Vicky Ranney is as much interested in building community as she is in building homes. "I like the very practical process of weaving ideas that are on the forefront of environmental and town planning into a community that works economically, environmentally and aesthetically,
she says.

As president of Prairie Holdings Corporation, Ranney has been overseeing development of just such a cutting-edge community in Grayslake, Ill., 40 miles north of Chicago.

Established on land purchased in 1987 by a group of neighbors wanting to preserve open space and farmland, Prairie Crossing has been recognized as one of the nation's leading conservation communities for its innovations in planning and community design. The community includes 359 single-family homes, 36 condos, mixed-use, and a retail center next to two train stations. A section of the development called Station Village is part of the LEED Neighborhood Development pilot program.

"We believed that many people would be attracted to a place where they could buy their food from local farmers,
she says, "where children could learn from hands-on experiences of the environment, where buildings were energy efficient, and where commuters could walk to the train.

Indeed, the community boasts many of these selling points: A public charter elementary school was established at Prairie Crossing; a successful land trust was founded to save open land around the development; and the 90-acre Prairie Crossing Farm, powered by wind turbines, includes a successful commercial organic farm.

"[Our approach],
says Ranney, "is an improvement over more traditional approaches to homebuilding because we saved over 60 percent of the site as open land and integrated multiple uses of it into our plan for the community.

Even the homes themselves are inspired by the land, an attractive blend of historical farmhouse, Prairie and Craftsmen styles, which "grew up in response to the Midwest environment,
says Ranney. "Thus the houses and the land fit well together, even to their colors. We hired a color specialist who developed a palette of exterior colors from the warm earth tones of the prairie. Like the prairie itself, the house colors have variety and life, and yet blend well together.

Altogether, Prairie Crossing is regarded as a respectful tribute to its surroundings, as well as a model of community design to support a better way of life.