Village Homes Visit

On Friday I went up to Village Homes in Davis, CA to visit the community that has become something of a gold standard for Green Communities in the US. Village Homes was considered revolutionary when it was built in the late 1970s, because it was the first community ever built in the United States that attempted to be entirely green - using natural drainage, edible landscaping, passive and active solar on all the homes, and many other features.

I had previously read some criticism of Village Homes that people were not maintaining their property, people have used their carports as storage spaces for garbage and junk, and some of the original models were not as energy-efficient as many thought (http://www.acfnewsource.org/science/eco_homes.html).

When I visited the Community, I was able to park in one of the Visitor parking spaces on one of the narrow streets. I was struck by how much cooler the neighborhood was than surrounding areas in Davis I had been in that day, but also how the streets felt more like shared driveways than streets. Once I parked, I was able to walk around and explore the neighborhood. There are many trails to shared areas between the houses, that boast many beautiful fruit trees, chicken coops, and small plots of vegetables. It was nearing dusk, and there were many people walking around in the neighborhood, visiting with one another, walking their dogs, riding bicycles, and enjoying eating fresh pomegranates that were abundant throughout the neighborhood common areas. Many people who lived in the surrounding communities around Village Homes flocked to the area for evening walks as well, and there was a strong sense of community.

The biggest problem I noted with Village Homes was there was a lot of overgrowth of plants. Nearly all of the community landscaping was not maintained, plants like ivy and myrtle were strangling and suffocating other plants, and this overgrowth made it difficult to navigate through certain common areas in the neighborhood. Additionally, many people had taken to using their carports more like storage facilities, which was pretty unsightly, though wasn't doing any real harm to the neighborhood.

I could not locate the fabled "Village Homes Apartment Community", though I did find several co-ops run by nearby UC Davis students. These co-ops raised vegetables, small game and livestock, and even made their own honey.

The main thing I felt when I visited Village Homes was that this neighborhood was inviting and comfortable, but certainly not for everybody. I surprised myself when I told my friend I visited with that I felt the community could have benefited from a Home Owner's Association. If everyone who lived in the community agreed to pitch in and do their part to keep the community well kept and beautiful, there would not be any sort of problems. However, Village Homes needs to be maintained by a large force of people with a knowledge of gardening, so perhaps it would be in the community's interest simply to pay dues to hire a community gardener.

The overall point is that Village Homes is a great example of all the things that can be done right in a Green Community, and all the things that can be improved.

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