Weekly Assignment #13

"UM Coffee Shop Seeks to Rebuild Buzz, Sustainably"

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007/09/27/news/local/znews05.txt

This article, published on 9/27/07 in the Missoulian newspaper, describes the goals and plans of a local college coffee shop to become more sustainable in their operations. On the University of Montana campus in Missoula, the Think Tank has been an incredibly small but busy coffee stand. Now, UM Dining Services wants to expand the Think Tank to address growing demand from students, faculty and community members. As the Think Tank operators began to plan for a bigger restaurant, to be located in a courtyard not presently serving any other purpose, the rest of Dining Services also realized the value in using sustainable plans, and developed the "Guidelines for the University Dining Services Sustainable Future Initiative." This document outlines the sustainability goals of the UM Dining Services as a whole, including purchasing locally grown ingredients, cutting back on energy use, and providing learning opportunities for students.

There seem to be two ways of viewing university systems. First, the university could be seen as a local area similar to a small town or city, since it has its own means of governance and oftentimes its own residents. Additionally, a university could be seen as a neighborhood within the larger town or city in which it resides. Although this particular planning issue could be seen as either at the local or neighborhood level, it seems to fit better in the neighborhood category, since the Think Tank and other university services are utilized by students, faculty and outside community members who are not otherwise connected with the university.

This issue could not have been addressed at the regional or national level, since it is focused so tightly on local resources and residents. However, the university system could be seen as a neighborhood model for local-level sustainability planning. Wheeler states that "Achieving compact and relatively mixed-use neighborhoods is often seen as a goal..." (p. 186) Further, Wheeler describes mixed-use neighborhoods as including a range of resources and economic opportunities within a short distance of residential areas. A university is an ideal example of this concept, since it is usually placed within a larger residential community, but also includes its own residential space, dining, shopping, and employment opportunities.

In short, the efforts that have worked well at the University of Montana could reasonably be replicated by other neighborhoods and local governments. A focus on utilizing local resources, providing responsible alternatives for residents, and encouraging educational opportunities could be implemented in nearly any city, town or smaller neighborhood. However, one possible drawback to implementing these strategies at a larger local level is that government officials represent the entire area, and the sustainability plan would need support from a much broader range of residents.