In the late 1990's JMLA assisted the A.C.T with developing a collaborative process and Masterplan for a 55,000 person community to be built in Jerrabomberra Valley in 2020. The innovative city was planned around the concept of a sustainable room and led to the development of a highly energy efficient `pod' neighbourhood system. The work was published in Canberra in 1994 and is called Ideas for a more sustainable future: Making Canberra a better place, and because a foundation for the research and design of ecovillages, self sustainable living areas which provide a contemporary option to the sprawl of the suburbs.

This type of development is possibly the most 'green' option currently in Australia, with up to eighty percent wastewater recycling, one hundred percent onsite water use. A series of strategies creates eco-hamlets of six to ten home parcels, and these places are tailored to provide work, live and play for people at all stages of their lives.

At Tooradin Village outside Melbourne, JMLA have assisted Casey City with developing a green trade system to encourage sustainable development and conservation of nationally significant wetlands. This blueprint promises to be a substantial model for achieving triple-bottom line sustainability in 21st century Australia.

Gold Coast City and Pine Rivers Shire have both developed city image strategies based around JMLA innovative Landscape character processes for living places.

Outstanding examples of sustainable living communities planned by JMLA include:

• Jerrabomberra New Town, Canberra
• Landmatters Ecovillage, Currumbin Valley, Queensland
• Caral Ecovillage Toogoom, Queensland
• Tooradin Village Structure Plan and Redevelopment, Casey City, Victoria
• Jeannie Barney Court, West End, Queensland
• Scarborough Village, Redcliffe, Queensland.
• The Paperbarks at Cotton Tree, Queensland