He currently directs the Community Economic Development Centre at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, where he teaches in the Geography Department. Roseland's book distills his expertise into easy-to understand, concrete examples. Residents of 11 houses merged their backyards to share paths, patios, fruit trees, compost bins, gardens, greenhouses, a chicken pen, and a clothesline. One house was converted into a common house, and the group pooled their resources to purchase two adjacent houses to enable rental tenants to join the community. Efforts towards sustainability include organically managed gardens, growing fruits and vegetables, and installing solar collectors.
Neighbors share cars, compost, and re-use and recycle materials.
At the Squaw Creek Golf Course in Squaw Valley, California, boardwalks have carried golfers over marsh and meadow areas since its opening in 1992. Design firm Robert Trent Jones, Jr. restored acres of native grasses and enhanced filtration ponds, and apart from using small amounts of nitrogen, the golf course is maintained organically. The gray water is filtered through reed beds, and rainwater will be collected for use in bathrooms. The city buys back solar power at a price of about 15 cents a kilowatt hour. That's more than twice the going price for coal-fired energy.