So then - the hypothesis is this - to achieve a state of sustainable development, one first needs to have a vision of what that state should be. This is my version ...
I will live in fairly small home - either semi-detached or row house typology. The literature says we should aim for quite high population densities - the kind of density already achieved in the towns and villages of "native" Mauritius (Please excuse any unintended racism). We will have moved away from the suburban sprawl of Pereybere, to the far more compact models offered by Goodlands or Quatre Bornes. The compactness of the neighbourhood / village means that there is more rural land for farming or for giving over to nature. It also means that I live in walking distance of the local shops, parks, schools, churches and other amenities. I either work within walking distance, or cycling distance, from home, or I catch the bus to work every day. Its okay that I need to travel a fair bit for my job, because the public transport system is far reaching and efficient. The buses are electric or hydrogen cell vehicles, but really, most people cycle or walk unless they need to go long distances.
My home has a green roof (which slows stormwater run-off). The extra thickness of the roof also creates a thermal barrier to stop the inside of the house heating up. There's also wind-turbines on the roof, or photovoltaic panels; a solar water heater; and of course the ubiquitous Mauritian water-tank. A rainwater tank sits somewhere around the side of the house, with a windmill on the roof that pumps the water back up to another roof tank, so that the rainwater is gravity fed back to ...
I'll continue another day.
I'll continue another day.
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