Green ingrained: a sustainable approach to mountain resort development

Abstract

Currently, about 15-20 percent of the worldwide tourist industry, or 70-90 billion dollars can be accounted for annually by mountain tourism (Price et al. 1997). The base of mountain tourism lies within the profound natural features of the surrounding mountain landscape. Therefore, maintaining clean cool air, dramatic variations in topography, and scenic beauty of both the physical and cultural landscapes are imperative. The following project addresses the issue of designing a sustainable mixed use community within the broader context of a top rated mountain resort. Within the last decade as public awareness of green practices has increased, so has the public’s knowledge of terms such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), sustainability, and mixed-use development. Starting in 1995 a sustainable visioning plan emerged for the future development of the Greater Wasatch in Utah. The project, titled Envision Utah Quality Growth Plan, has been widely recognized as one of the country’s most successful efforts to involve the public in regional visioning. The proposed addition to Park City Mountain Resort in the Wasatch Front has been fueled by a desire to create an ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable mixed-use development. The Envision Utah Quality Growth Plan and a precedent study in Whistler, combined with literature by Peter Calthorpe, Sherry Dorward, and Ian McHarg, provided the foundation for a sustainability assessment framework. The framework is applied to test the sustainable viability of existing resorts, as a guide for the design of resorts, and as a tool for comparative analysis between mountain resorts. The result is a conceptual master plan for Park City, Utah that employs the use of stormwater and architectural best management practices, recycled materials, mixed use design, alternative forms of energy, and an efficient public transportation system.