"A very valuable civic resource for helping to imagine and inspire work for a sustainable city." Carmen Sirianni, Chair, Sociology Department, Brandeis University

The High-Point mixed-use housing development is the first planned sustainable neighborhood in a major American city. It garners visitors from around the world. High-Point has even restored streams that are critical to the region's salmon migration.

Salmon is an indicator species for the North West and it is an integral part of our story. We follow the plight of this remarkable species from the releasing of eggs into Lake Washington by schoolchildren, to a trip into Elliot Bay with an enlightened fisherman and, finally, with a visit to native American commercial fisheries that adhere to sustainable practices.

Also related to water, there is a heated debate on how to provide access to Seattle's remarkable shoreline. Will its aging Viaduct Highway be torn down and replaced with a tunnel? The issue is still being discussed.

Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, a citizen movement fails. Such a cautionary tale describes our final story, the 10-year battle to fund and build the citizen-inspired Monorail.

The other films in the series are:

Edens Lost & Found - Chicago - City Hall and grass roots groups in Chicago are working on open space, green buildings and an educated citizenry to create a sustainable city.

Edens Lost & Found - Philadelphia - Faced with severe budget limitations, Philadelphia's rebirth is being brought about by a network of community-based volunteer organizations.

Edens Lost & Found - Los Angeles - Is it possible that the City of the Angels can tell a story to the world about environmental rebirth?



Grade Level: 7-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 2007     Copyright Date: 2007
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-398-6     VHS ISBN: 1-59458-397-8

Reviews "Wiland and Bell show us that some of the real solutions might just be on our doorstep, our roofs, and in our city halls." Anna Lappé, Co-Founder of Small Planet Institute, Co-Author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen "An inspiring look at how cities can be transformed and how parks and green space can heal the soul of a community." Philadelphia Daily News "Inspiring examples from Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Seattle show how people can rediscover the natural attributes that made their cities desirable to settle in the first place." Sierra Magazine "There's something positively redemptive about Edens Lost and Found, the new PBS series about the transformation of dismal urban spaces into gardens and parks, villages and murals that are green and welcoming." Virginia A. Smith, Philadelphia Inquirer "[Eden's Lost and Found] Seattle: The Future is Now provides a wonderful resource for teaching in classroom and community settings. It provides portraits of everyday citizens, activists, and professionals who are genuine innovators: protecting and restoring watersheds, developing green building practices, reducing dependency on the automobile, transforming public housing, and developing sustainable transportation. It is at once visionary and practical and doesn't shy away from the difficult issues of costs and controversy, as in the monorail project. A very valuable civic resource for helping to imagine and inspire work for a sustainable city." Carmen Sirianni, Chair, Sociology Department, Brandeis University "This is a well-produced, broad-reaching, and optimistic film. Easily accessible to almost any audience, it highlights some of the innovative practices and projects being implemented in Seattle. This would be a valuable introduction to people in cities that have not yet begun to develop environmentally sustainable practices." Branden Born, Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington "I used Edens Lost and Found to organize a course I taught this summer...What a great class we had! The series proved to be a valuable tool in focusing the student's attention. By highlighting a variety of topics, institutional arenas, and personalities involved with environmental sustainability in four cities, the series alerted my students to the opportunities and challenges available to policy makers. The fact that the series showed the struggle to incorporate environmental values in everyday life, in education, and in public policy agendas at the local level, and the fact that sometimes the best intentions did not work out, provided a realistic sense of the challenge...Several of the grad students had not been exposed to the environment in this way, and told me that the class was an eye opening experience. Two were inspired to do their graduate applied research project on environmental sustainability. The Edens Lost and Found series is an important addition to material available to introduce students at all levels to environmental values. The presentation of some hard lessons regarding success and failure, and how much time and effort go into trying to change our neighborhoods and cities makes this series unique. I look forward to the next opportunity that I have to use the Edens Lost and Found series, and recommend it to educators at all levels." Greg Andranovich, Professor of Political Science, California State University-Los Angeles "These effective, professionally produced programs will inspire cities and towns all over the United States to use more green building materials, cultivate and employ native trees and plants for landscaping, find ways to practice conservation, and minimize disruptions to the natural environment. Recommended for all collections." Susan C. Awe, University of New Mexico Library, Library Journal