Surrey, British Columbia, has adopted a plan that

Surrey, British Columbia, has adopted a plan that requires small developers to cooperate in creating neighborhoods that are walkable, connected to transit, close to stores and services, and environmentally benign. The city, working with Patrick Condon at the University of British Columbia, targeted a 640-acre area called East Clayton for housing that will accommodate 12,000 to 14,000 residents, yet not produce runoff that pollutes the waterways or causes flooding downstream. Through a property owners advisory committee and a series of charrettes and workshops, Surrey invited East Clayton property owners to participate in the planning. To minimize runoff, John Turner of BFW Developments installed underground rock pits about eight feet deep in each of the lots his firm developed, enabling water to percolate gradually into the soil. East Clayton has attracted 12 to 15 developers, and the houses are selling well, says Murray Dinwoodie, city planning director. Coordinating the ideas and desires of so many owners lengthens the planning process. However, once developers submit applications, the rezoning and subdivision process moves faster than usual because the details have already been worked out, senior planner Wendy Whelen says.