THE MISSION OF THE UBC JAMES TAYLOR CHAIR We are a research and outreach organization that demonstrates how to design and build affordable, equitable, and ecologically healthy communities. We work with citizens and public officials to incorporate new and emerging policies for sustainable development into community plans. WE BELIEVE THE LANDSCAPE SITE IS TO THE REGION... WHAT THE CELL IS TO THE BODY Just as the health of the human body is dependent on the health of the individual cells in it, so too is the urban region dependent on the health of the individual sites that comprise it. Yet this self evident fact has received little attention within a research culture more focused on problems than on places. We hope to partially redress this imbalance. As such we are exploring how site and neighbourhood design can influence the ecological, social, and economic health of the region. DESIGN IS OUR METHOD   We have found that design can reveal then resolve the contradictions between competing sustainability imperatives. Design may not always be capable of producing the one "correct" solution to a problem; but design is an especially useful method for arriving at good solutions. Our world is in dire need of good solutions to the interrelated problems of environmental and social sustainability. We feel that the site is the best place to start. By providing recreation, natural habitat, and stormwater management features in one place, community open spaces can achieve a number of sustainability objectives. See Surrey Project for details.   WE HAVE ADVANCED THIS METHOD THROUGH A SERIES OF EVENTS AND PROJECTS The design events and research projects described in this web site provide a number of potential solutions to the problems spawned by un-sustainable urban growth.We hope that these potential solutions will help the citizens of British Columbia and beyond create a more sustainable future for their children. Design Charrettes, such as the one used in the Headwaters Project (above), have become a powerful tool for resolving complex design problems.