Coffee Creek Center is being showcased as one of the world’s 26 most innovative master-planned communities in a book recently published by the Urban Land Institute entitled Great Planned Communities.

According to a statement released by the Lake Erie Land Company, the book anthologizes case studies of the “best examples of design and development innovation” in communities from every region of the U.S. and in Australia, Canada, China, England, and Germany.

Jo Allen Gause, senior director of residential development at the Urban Land Institute and editor of Great Planned Communities, said, “Coffee Creek Center was selected because of its innovation and scope. Its design elements provide solutions to the most pressing issues confronting community development professionals in the coming years—affordability, sustainability, and increasing market diversity.”

Coffee Creek Center is featured in the book as one of “the future communities offering flexible master plans that are sensitive to its environment and responsive to the lifestyles of its residents,” the statement said. Other communities include Civano in Tucson, Ariz.; Jinji Lake in Suzhou, China; Playa Vista in Los Angeles, Cal.; Stapleton in Denver, Colo.; Verrado in Buckeye, Ariz.; and WaterColor in Seagrove, Fla.

“Envisioned,” the statement said, “as an environmentally sensitive, mixed-use community defined by urbanlike densities and walkable destinations, Coffee Creek Center illustrates the opportunities that can be found in urban infill and brownfield redevelopment. The sustainable design and environmental principles such as constructed wetland wastewater treatment, innovative hydrology solutions for stormwater treatment, prairie and creek restoration and wetland mitigation, have been featured in Time magazine, Conservation Voices, Crain’s Chicago Business, Metropolitan Home, and House Beautiful.”

“It’s an honor to be included in such a select group of projects,” said LEL Director of Land Development Kevin Warren. “And the fact that the ULI is honoring these projects truly demonstrates that the cutting edge approaches to development that these projects represent really do describe the future of real estate development.”

ULI, a non-profit education and research institute found in 1936, is one of the world’s most respected research institutes in urban planning, land use, and development. Its mission is to provide its 17,000 members worldwide with leadership in the use of land and long-term responsible growth strategies.

Posted 7/24/2002