Using Nature to Sell Housing Part 2...

I had some time last week to bike around Peterborough and photograph some of the newer sub-divisions being constructed on Greenfield sites. I have a group presentation next week and we are going to present these pictures and provide some analysis. The picture to the right illustrates the marketing of a sub-division project called “natural habitat”. If you live in Peterborough, or take the East Bank bus to the university, you can’t miss it. It’s just off Armour Road about 1.5 kilometres south of the university’s campus.

It is evident in the picture that the housing development features nature in some sort of way: Waterfront setting, golf and conservation lands. I wonder if the people who purchase property here actually know what conservation lands mean. A golf course is nearby the development and presumably, with more growth, another golf course will be developed in the coming years. Of course, being on the waterfront setting (next to the Otonabee River) is always an added bonus for aesthetic reasons and recreational activities. So, if you are trying to escape the city (because it is polluted, congested, dirty and so on), and if you are looking for a sense of community, then these sorts of sub-divisions might fulfill your needs.

I am not going to delve into the social exclusivity of these sub-divisions, but it is important to understand the inherent paradox. Having access to nature can give us a chance to embrace it, cherish it and ultimately protect it. We could be good environmental stewards when we move into these sub-divisions but it eventually becomes a hard battle to beat the housing market and its eager developers. Demand for these sub-divisions (in Peterborough) appears to be really good. Developers are quickly jumping on this opportunity to build more and more to meet the demand in the market.

So, residents are seeking nature and open communities yet, more and more sub-divisions are being built on these Greenfield areas which can certainly compromise the natural environment. Runoff from construction, paved surfaces and other can contaminate the water and displace native species and plants in the area. If more of these sub-divisions are built, then Big Box stores might come about to provide everyone with their basic commercial needs. Big Box stores do not encourage walking, biking and alternative modes of transport, they encourage the use of automobility which requires massive parking lots. This takes people away from “getting closer to nature”, both physically and mentally.

Developers are using nature to selling housing, they have been successful not matter how hypocritical they are. Dolores Hayden will tell us that these people move to residential developments on these Greenfield areas because they provide a quieter lifestyle, they are good for raising a family, provide a sense of community and they are close to nature. Getting closer to nature is one thing, actually looking after it is a completely different discussion.

More to come on this…