Dwelling in Expanded Biotic Communities: Steps Toward Reconstructive Postmodern Communities - Design with the Desert: Conservation and Sustainable Development - page 329

FIGURE 18.5
The district in Green Valley, an attempt to recreate an urban community.
18.4.2 Summerlin
Summerlin is a 22,500 ac master-planned development in the northwest region of Las
Vegas. Designed and planned by the Howard Hughes Corporation and named after
Hughes' maternal grandmother Jean Amelia Summerlin, it currently has over 95,000 resi-
dents. It still has over 9,000 ac to develop and, while there is no expected date of comple-
tion, it is expected to eventually have over 160,000 residents. 16 Because of the vast land
area in this planned development, Summerlin still has room to grow, making it a more
dynamic area than Green Valley, which is contained by engineered features, the major
community diversity comes in the designs of the homes.* To its credit, Summerlin plan-
ners have been willing to swap land owned by the Hughes Corporation with the Bureau of
Land Management (5000 ac in 1988 and 1000 ac in 2002) 16 in order to preserve natural areas
adjacent to the Red Rock Natural Conservation Area and provide a buffer to development
while still providing nonmotorized access into the area. This willingness to forgo short-
term profit for long-term development (thus creating a greater amount of natural wealth)
is an example of what needs to be done more often in mixed communities.
Summerlin planners have also attempted to support ecological diversity by building
parks and trails through desert washes, allowing for a natural diversity of native plants
and animals to flourish amid homes (Figure 18.6). By attempting to build within exist-
ing washes the neighborhoods do allow for variety, novelty, and even intensity of natural
experiences. This is especially the case when heavy rains introduce a large amount of water
into the washes. The challenge facing Summerlin residents is to accept and celebrate the
fact that they are living in developments within a mixed community as I have described,
instead of attempting to utilize water-intensive landscape with nonnative plants and
grasses, landscapes unappealing for indigenous wildlife (Figure 18.7).
Summerlin has tried to locate itself within the broader biogeographical zone of south-
ern Nevada. It does attempt to harmonize neighborhoods in ways that encourage residents
to walk, bike, or hike on trails throughout the area (Figure 18.8). In fact, access to various
trails is the number one amenity that homeowners seek with buying a home. In April 2002,
* See the Summerlin website for a description of the full range of home designs.