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SIX Conservation Communities Summertime barbecues and picnics are commonplace across the United States, but few of them serve alligator meat. Even less common is a gathering to celebrate the capture of a rogue alligator found in a residential neighborhood. During the summer of 2007 I’On, a new-urbanist community in Mount Pleasant, hosted such a celebration (at the time I owned a house in I’On). The home owners ’ association newsletter reported: “Some great news! Last Tuesday, our 8–1/2' Eastlake visitor [an alligator] was finally captured and removed in handcuffs. To celebrate, your trusty Board has organized ‘Gator Night at the Creek Club’ to educate everyone on how to live safely and in harmony with alligators: some tips, some tricks, some do’s and some don’ts.” The event-planning committee wanted the evening to be “a family affair, so we’ll begin with a Potluck Dinner before the one-hour presentation by South Carolina’s foremost alligator expert, Ron Russell. We’ll also have a ‘live’ 3-foot alligator for the kids and brave grownups to play with. . . . We’ll also throw in some Bar-B-Q Alligator for everyone to enjoy as well as a terrific presentation.”1 Gator Night at the Creek Club was intended to be both fun-loving and educational. It was well attended by residents and children who wanted to learn more about alligators and their habitats. The environmental emphases of the widely acclaimed I’On development provide a prime example of the numerous conservation-oriented communities that have emerged in the lowcountry since the 1980s. While golf courses, tennis courts, and country clubs retain their popularity , the ultimate residential amenity in the lowcountry is access to the natural landscape and its wild creatures.2 The growing interest among home buyers in environmental amenities reflects a national trend. In 2006 a home owner’s survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders found that baby boomers (people born during the 1940s and 1950s) choosing a home prized green space. More than 25 percent of respondents aged fifty-five and older said they wanted to buy real estate directly on, or with a view of, a lake, river, pond, or ocean. More than 27 percent wanted to see green space out of their windows, while nearly 12 percent reported that they would like to buy real estate “surrounded” by green space. Twenty-seven 146 A Delicate Balance percent of respondents wanted to be able to walk to bicycling or hiking trails from their homes.3 Conservation-oriented communities in the lowcountry cater to such evolving interests. They are distinguished from conventional subdivisions by the explicit attention given to landscape conservation in their planning, marketing, design, construction practices, and governance protocols. There is no single template or model for such communities or subdivisions. Rather they represent a wide spectrum of strategies and elements associated with the various antisprawl philosophies represented by the three most prominent national developmental models: smart growth, new urbanism, and conservation subdivisions. What they share are the same basic priorities—the preservation of open space and minimal disturbance to the natural environment through their initial design as well as the creation of environmentally sensitive governance covenants and conservation easements.4 Developmental Models for Conserving Land and Natural Resources The process by which lowcountry communities have been developing comprehensive land-use plans has necessarily involved philosophical discussions about the best ways to preserve the lowcountry quality of life and the coastal region’s environmental amenities. Many theories and perspectives have guided the efforts to manage growth more wisely, some of which at times have been at odds with others. The most prominent alternative developmental models have been drawn from three overlapping national movements to promote ecological health and community welfare by combating negative aspects of sprawl: smart growth, new urbanism, and conservation subdivisions. Taken together they have created a new paradigm for land-use policies and growth management strategies. Smart Growth Smart growth is a national movement that emerged in the 1970s as the first systematic alternative to urban decay and suburban sprawl. It does not advocate no-growth or even slow growth. Proponents of smart growth acknowledge the benefits that derive from new development: jobs, tax revenues, and amenities. But they want to garner such benefits without degrading the environment, raising local taxes, worsening school overcrowding and traffic congestion, or busting municipal budgets. Smart growth involves investing time, creativity, and resources in restoring community and vitality to existing urban...

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