excerpts from focus magazine

“As our facilitator asked, how can we harness the passion for place that is evident, to collaborate on the sustainability project? Good question. Gaining Ground provided a first stepping stone for the long journey ahead.”

“Letting [James] Kunstler paint his bleak scenario seemed a daring move on the part of conference organizers. Yet, from what I could see during my two days there, Kunstler’s dire warnings [about energy prospects and social change] did not get people down. Au contraire. It was the positive messages that carried the most resonance and power for Gaining Ground participants.”

“Ed McMahon, of the Urban Land Institute in Washington, DC, said “sustainable development means giving the best of the city to everyone. Our identities are tied in a very profound way to place” and “its history contributes to our sense of well-being no less than religion or culture.”

“[Speaker John Knott’s] holistic vision of development includes nurturing key community institutions, job creation and affordable housing. His keynote presentation received a standing ovation.”

“I asked Pamela Mang [Regenisis Inc., Santa Fe, NM] what she thought of the conference. She admitted she had sworn off conferences two years ago, but ‘was seduced to come to this one because it promised not to be another green building conference… that it would promote an integrated approach to understanding…good bones were laid for that,’ she concluded.”