Heather Clancy's July 16 Smart Planet post about "land development that gives back" declares that the era of the McMansion is over. Let's hope so..."

Every hear of regenerative planning? Essentially, it’s the idea that a given construction project or a building isn’t just eco-conscious, it might even be eco-friendly. That’s the twist that sustainable New York design firm Ecological... puts on its business model for new projects... Anthony Sblendorio, CEO and co-founder of Ecological and also the founder of Back to Nature, an organization dedicated to regenerating natural resources... says technology is integral to enablement. His team starts any sustainability project at any existing building by measuring its unique environmental impact. A building that uses cubicles instead of walled offices, for example, would have an entirely different footprint. “Every building is like a human being, they operate and work differently,” he says...

What about the whole regenerative thing? ... [When] planning new sites — whether it’s a corporate headquarters, hotel or an entire community...There are “8 Healthy Systems” associated with a regenerative planning project, such as Ecological’s Mine Brook 89-acre community that is on the planning boards in Basking Ridge, N.J. Sblendorio believes that regenerative development can have a healing impact because it helps improve soil health and can be used to increase the biodiversity in a given region... [The illustration above] is an example of the stormwater management system that Mine Brook would use. It would be built on the idea of uses vegetated swales to treat runoff and allow the groundwater to recharge more quickly. Essentially, every home would be able to harvest rainwater for irrigation.

By the way, if you’re looking to construct a monstrosity that isn’t in tune with its natural landscape, Ecological can’t help you. Says Sblendorio: “We believe that the McMansion is dead and that we are at the start of a new generation of building design.” (Smart Planet)