Living Community Challenge

Integrated Communities

The Living Community Challenge is a framework for master planning, design, and construction. It is a tool to create a symbiotic relationship between people and all aspects of the built environment.

The program is a call to action to governments, campuses, planners, developers and neighborhood groups to create communities that are as connected and beautiful as a forest.

NOTE: While the program is no longer taking registrations, we are providing these as reference materials that can provide inspiration and guidance to people interested in the community approach.


Featured Case Studies

Sacramento Valley Station

Sacramento Valley Station

Registered Community

Sacramento, CA
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Emerging Community

Sarasota, FL
Song Saa Reserve

Song Saa Reserve

Registered Community

Siem Reap Province, Cambodia

Petals

Imagine communities that function like a forest ecosystem. The Living Community Challenge is organized into seven performance areas.

Place

Place

Restoring a healthy coexistence with nature.
Materials

Materials

Endorsing products and processes that are safe for all species through time.
Water

Water

Creating water independent sites, buildings and communities.
Equity

Equity

Supporting a Just, equitable World.
Energy

Energy

Relying only on current solar income.
Beauty

Beauty

Celebrating plans that purpose transformative change.
Health + Happiness

Health + Happiness

Maximizing physical and psychological health and well being.

Create healthy communities

Living Communities are:

  • Nurturing and generous places that promote healthy lifestyles for everyone.
  • Net positive with respect to water and energy. Living Communities generate their own energy and capture and treat all the water they need.
  • Create a positive impact on the human and natural systems that interact with them.

learn about the challenge

Let’s create communities with resilient infrastructure that benefits all people. View the Living Community Challenge standard to learn about the philosophy behind the framework.