orleans public school [...]

Filed under: I'On Group, Mixson, Urban Sustainability on September 15th, 2008 | No Comments »

McMansion troubles got you down? Is that ever rising energy bill feeling more like a second mortgage? Try this on for size – tiny houses. This recent New York Times article describes the increasing popularity of the “small house movement” and explains why some people are opting for pads as small as 70 square feet [...]

Filed under: I'On Group, Mixson, Urban Sustainability on September 15th, 2008 | No Comments »

How much space do you think those metered parking spaces downtown take up?  How much space in any city is ceded to cars and their needs, instead of people and THEIR needs?  On September 19, you can catch a glimpse of what those parking spaces could become, if only we citizens would work together to [...]

Filed under: Charleston SC Green Living, Events, I'On Group, I'On Village, Mixson, Morris Square, Urban Sustainability on September 11th, 2008 | 2 Comments »

I recently heard from the inventor of the Doublespace Bed, a freestanding (and that’s a big difference from most other space-saving beds) bed set that allows you to have a couch, office, or anything else you like, underneath your bed.  The bed stays up against the ceiling during the day, and at night, you pull [...]

Filed under: I'On Group, Mixson, Urban Sustainability on September 9th, 2008 | No Comments »

You read that right - bike-sharing is finally off the ground in America!  Washington D.C. launched the program, called SmartBike D.C., on Aug. 13, 2008 with 120 bikes at 10 different sites in the downtown area.  It’s a conservative beginning for sure, compared to Paris’ Velib program, which began with 10,000 bikes at 750 locations [...]

Filed under: I'On Group, Urban Sustainability on August 28th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

It’s incredible how much you can find on the Internet by typing in “space-saving furniture.”  Some of it, granted, is the size equivalent of greenwashing - big companies put out a sofa that’s 6 inches shorter than the norm, and it’s suddenly a space saver.  But most of what one finds is truly innovative, and [...]

Filed under: I'On Group, Mixson, Urban Sustainability on August 28th, 2008 | No Comments »