Tuesday (9/9) is the groundbreaking for the Cleveland EcoVillage Green Cottages, and, in addition to being the largest concentration of green building, it marks another historic moment for the area.

It will be the first affordable development in Northeast Ohio to achieve the LEED for Homes certification of the U.S. Green Building Council, which promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes.

The five cottages continue the momentum of the Cleveland EcoVillage, where 20 ‘green’ townhomes were built in 2004 and completely sold. The Cottages are right across the street from the townhomes, and both are within walking distance of a rebuilt W. 65th Street Rapid station.

The Cuyahoga Community Land Trust ensures they will be permanently affordable. ‘Green’ features include recycled and recyclable-content products, water saving products and a smaller (1,225 sq ft.) home which will cost less to heat and cool (also helping the affordability!).

An ecovillage has a dense mix of housing, shopping, and promotes healthier living because streets are comfortable to walk and bike, and there's plenty of public places to play and even grow food. It supports the necessities of life in one place. And when you need to visit somewhere else, links to transit are within easy walking distance.

The Cleveland EcoVillage is in a real city neighborhood, so it already has some of these elements. Even though it doesn’t have it all yet, it has three distinct green housing developments, an urban garden, and good transit connections.

Here’s a fun class assignment: Look at this link: ‘What is an ecovillage, and how did the Cleveland EcoVillage form? Then think about answers to these questions:

• How does your neighborhood compare and contrast to the Cleveland EcoVillage?
• Does your neighborhood have the makings for an ecovillage?
• What would it need to function as a self-contained village?