South Cache Ecovillage: Addressing the Past, Present and Future Plan B Project Lisa Vander Wal M.S. Bioregional Planning Utah State University - College of Natural Resources Department of Environment and Society Bioregional Planning Program April 2010 South Cache Ecovillage: Addressing the Past, Present, and Future By: Lisa Vander Wal A Plan B project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Bioregional Planning Committee Chair: Michael Dietz Committee Members: Richard E. Toth, David T. Anderson, and Charles W. Nuckolls Department of Environment and Society College of Natural Resources Utah State University Acknowledgments Thank you to my major professor, Michael Dietz, Assistant Professor in the Department of Environment and Society at Utah State University. Without his direction, insight, and patience, this project would have been very difficult. Also, thank you to my other three committee members, Richard E. Toth, David T. Anderson, and Charles W. Nuckolls. Richard E. Toth is head of the Bioregional Planning Program at Utah State University in the Department of Environment and Society and contributed many valuable ideas and suggestions throughout my research. David T. Anderson, Director of the Utah Botanical Center and faculty member in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at Utah State University, graciously offered his assistance. Charles W. Nuckolls, a faculty member at Brigham Young University in the Department of Anthropology, provided a starting point for my research. I am also very thankful for the many faculty members in the Department of Environment and Society at Utah State University for providing their expertise and encouragement throughout my time as a graduate student at USU. Thank you to the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation for providing funding for this project. I am very appreciative of the opportunities to travel, adding valuable information and experiences to this project. I appreciate the help and support received from my colleagues. Special thanks to Ellie Leydsman-McGinty who gave her time and talents in assistance to me; she spent countless hours helping me with GIS and offered valuable ideas and suggestions. Finally, thank you to my beloved husband, Stephen Vander Wal, for his support, encouragement, and patience. Without him, this project would not have been possible. i Table of Contents Acknowledgments................................................................................................................ i List of Figures .................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vii Abstract ................................................................................................................................1 Project Formulation .............................................................................................................3 Introduction ......................................................................................................................3 Issues ................................................................................................................................4 Background: Cache Valley 2030 .....................................................................................6 Research Questions and Objectives .................................................................................8 Methodology ....................................................................................................................9 Literature Review...............................................................................................................14 Ecovillage Defined.........................................................................................................14 Ecovillage Features ........................................................................................................20 Transportation ............................................................................................................20 Building Materials .....................................................................................................29 Water ..........................................................................................................................38 Alternative Energy .....................................................................................................49 Open Space ................................................................................................................61 Garbage ......................................................................................................................66 Local History and the United Order ...............................................................................69 Pre-Analysis—Field Research ...........................................................................................73 Site Visits .......................................................................................................................73 Wasatch Commons Cohousing ..................................................................................73 The Farm ....................................................................................................................75 Portland Bus Tour ......................................................................................................77 Interview Results ...........................................................................................................81 Analysis—Defining the Area .............................................................................................84 Study Site .......................................................................................................................84 Assessment Models ........................................................................................................84 The Assessment Model Process .................................................................................84 Agriculture .................................................................................................................86 Conservation Land .....................................................................................................92 Potential Building Sites..............................................................................................97 ii Assessment Model Summary ...................................................................................102 Results ..............................................................................................................................106 Learning Center ...........................................................................................................106 Layout Options.............................................................................................................108 Transportation ..............................................................................................................113 Building Materials .......................................................................................................114 Water ............................................................................................................................115 Alternative Energy .......................................................................................................115 Open space ...................................................................................................................116 Garbage ........................................................................................................................117 Discussion ........................................................................................................................118 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................121 References ........................................................................................................................123 Appendix A—Alternative Futures Defined .....................................................................133 Appendix B—GIS data references ...................................................................................134 Appendix C—Wasatch Commons’ Green Features ........................................................135 Appendix D—Map of The Farm in Summertown, TN. ...................................................136 Appendix E—Interview Questions ..................................................................................137 Appendix F—Interview Notes .........................................................................................138 Appendix G—Olgyay’s Design .......................................................................................152 Appendix H—Cache Valley South Transit Bus Route ....................................................153 iii List of Figures Figure 1. Cache Valley on a clear air day. ..........................................................................5 Figure 2. Cache Valley inversion. .......................................................................................5 Figure 3. Project methodology. .........................................................................................11 Figure