A demonstration project for sustainable development principles : a case study in Pittman Center, Tennessee

Government leaders, city officials, non-profit groups, and others interested in protecting the environment while promoting economic development are realizing that the key to a healthy future is to promote sustainable development. Pittman Center, a small, mountain community in east Tennessee is interested in taking this step towards sustainable development. City leaders want to develop a vacant piece of property adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at the Greenbriar entrance. They want to develop a commercial enterprise on this site based upon guidelines and principles of sustainable development. This thesis outlines and reviews general principles of sustainable development (protecting the environment, promoting social equity), and uses them to develop a site design concept based upon specific principles. The design concept is site specific to Pittman Center, and can be used as a guide for developers interested in developing the property. This thesis also reviews assistance through grants and loans for Pittman Center, and explains the benefits to implementing a community development corporation or land trust to develop the property. It has examples of other organizations active in land conservation and sustainable development, and explains how they could aid in Pittman Center’s sustainable development initiative.