Jordan Commons, Dade County, Florida

"Urban Design is a critical aspect of sustainability which goes well beyond the savings of energy, water, and other resources. The Jordan Commons community is planned to illustrate the significant relationship between urban design and environment, security, economy, and social interaction. Urban form impacts human behavior. We need to gain market recognition of this fact." 

- Dr. Douglas Yoder
Assistant Director of Dade County's Department of Environmental Resources Management 

Metro-Dade County's sustainability programs cover a broad range of energy and environmental issues including greenhouse gas emission reductions, wildlife management, recycling and waste minimization, and growth management and land use. The County's Jordan Commons project is a partnership with an area non-profit organization, and is developing a $17 million, 200-home, model community for low-income families that were left vulnerable to homelessness by Hurricane Andrew. The project will feature energy efficient technologies and incorporate recycling, composting, landscaping, and water-conservation methods, showcasing the corresponding energy and financial savings. Educational programs will reinforce the use of resource-saving technologies, building community awareness of the importance of conservation and the associated cost savings each household can enjoy. 

In 1992, as South Floridians began to rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Andrew, public officials and local non-profit organizations recognized the need to provide affordable housing for residents displaced by the hurricane. Officials simultaneously recognized an opportunity to build a more sustainable community. Thanks to this vision, Metro-Dade now boasts a model community that will showcase energy-efficient buildings, appliances, and landscaping. Development of the community will stimulate markets for energy efficient technology and help Metro-Dade honor its commitment to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse-gas emissions.

The model community, known as Jordan Commons, is being built through a cooperative effort of the Metro Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) and Homestead Habitat for Humanity (Habitat), an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International located in Homestead, Florida. 

Jordan Commons is designed to provide affordable, quality housing for low-income residents and to demonstrate the application of energy-efficient technologies and their corresponding energy and financial savings. Given the project's setting in sub-tropical South Florida, many of its efficiency measures address cooling needs. In addition to showcasing the potential of such technologies, the project offers manufacturers of energy-efficient and renewable-energy technologies an opportunity to increase sales stimulating sustainable markets nationwide. The project also includes a homeowner education program, to make future residents aware of the benefits of such environmentally sound activities as recycling, composting, and energy conservation.

Thanks to its developers' high-profile partnership, Jordan Commons has attracted the attention of many individuals; local, state, and federal organizations; and several industry partners. Most of these entities view the project as an opportunity to showcase their programs and products. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Solid Waste are using Jordan Commons to demonstrate construction-debris recycling and the non-profit organization American Forests has selected the project as a demonstration site for its participation in the Cool Communities program. Cool Communities, administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and EPA to fulfill President Bill Clinton's Climate Change Action Plan, encourages communities to use strategic landscaping and light building surface colors, to create shade, reflect sunlight, and reduce energy demand. Both DOE and EPA, have shown keen interest in the project seeing in it a demonstration site for the most comprehensive use of cooling techniques. The Urban Consortium Energy Task Force (UCETF) of Public Technology, Inc. (PTI) provides grants through a DOE cooperative agreement to support Dade County staff's role in this major sustainable initiative.
 

Courting Nature to Fend Off Disaster

Although all communities have a stake in sustainable development, Metro-Dade's interest in the approach is heightened by its susceptibility to the negative impacts of global warming. Projected rises in sea-level and increases in the severity of storms--already notorious in the area--present a serious threat to tourism and to agriculture, mainstays of the local economy. 

Aware of these risks, Metro-Dade has actively participated in efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. In 1990, the county joined an international coalition of 12 urban jurisdictions adopting greenhouse-gas emissions reduction goals under the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) CO2 reduction program. The county received money through PTI's UCETF to develop a CO2 emissions reduction strategy. The support network of PTI and ICLEI provides continuing assistance. Key components of Metro Dade's CO2 emissions reduction strategy are reduced residential energy consumption through energy efficiency, strategic tree planting, and outreach and education for energy conservation. 

In December 1992, DERM established a steering committee to guide the development of a conceptual plan for a model community that would demonstrate and promote greenhouse gas emission reduction measures. The steering committee chose Habitat's proposed Jordan Commons as the pilot project that would verify the potential energy savings and CO2 emissions reductions outlined in the plan's recommendations. Habitat's plan called for a $17 million, 200-home model community for low-income families left vulnerable by the hurricane. The marriage of Metro-Dade's CO2 emissions reduction program and response to Hurricane Andrew is especially poignant, given that the hurricane is precisely the type of extreme weather event exacerbated by global warming and sea-level rise.
 

Co-Piloting A Model Sustainable Community

If Jordan Commons represents a deft marriage of emissions reduction and disaster response, it also represents a politically savvy marriage of partners. By electing to co-develop the pilot project with Habitat, a high profile organization, DERM effectively expanded the number and scope of stakeholders in Metro-Dade's CO2 reduction program. 

Thus, the Jordan Commons project is able to draw on the expertise and financial resources of several organizations. To offset construction costs, DERM and Habitat recruit a local corporate sponsor for each home in the project. Each home costs approximately $50,000 to build; 80 percent of that cost is covered by the corporate sponsor. Sponsors also provide volunteer labor for home construction. Coupled with the labor the 400 hours of "sweat equity" asked of the future homeowners, labor form corporate sponsors covers a significant percentage of the total labor costs. The NAHB, which is using the project as a training course for steel-framing specialists, is providing additional labor.

Remaining funds and labor are contributed by a range of project partners. Cool Communities, in conjunction with DERM, is sponsoring a Walk for Trees to raise money for tree planting at the site. The Florida Solar Energy Center is providing staff support and project energy monitoring services valued at over $100,000. We Will Rebuild, an organization dedicated to hurricane recovery, granted $443,000 to develop the site, unit and engineering plans. The Florida Energy Office has awarded DERM $100,000 to purchase solar water heaters for the community. The South Florida Water Management District has agreed to fund 50 percent ($100,000) of the cost to install a graywater system throughout the development, Dade County will provide the remainder. A local law firm, Holland and Knight, has donated over $30,000 in person-hours to the preparation of legal documents. And Habitat is seeking $3 million from Metro-Dade County for basic infrastructure development. 

Habitat has also forged an alliance with several leading scientific and research organizations to assist in the application and evaluation of sustainable design technologies at Jordan Commons. Under the direction of a senior energy scientist, both Florida International University and the Florida Solar Energy Center have helped develop and assess a comprehensive portfolio of energy-efficient and solar approaches. Numerous other organizations have used the pilot project as a testing ground for their respective technology interests.

Habitat is ultimately responsible for implementation of the project. In practice, however, Habitat and DERM administer the project jointly. To guide conceptual development, for example, DERM coordinated a project steering committee representing the major project stakeholders, with Habitat serving as committee chair. The steering committee was divided into several working groups, focusing on issues such as solid waste, recycling, education, and landscaping. Each working groups assessed concerns in its area of responsibility and made recommendations to the steering committee. 

Habitat incorporates the working groups' recommendations (e.g., paint roofs white, incorporate recycling procedures into the homeowner training program) into activities on the site, where Habitat volunteers do much of the field work. A volunteer coordinator, on site at all times, directs the volunteers in tasks as determined by the steering committee. In some cases, licensed contractors perform project work. These contractors are responsible directly to Habitat.

Educational aspects of the project will be the responsibility of the recently established Environmental Education Coordinating Group. The group, chaired and staffed by DERM, consists of educators experienced in recycling, composting, landscaping, energy efficiency, energy conservation, water conservation and consumer awareness. The group will develop a comprehensive education program which DERM will direct and manage
 

Assessing Performance and Replicating Results

To date the project has been extremely successful. President Clinton, Vice-President Gore, and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros participated in the June 5, 1995 ground-breaking of Jordan Commons via teleconference. Habitat for Humanity has begun construction of 60 homes and hopes to complete six homes per month. Work crews have built the first roads and are laying water pipes. In November 1995 construction began on the project's Family Resource Center, which will house a mini bank branch, a small store, and a multimedia center. Start up of construction of a childcare center followed in December. In all the project will take an estimated three years to complete.

Habitat will place homeowners in the first newly constructed dwellings by early May 1996. The new homes will incorporate measures to reduce pollution significantly and save money for the homeowner. Eventually, the homes will be fitted with energy-efficient air conditioners, solar water heaters, and photovoltaic lighting. Low flow showers and toilets will conserve water as will a gray water system that uses treated wastewater for subsurface irrigation. Solid-waste generation will be reduced, recycling encouraged, vehicular transportation reduced, and open space maximized. DERM and Habitat estimate total energy savings of 40 to 60 percent.

Yet new technology alone will not maximize the benefits of Jordan Commons' energy-efficiency features. Behavioral change must accompany state-of-the-art energy saving technology. To accomplish such change the project teaches and advocates conservation techniques as well as proper use and maintenance of appliances. This approach shows new homeowners how they can save both energy and money.

Both DERM and Habitat encourage others to build on their experience. DERM's analysis of the project offers several suggestions for maintaining an effective partnership. Early in the process DERM was unable to clearly identify its role in the Jordan Commons project largely because the project evolved in ways that were not clearly anticipated at the outset. A project of this type had not been attempted previously, and its planning aspects required the management team to learn as it worked. Moreover, DERM's partner, Habitat, was a relatively new organization, still developing and maturing. 

To overcome imprecise communication and avoid the unspoken expectations that may lurk in such a situation, DERM suggests that a government agency that chooses to initiate or facilitate partnerships prepare a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU should outline in detail the agency's role and contribution to the project. A written set of expectations ensures that all parties understand the scope and character of the government agency's role, as well as the role of the project partners.

DERM and its partners have also learned that it is imperative to mobilize the political support of all elected officials at the earliest planning stages. In the absence of such support, neighborhood homeowners voiced "NIMBY" (not-in-my-back-yard) concerns about the construction of a low-income development so close to their property. Additional concerns arose about the construction of semi-commercial-use buildings in residential zones and the development's population density. An ongoing effort was required to meet with and inform homeowners who had expressed opposition to the project. 

Although it did encounter some problems with communication, DERM's overall experience has been positive, and it encourages local governments to work closely with affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International to promote sustainability, particularly in the areas of building and urban design. To help establish and maintain a network of stakeholders concerned with the development of sustainable communities, DERM has offered Habitat access to contacts and resources that might be helpful in future project development.

Metro-Dade will document the process of coordinating development meetings, forming partnerships with Habitat, facilitating the steering committee, developing a homeowner's user manual and other educational materials, and measuring energy savings in a "How To" guide. The guide will be designed to give other localities the tools, information, and networks they need to conceptualize and develop similar model communities. The county has recently formed a partnership with a sister city in South Africa to transfer technologies and develop a sustainable community and its project has also been adopted as a model by some of Habitat's 1,100 affiliates. Indeed, the Washington, D.C. chapter of Habitat for Humanity is in the initial stages of planning Project GreenHOME, which will build an environmentally friendly home in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Metro-Dade's Jordan Commons is an example of what can be achieved through cooperative effort. As interest in sustainable design and development increases, non-profit projects that address these issues are increasingly important. These projects test the feasibility of new ideas and provide practical experience in integrating new technologies and practices into developments.

A catalyst for sustainable development need not be so severe as a hurricane. Although Hurricane Andrew caused an immediate shortage of low-income housing in Metro-Dade, many communities around the country already have a definitive need. Any proposed building or development provides an excellent opportunity to incorporate sustainable design into the urban planning process. 
 
 

Location:
The southeastern tip of Florida, spanning the greater Miami area in the east to the Everglades in the west.

Size:
2,000 square miles

Population:
1.9 million 

Per Capita Income:
$13,686

Form of Government:
Commissioner/Manager

Context:
Hurricane Andrew hit Metro-Dade County on August 24, 1992. It proved to be one of the costliest and most destructive natural disasters in U.S. history. Damage costs were estimated to be in excess of $30 billion. Over 100,000 homes were damaged, two public housing complexes were destroyed and 250,000 people were left homeless. Since the hurricane, $20 billion in public and private funds have flowed into Metro-Dade County to finance a range of recovery efforts. 

Increased urban temperatures drain city coffers 

Data collected over the last century show an increase in inner cities' temperatures as buildings and pavement crowd out agricultural lands. In a rural landscape, much of the solar energy that strikes vegetation is used by plants for metabolic processes. Plants also use moisture to control their own temperatures releasing the excess, to cooling surrounding air. The urban landscape suppresses these natural cooling mechanisms. Surfaces such as asphalt, brick, and concrete, which dominate cities, absorb and store solar energy instead of reflecting it. The result is that cities are much warmer than their less urban surroundings. 

The additional heat translates directly into additional expense. In cities with populations of more than 100,000, peak utility cooling demand increases 1.5 to two percent for every one degree Fahrenheit rise in temperature. Urban temperatures across the United States have risen an average of two to four degrees in the last 40 years. With rising energy demands and costs have come greater environmental threats. Higher temperatures speed the chemical reactions that lead to high ozone concentrations. At night, the pollution lingering over a city inhibits heat loss, compounding the problem. In addition, increased use of energy to run air conditioners causes significant increases in CO2 emissions. 

By incorporating cutting-edge technologies that reduce cooling loads, Metro-Dade's Jordan Commons project addresses both the environmental cost of rising urban temperatures as well as the resulting financial drain on communities. 

Benefits

Dade County will benefit dramatically from reductions in global air emissions. The County is particularly vulnerable to the potential impacts of global warming. An increase in temperatures could lead to a rise in sea level by one to two feet, which would flood 200 to 800 feet of shoreline, resulting in tremendous economic losses for the region's economy. 

Current Jordan Commons homeowners will benefit from significant reductions in annual energy costs. Annual savings to homeowners are calculated below:

Energy cost savings
$480 per house per year
$96,000 total homeowner savings per year

Energy savings 
5960 kWh per house per year 
1.2 million kWh per year 

Environmental Benefits
NOX emissions avoided - 6600 lbs. per year
SOX emissions avoided - 15,300 lbs. per year
CO2 emissions avoided - 1.8 million lbs. per year

[These estimates were not necessarily developed or endorsed by the supporting jurisdiction.] 

It's a Fact

Energy-efficient building design, like that being employed at Jordan Commons, can make buildings five to ten times more energy efficient than conventional design. Energy saving design features include orientation to the sun to optimize passive solar energy exposure for lighting, heating and cooling; efficient windows, lighting, appliances; and efficient heating ventilation and air conditioning systems. In some cases, these design features can actually reduce construction costs and the energy savings over the life of the building are comparable to the cost of the building itself.

- Rocky Mountain Institute Community Energy Workbook: 

Austin, Texas
Houston, Texas
Northern Virginia
Washington DC
 

Other Sustainable Programs in Metro-Dade County, Florida

Sustainability:

Jordan Commons Model Community Project-
Developed and is building an affordable, sustainable community in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew that will showcase energy efficiency and promote greenhouse gas emissions reduction
 

Governor's Commission for a Sustainable South Florida-
Recommends strategies and actions for improving inter-government coordination, increasing understanding of the Everglades, and allocating natural resources to support environmental and urban systems.

Sustainable Florida Symposium-
Enacts outreach programs, promotes leadership, develops environmental education programs, and provides program grants.
 

Energy:

Long Term CO2 Reduction Plan for Metro-Dade County-
Promotes energy-conservation measures to reduce CO2 emissions by 20 percent of 1998 levels by 2005. Focuses on transportation and electrical industries.

Land Use:

State Comprehensive Planning Act and Omnibus Growth Management Act-
Set forth growth-management laws calling for coastal management, and compact development.

Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention:

Recycle: A Public Education Program-
Creates awareness of and provides information on solid-waste recycling

State of Florida 1988 Solid Waste Management Act-
Requires counties to recycle 30 percent of their solid waste by 1994.

Waste Watch Anti-Dumping Campaign- 
Increases public awareness of illegal waste dumping and aids enforcement of anti-dumping laws. 
 

Wildlife Management:

MATS: The Manatee Tracking System-
Tracks and analyzes the location and habits of manatees in Metro-Dade County using, geographic information systems (GIS) technology.

Buildings:

Metro-Dade County Environmental Task Force-
Analyzes environmental issues affecting county employees and buildings. Has addressed poor air quality, integrated pest management, and recycling.

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