"Make A Visible Difference, And Leave the World Better Than You Found It."
Joseph C. Canizaro, Tradition Founder

Since we are building a community designed to stand the test of time, it is our responsibility to make sure that it is strikes a proper balance between man and nature.

Sustainability is not just a catch phrase for us — it is our mission and a commitment to our residents. Our goal is to create a community that not only enhances the quality of life for people today, but also ensure that the needs of future generations can be met.

What Is A Sustainable Community?

• Enhances the environment and region.
• Fosters intergenerational and demographic diversity.
• Achieves carbon neutrality at a minimum.
• Creates an enduring and memorable place to live.
• Can evolve over time in response to changing conditions.
• Promotes economic vitality, success and growth
• Evolves governance from the community
• Openly shares lessons to help others build on their success.

Unlike normal development activities that measure success in dollars and cents, sustainable communities use three measures of success:

• Economic vitality
• Environmental integrity
• Social equity

Achieving balance among these three elements is essential to success.

What Is Economic Sustainability?

• Opportunities to live, work, play, learn, for all citizens.
• Strong jobs-housing balance.
• Long-term horizon and governance structure.
• Return on investment to all stakeholders of the community.
• Collaborate with regional, state, and federal programs to recruit and grow employment base.
• Attract businesses that support sustainability goals.

Our goal is to establish Tradition as the Gulf Coast's newest regional center for jobs, especially in niche and emerging technologies and industries, which complement economic development efforts along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and in the State of Mississippi. We will provide jobs and training for a diverse workforce, as well as entrepreneurial opportunities for our residents. We will incorporate advanced telecommunications, transportation, and other technologies to create a state-of-the-art, and safe, work environment, safe from future natural disasters. We will work in partnership with the public sector on infrastructure and site amenities and seek private sector partners for demonstration projects to help grow the Gulf Coast economy and provide job opportunities for all Coast residents.

What Is Social Sustainability?

• Socially sustainable communities are vibrant, healthy, safe, inclusionary environments to live, work, and play.
• Target three key community ingredients: education, community programs, and amenities to be shared by all.

To address these needs, Tradition is developing an amenity program that includes neighborhood parks, an extensive trail system, community gardens, outdoor recreation centers, places of worship, and other civic gathering places. Through the Village Institute and Homeowners Association, activities for residents and visitors will be planned to include holiday celebrations, block parties, gallery openings, food/wine tastings, lectures/seminars, and clubs to promote hobbies/common interests — all facilitated through an interactive community intranet website and allows residents to connect online.

Our education plans are already underway with the presence of St. Patrick Catholic High School and William Carey University's Tradition campus. We will expand our commitment to education with the addition of neighborhood elementary schools, preschools, and day care facilities. We will also promote best practices in sustainable development through the creation of a Sustainable Development Institute.

What is Environmental Sustainability?

• Integration of natural and human systems to optimize long-term community health and well-being.
• Understand and connect to bio-regional context - understand watershed and natural systems, leverage the site's natural systems, enhance natural drainage potential, plant native hardwoods.
• Integrate built infrastructure with natural systems, such as roads, trails and paths, utilities, and monitor drainage and water quality.
• Promote reuse and recycling
• Establish a natural systems interpretation and education program.
• Explore potential for carbon trading.
• Reduce dependency on the automobile.

Our Eco-Tourism Initiative

Tradition will lead a regional eco-tourism and stewardship initiative in alliance with the DeSoto National Forest and in support of the many river and basins that surround us, such as the Pascagoula River Basin, the Red Creek, Black Creek, and Biloxi River.

This will start with the establishment of the DeSoto National Forest Eco-Tourism Center. It will be conveniently located next to the Village lake and green, serving as a clearinghouse for information about the many hiking, biking, canoeing, fishing, and other recreational amenities available within close proximity to Tradition. It will also serve as a center for research and development that will sustain the biodiversity of Tradition and the adjacent National Forest. As our community grows, we will add a resort and conference center to accommodate eco-tourists and other groups that share our passion for preservation of the natural environment.

As for achieving the other components of our environmental sustainability action plan, we will:

• Organize land plan around natural systems
• Educate: Implement the Tradition Green Building Training Program
• Demonstrate: Build all Tradition-initiated buildings to LEEDS or comparable standards
• Mandate: Set green standards for all residential development
• Escalate: Raise standards over time.

In addition, to reduce our auto dependency, we will plan transport services with local partners to include internal shuttle and external public service. We will utilize our stat-of-the-art fiber optic system to enhance access and mobility (i.e. telecommuting and community internet). We will promote car sharing and bike sharing programs, and the use of electric or hybrid vehicles whenever possible.

HOW WILL WE MEASURE SUCCESS?

Our team will continually monitor the following benchmarks, refine our community plans and activities, and share our experiences with others, in the hopes of being a national model for sustainable development.

• Energy consumption
• Water consumption
• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Participation in community clubs, activities
• Academic scores
• Percentage of Tradition residents who work within Tradition