The Next Generation of Sustainable Communities
The Next Generation of Sustainable Communities
In January 2020 an invited group of 70 professionals, representing academic, business, and non-profit sectors, met at the University of California, Davis to discuss lessons learned from sustainable community initiatives and how to facilitate a more rapid change toward sustainable urbanism. The inspiration for the event came from construction of The Sustainable City (TSC) in Dubai and West Village at UC Davis. TSC is a neighborhood of 500 homes, community facilities, and businesses completed by Diamond Developers in 2018 with the goal of being the first operational zero-net energy project in the United Arab Emirates. West Village is the first zero-net-energy neighborhood in the United States, which will eventually house more than 5,000 students, staff, and faculty on the campus of UC Davis. The January event was organized under the auspices of – and funded by – the University of California Davis Arab Region Consortium's Sustainability Research and Training Program housed in UC Davis Global Affairs.
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The Next Generation of Sustainable Communities Symposium was held at the University of California, Davis on Friday, January 24, 2020. This program was made possible with generous support from Diamond Developers and UC Davis Global Affairs. The program was developed in partnership with University of California–Davis, American University of Beirut, The American University in Cairo, Lebanese American University, Birzeit University, and The American University of Sharjah. The conference planning committee was led by Dr. Suad Joseph, Founder and Director of University of California Davis Arab Region Consortium (UCDAR), and included Dr. Bryan Jenkins, Dr. Stephen Wheeler, Bernadette Austin, Meghan Klasic, and Nermin Dessouky. This video features Harrison Fraker from UC Berkeley, who delivered the morning keynote. Keynote: The Challenge of Integrated Systems Thinking Facilitator: Suad Joseph, Distinguished Research Professor of Anthropology and Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies and Director of the UC Davis Arab Region Consortium, University of California, Davis Harrison Fraker, Professor Emeritus, Architecture and Urban Design, University of California - Berkeley
Beyond the Sustainable City: Morning Keynote ft. Harrison Fraker
The Challenge of Integrated Systems Thinking. Harrison S. Fraker, Dean Emeritus College of Environmental Design, University of California, Davis.
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Beyond the Sustainable City: Discussion with Fraker
Facilitator: Suad Joseph, Distinguished Research Professor, University of California, Davis.
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Beyond the Sustainable City: Mapping Next Generation’s Sustainable Cities with Diamond Developers
Faris Saeed, CEO, Diamond Developers
Karim El Jisr, Executive Director, SEE Institute, The Sustainable City, Dubai
Introductions: Bryan Jenkins, Chair, Biological & Agricultural Engineering, University of California, Davis.
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Beyond the Sustainable City: Perspectives Panel on Lessons Learned and Future Challenges
What lessons have been learned from the current generation of sustainable communities from urban planning, developer, and academic perspectives? What are the cutting-edge challenges for the next generation, for example, climate change, behavior and social equity?
Facilitator: Stephen Wheeler, Professor, Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis.
Panelists:
Kate Meis, Executive Director, Local Government Commission
David Mogavero, President, Mogavero Architects
Jackie Cole, Principal, VG Consulting
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Beyond the Sustainable City: Afternoon Keynote ft. Louise Bedsworth
Louise Bedsworth, Executive Director, California Strategic Growth Council.
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Beyond the Sustainable City: Respondent Panel to Bedsworth Keynote
Facilitator: Judy Corbett, Immediate Past Executive Director, Local Government Commission
Panelists:
Jeff Loux, Town Manager, Town of Truckee
Dan Sperling, Professor, University of California, Davis
Julie Sze, Professor of American Studies, University of California, Davis
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Beyond the Sustainable City: Perspectives Panel on How We Can Work Together
How can government, industry, and academia work together to promote the next generation of sustainable communities?
Facilitator: Kacey Lizon, Deputy Executive Director, Sacramento Area Council of Governments
Panelists:
Jose Bodipo-Memba, Director of Sustainable Communities, Sacramento Municipal Utilities District (SMUD)
Andrew B. Hargadon, Charles J. Soderquist Chair in Entrepreneurship and Professor of Technology Management, University of California, Davis
Robert Segar, Associate Vice Chancellor, Campus Planning & Environmental Stewardship, University of Calfornia, Davis
Erica Manuel, CEO, Institute for Local Government
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Beyond the Sustainable City: Wrap Up
Break-out groups will review main issues and lesson learned. Following, there will be a wrap-up of the day.
For more information about UCDAR, visit: https://sjoseph.ucdavis.edu/ucdar
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