At the forefront of the sustainable development movement, Jonathan Rose runs an eponymous planning and development company based in New York. A third-generation developer, Rose discusses why “smart growth” matters and what makes Denver an eco-friendly model.

What is sustainable development?

Rose: It’s development that does not impair the health and livelihood of future generations. The goal is to find strategies that are economically and environmentally sustainable, yet acceptable to the market. Sustainable development gives us a pathway to grow and yet to reduce our impact. Let me be clear: Sustainability is not a no-growth strategy. The question is, how can we grow in a smart way?

How has interest in sustainable development changed since you started your company 19 years ago?

Rose: After a slow start, we’re seeing a dramatic increase in interest. You see it on the municipal regulatory side and on the market-demand side. When consumers hear about a green office or home, they rightly presume it’s better-built and has more lasting value. “Ungreen” buildings are beginning to be called “brown.” If you had a choice, would you want to live in a brown or green building?

Do you think the interest in “going green” could be a passing fad?

Rose: Absolutely not. First, we are seeing regulatory change, and regulations usually don’t go backward. Also, we won’t go back because these solutions reduce climate impact. Third, in 2009 we will have a new president, and the candidates have expressed a deep interest in climate regulation.

You’ve said your business mission is to repair the fabric of communities. How so?

Rose: A big impact on the environment is the development of raw land. To the extent we can redevelop both urban and suburban lands, we dramatically reduce impact. We use more energy getting to and from most of our homes than we do in the homes themselves. So if those homes can be located in downtowns near main streets in walkable communities, they’ll have much lower environmental impact.

You predict that urban and transit-based developments will be more successful than suburban locations. Why?

Rose: Look at our country’s housing markets. The downtown urban infill markets are holding up nicely, whereas the suburban markets in general are suffering. Last year—for the first time in 26 years—we drove hundreds of millions of miles less than the year before. As the price of gasoline increases, it will help places where you can drive less and walk more, or bike, or take the bus. We won’t house all the 90 million people the United States will add by 2050 by rebuilding our existing communities, but the new ones will have to be denser and more mixed-use.

You believe that change comes from promoting successful models of redevelopment. Can you give an example?

Rose: In the mid-1990s, downtown Denver was struggling. We redeveloped an old department store as a mixed-use, mixed-income green renovation. It was so successful that within three years, 22 other projects followed the same model. It created enough momentum that Denver now has a thriving downtown. We know that if you can demonstrate something and it works and it makes sense, the market will follow. 

Why is sustainable development important?

Rose: Sustainable development is important for the long-term survival of our communities and of life as we know it on Earth. Although we live in manmade environments, they exist in nature. Over the last 100 years, we have been developing in a way that has been undermining the health of our ecosystem. When we disrupt the stability of the larger ecosystems, it puts our own communities at risk.

Your family has a strong tradition of philanthropy. Do you see your work as a kind of profit-driven public service?

Rose: Absolutely. My family has a wonderful legacy of high-quality development and ­enormous generosity, and my explicit goal has been to see if you could bring those two together in a for-profit way. And we’ve been successful in doing that.

You come from a successful family business of real estate developers and managers that dates from the 1920s. What have you learned from the family business that propels your own business forward?

Rose: The most important thing is that my family has a real commitment to excellence and quality. I learned the trade of development in a responsible way. Second, all the family’s work is done at the highest level of integrity. That’s an incredibly valuable legacy that I’ve tried to maintain in my own work.

For more on Jonathan Rose, visit www.rosecompanies.com.