Corbett, now 58, was a young homebuilder in the early '70s, when he and his wife Judy began thinking of ways to combine environmental ecology with social ecology, which uses building design to make neighbors more neighborly. The couple bought 60 acres of tomato fields west of downtown Davis and drew up plans for a housing development that would combine residential, commercial and agricultural elements in an unprecedented mix. The houses, which would use the latest in solar-heating technology, would be built in clusters and oriented toward the backyards, which would open onto large common areas. Fruits and vegetables would grow there, using water collected by natural drainage (the land would be contoured to capture most rainwater, with excess flowing into ditches and ponds rather than concrete storm sewers). The streets would be narrow and end in cul-de-sacs. Winding walkways would connect the homes to a small courtyard of offices, reinforcing the theme of a community built for people, not cars.

The Corbetts submitted their plans to city officials--and got doused in cold water. "Everybody had a problem," recalls Judy. "The police department didn't like the dead-end cul-de-sacs. The fire department didn't like the narrow streets. The public-works department didn't like agriculture mixing with residential. And the planning department picked it apart endlessly."

Financing was another roadblock. "We went to 20 banks that wouldn't make a loan because the plan was too unconventional," says Corbett. "Everything was untried and unproven." But he and his wife were dauntless. "We never considered giving up," Judy says. "We weren't developers, we were missionaries."