Diane Jones doesn't have a job at present—but she is working hard to green the city of Detroit on multiple fronts. The former director of the United Way's Non-profit Facilities Center spent last week sanding floors at the building she is redeveloping into four condo units near Avalon Bakery – in which, of course, she used reclaimed materials and Energy Star appliances.
But it is her position as a member of the national board of the American Institute of Architects that is inspiring her to educate people locally about what is happening, sustainability-wise, nationally. Fresh home from the AIA national convention and invigorated by speeches from Al Gore and David Suzuki, she asks, "How do we restore communities?"
She is critical of the old model of housing development and job creation as two separate beasts. "We need to create a local economy and become more self-sustaining instead of wandering around waiting for the next big factory."
Jones, in partnership with WARM Training Center, is working to build a coalition of groups that are involved in some aspect of sustainability. Citing existent efforts such as the US Green Building Council, the Greening of Detroit, the local AIA chapter and Wayne State University, she says, "Let's knit that all together so we're not running in our own little circles."
The effort has been awarded a federal grant from the Michigan Department of Energy, and Jones anticipates it getting off the ground in June. One of her primary goals is education. "This stuff is not walking on coals, it's good stuff. And it's cost-effective if you do it the right way in the long run."
Metromode will continue to follow this initiative as it gets up and running.
Source: Diane Jones
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.