New Ruralism just for Yuppie Baby Boomers?
A new housing development in Georgia uses the term “New Ruralism” to appeal to a very specific demographic. In this case, wealthy boomer retirees. I hope this term doesn’t get shuffled aside to encompass only the boomer experience. I see great potential if a generation in their 20s/30s were to decide to take their “city” jobs and lifestyles to the “country”.
Says the release:
The development would preserve the rural character and include organic gardens, fishing lakes, swimming pool, tennis court, an equestrian center, a spa, and a community house.
According to Mr. Donavan the development would be a gated community including 280 homes on from one to five acre lots with 1,300 to 5,000 square footage with a theme of new ruralism. [Complete pr release here.]
Granted, the term “New Ruralism” is one I didn’t create, but, one I’m defining on my own terms to describe a former urbanite’s rediscovery of life in rural/small town America. (And, it should be noted, a unique rural area in that embraces a lot of what I like about city life on a smaller scale).
But: I think “New Ruralism” is too narrowly defined here. For starters, I don’t think it should have anything to do with building new housing developments. We have plenty of existing housing inventory and the environmentalist in me can’t stand the thought of more strip-mall housing. That goes against the idea of preservation and a reconnection with nature.
So, I’m on a mission to redefine the term “New Ruralism” — as well as connect others making the shift from a large city to a smaller town for personal, environmental, or other reasons. (Join here)
This weekend we finished the compost bin/recycling center. But, I forgot to take a photo!
Here, instead are some landscaping projects:
We planted a brand-new row of white roses in front of the cottage, despite a few passerby nay-sayers. (They say the unruly high school kids and street mess will ruin both. I’m choosing to have faith that the beatification can work!).
We hope these survive and thrive - stakes should help discourage feet on them. That’s Russian Sage on the right — just learned that at the Farmer’s Market!
We also bought a butterfly bush to match the existing one. We got it at from our friends at the Staunton Plant Company [tagline: “We’ve Got It Grown’ On!”].
This butterfly bush matches the other on the end in an attempt to make the yard more consistent.
Existing rose bush and very old part of the fence.
Then, just as the weekend was winding down, we also got a bout of food poisoning! Did we get those salmonella tomatoes?!
Bleh. With the recent heat wave it didn’t make for a fun time, believe me.
But we’re on the mend.
katie @ June 9, 2008
Wow! I am amazed by all the plantings. Were some of them already established (rose & sage) or have you done them all? I will be making a pilgrimage to see your homestead later this month. Keep up the good work.
Your ideas on “New Ruralism” rang a bell in my memory and sent me looking for Carla Emory’s “Old Fashioned Recipe Book of Country Living.” In the era before computers, emails, blogs, etc. she wrote, typed and self published a chubby “back to basics” user guide for organic living. I found my 1977 copy (the seventh printing) and it brought back great memories. Sadly my google search on Carla found that she died in 2005. She would have certainly agreed with your views on recycling and re-purposing.
I just had to offer two cents worth on the press release:
” The development would preserve the rural character and include organic gardens, fishing lakes, swimming pool, tennis court, an equestrian center, a spa, and a community house.
According to Mr. Donavan the development would be a gated community including 280 homes on from one to five acre lots with 1,300 to 5,000 square footage with a theme of new ruralism. ”
I am not sure exactly what “rural character” entails, but I would be really curious to see how much of the development supports things like bicycle paths or sustainable transport making it a walkable neighborhood. You can bet that clotheslines, wind turbines, solar panels or productive gardening would be outside the covenants, as well as hobby bee-keeping.
More accurately, those five acre “mini-estates” would include sufficient parking for the SUV to transport back and forth to the amenities.
The ‘theme’ is new ruralism. Theme as in decoration, more accurately theme-park.