Sedona, Arizona exemplifies an agreeable amalgamation of nature and development. 

Strict city codes limit the size of commercial signs, prohibit “light pollution” at night, and promote color schemes in buildings that match those in the natural surroundings. 

Where a mushrooming housing market might have destroyed breathtaking panoramas, construction has hugged the ground rather than reaching into the sky with imposing concrete. 

Both colors and textures mimic the neighboring rocks and earth.

 Businesses from banks to McDonalds subscribe to the local conventions. 

Looking from downtown into the valley, one must strain to see the hundreds of new homes that have emerged from the earth but adopted only minimal distinctions from it. 

 Similar local and regional regulations have enjoyed increasing popularity, banishing billboards from highways, franchise signs from historical downtowns, loud music from residential areas, and buildings from foothills. 

Beneficiaries assert that carefully planned development can coexist with wilderness areas, and that our habitat becomes increasingly amenable as it more closely resembles and embraces natural settings.

What ideas can you take from Sedona and apply in your habitat?