Hayward, suburb not known for pushing progressive ideals, quietly has laid the groundwork for a radical experiment in environmentally conscious living - a nearly car-free housing development.
Quarry Village is a proposed 1,000-unit neighborhood that would fill a former quarry near Cal State East Bay and 1 1/2 miles from the Hayward BART Station. It's the brainchild of Sherman Lewis, a professor emeritus in political science at Cal State East Bay who created a nonprofit organization to promote the idea with local officials, investors and developers.
According to Lewis, 69, people would rent or buy eco-friendly, garage-free homes in the densely built community with interconnected pathways. Residents would receive transit passes with the cost of their home but could pay separately for one of just 100 parking spaces.
"There's a huge pent-up demand for this, and I think it would make a lot of money," Lewis said. "But lenders have to be interested. If they're not, it will fail."
The village pushes the envelope of the "smart growth" philosophy, which de-emphasizes the automobile by creating new development near public transit. In recent years, a handful of projects in Europe, the United States and elsewhere have discouraged auto use by narrowing streets, cutting parking and pushing transit alternatives. Projects also are reducing energy use and emissions from building materials, heating and cooling systems.
"We believe that what we are trying to do is at the very edge of environmental sustainability while still being financially feasible," Cohen said.
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