Agricultural Urbanism in Illinois

"Prairie Crossing was developed to conserve prairie, and it's not just a marketing slogan. Vicky and George Ranney, the developers, set aside 60 percent of the 677 acres in a land conservation easement; another 3,200 acres are protected within the Liberty Prairie Reserve, a conglomeration of public and private land connected to the community.

From the beginning, the Ranneys believed in agriculture as an essential component, so they established 100 acres strictly for growing food. 'This land was always farmland,' says Vicky. 'So we considered what people would like to live next to. We realized that sooner or later, there'd be a conflict between big agriculture and residential developments. People wouldn't find it comfortable to live next to pesticides and chemicals.'"

Prairie Crossing is a model of "agricultural urbanism", an idea being pushed by architect and planner Andres Duany.