Building a sustainable neighborhood in Highland Park
Parker Village HP is turning a vacant school into a café, aquaponics garden, events and cultural center, and sustainable housing.
While many are hoping that policymakers rescue us from a warming planet, some are actively working to build out green technology in their own backyard.
“A lot of people just don’t realize that the information is out there in terms of solar, geothermal, and blue infrastructure…And the implications are huge.” — Juan Shannon, Parker Village HP
Highland Park has been a place for that kind of work. It’s a space where community residents are working to create carbon-zero homes and use solar power to generate lighting and WiFi, which has already happened on particular blocks in the city.
Listen: A look at Parker Village HP, a “smart neighborhood” in Highland Park.
Guest
Juan Shannon is the founder of Parker Village HP, an organization that is creating a “smart neighborhood” to make Highland Park more sustainable. Parker Village HP is an LLC, and it is turning a vacant school into a café, aquaponics garden, events and cultural center, and sustainable housing.
“A lot of people just don’t realize that the information is out there in terms of solar, geothermal and blue infrastructure,” says Shannon. “And the implications are huge.”
Related: Here’s how to manage climate change anxiety
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