A Call to Action

Posted by Carol Coletta on June 16, 2009 |

This morning I learned about Chicago's Red Line Green Roofs.  I was instantly intrigued by the project's name.  Underway in Chicago’s 48th Ward, it' an effort to activate a neighborhood coalition to design and create 50,000 square feet of green roofs along one of the city's busiest elevated public transit lines.  In a city known for its green roofs, it's a happy surprise to see ordinary citizens volunteering to extend what the city began.

This evening I was catching up on USA Today and found out about Albert Lea, Minnesota's attempt to remake itself into a Blue Zone where people live longer and better.  Called the Vitality Project, the effort is sponsored by AARP to encourage the town's residents to eat more fruits and vegetables,  walk instead of drive, stay productive and social well into old age and seek inner fulfillment.  It's a six-month long undertaking that focuses on four revitalization strategies: community environment, social groups, home and work habitats, and building the inner self.

Like Red Line Green Roofs, the Vitality Project (I prefer "Blue Zone") is primarily a community-driven, volunteer effort.  Also like Red Line Green Roofs, the project has the potential to change the community…

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