Know Thyself, But Know Thou Too

5 February 2008 - 12:00pm

If you want to get a sustainable building or community built, you have to know your audience. Architect and urban planner Andres Duany offers a field-guide of target groups.

During December's Green Architecture and Urbanism Council, Andres Duany identified four target markets, their pros and cons, and discussed how to appeal to their personalities when presenting ideas or speaking to consumers.

Among their other identifiable markings, "Ethicists...are 'the original environmental activists,'" "Trendsetters...are willing to make choices that generate environmental benefits, but not if it means sacrifice," "Opportunists" are "pragmatic, optimistic, entrepreneurial people [who] welcome advances in technology. They love 'gadget-green' buildings," while "Survivalists...are pessimists who believe severe global warming and/or resource depletion are inevitable" and "will adapt their lifestyles for the 'Long Emergency'."

”Duany also identified a fifth group, the Apathetics, individuals who are 'ignorant, skeptical, or indifferent.' Their model: Dick Cheney. 'They will come along if it is cheaper or easier or when their ass gets hot'."

Source: New Urban News, January 15, 2008
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These interconnections ratify for us the sense that markets are as strong as confidence is present and confidence is as justified as patterns are dependable. These are what might be called our community moorings: anchored, tangible patterns.