Veridian Homes brought to life its vision of Dane County's sustainable future when it broke ground for its Grandview Commons project in 2002.

Five years later the Madison, Wisconsin-based developer's new urbanism style neighborhood is one of several they have under construction throughout the area. But it's Grandview that holds the high ground, overlooking the Isthmus from its location west of Interstate-90 off Cottage Grove Road. The community's central village green reaches out to surrounding neighborhood streets and miles of sidewalks that wind through a colorful blend of modern-style apartments, condominiums and long lines of beautiful bungalows.

Veridian President of Operations David Simon said there were no new urbanism style neighborhoods in the Madison area at the time to use as a reference for developing the Grandview plan. Although there were plenty of examples of what Simon called "naturally occurring traditional neighborhoods" throughout Madison that helped paint the Grandview picture. Simon said they spent time walking through and studying the Wingra neighborhood and areas off Regent Street in Madison. It was through these historic neighborhoods that he says they were able to get a sense of the architecture and mixed-use layout that would help mold Grandview.

But there was still a need to incorporate modern aspects into the design. To find what was missing Simon and his crew traveled to the Harbor Town neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee to see new urbanism in action. What they pulled from their visit was a plan for a sustainable community equipped to achieve energy and environmental conservation through smart development and growth. The plan they agreed on for Grandview combined those historic architectural features and sustainable mixed-use elements of Madison's traditional neighborhoods, the pre-automobile feel of Harbor Town, and the efficient, green building practices of modern construction.

Working with the city of Madison, Simon said they were able to break through antiquated zoning laws and other restrictions to design a plan everyone could agree with. And at the center was Veridian's commitment to environmental conservation, guiding their smart growth plan. "We were green before it was keen," said Simon. "When we started building homes using green, Energy Star certified practices it wasn't a trend. We did it because we believed in it. We wanted to have less impact on our environment and we wanted to make it easy for our customers to save money, save on energy and in the same way reduce our dependence on some of our natural resources that are dwindling."

Part of Veridian's approach to green building looks at the products that go into their homes, how they were manufactured and the amount of energy it took to manufacture them. So for example, certain paints and flooring materials emit gases that can be harmful to the environment and to people. Veridian addresses these issues by using materials that are free of the potentially harmful chemicals.

And with a large portion of what is going into landfills coming from construction waste, Veridian sees the importance of making sure what is left over at the jobsite is properly taken care of. Programs coordinated by the company recycle concrete, vinyl, aluminum and other construction waste products. Wood scraps that come off of jobsites are recycled into a compost material that is used for landscaping.

The effort they put into recycling what comes out of the construction is mirrored only by the efficiency standards they put into the finished product. In 2007 Veridian Homes alone built 65 percent of Dane County, Wisconsin's Energy Star certified homes. To reach Energy Star's specifications, builders are required to pass the federal program's stringent inspection process. To do this they must be sure every step of the construction is done with efficiency in mind. This means using the best house wraps and insulation to ensure the homes have a tight seal. Using proper ventilation so fresh, healthy air is always flowing through the building. And use of high efficiency heating and cooling systems that optimize energy consumption while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This efficiency mindset roles into the overall neighborhood design as well. Grandview Commons is a neighborhood made for walking - where automobiles are placed in the garage behind the house whenever possible. But Simon and the new urbanist community are realists. They know that the auto is a part of modern life and isn't going away. But they also see a part of the pre-car culture that can have a place in today's communities.

"What transpired in the '50s was a redesigning of our communities around the automobile. Which is fine but what we lost over time were certain aspects of what makes neighborhoods truly functional and great. So for example the ability to hop on a bicycle and go down to a local store for some services and household needs. Or the ability to have a park within a block or two of your home rather than having to jump in the car and drive to a mega-park, which might be farther away and you wouldn't feel comfortable sending your kids to by bike or on foot."

Safety is an issue that Veridian takes into account when designing its communities. It's found in the quiet streets of neighborhoods like Grandview, where people can safely walk and bike. But it also reaches into the home design itself. You see it in the home layout, with the front porch close to the street and garage tucked away in an alleyway at the rear. Having the main entryway at front brings more activity to the front area of residences and more eyes on the street. As a result front porches and sidewalks become a place where people meet and talk with their neighbors about what is happening in their neighborhood. A kind of informal community watch. Businesses in the community offer an added crime deterrent by brining activity to the neighborhood during the day while most residence are at work.

Development of Grandview's commercial area is in its early stages, with plenty of space still available alongside the Cloud 9 Grill restaurant and a dentist office. Simon says as the area continues to grow it will in turn provide the additional residential density needed to accommodate more commercial growth and alternative transportation services.

Several other compact developments have come to being in Madison and surrounding communities since Grandview started development. Veridian Homes alone has been the developer of more than 20 new neighborhoods.