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Building the Future Cities Today
09.19.2011 Mithun, Bert's Blog
Amid the beautiful late summer weather here in Seattle, fall is in the air, the kids are back in school, and conference season is upon us. Kicking-off a busy schedule, I’ll be a delegate at the 2011 International Regions Benchmarking Consortium (IRBC) Conference held in Vancouver, BC from September 20-22. The theme this year, “Building the Future Cities Today,” will explore urban sustainability issues of energy efficiency, waste and water.
IRBC is a network of metropolitan regions that compare and learn from each other through economic and social data statistics and in-depth research into specific issues of common interest. The regions include: Barcelona, Spain; Daejeon, South Korea; Dublin, Ireland; Fukuoka, Japan; Helsinki, Finland; Melbourne, Australia; Munich, Germany; Seattle, USA; Stockholm, Sweden; and Metro Vancouver, Canada.
At the IRBC conference, I will be a part of the “Staying Competitive and Sustainable in a Global Economy” panel that will address how local governments and private enterprises are feeling the pressure to apply sustainability principles. We’ll discuss how the design and development of sustainable cities can give urban centers a clear competitive advantage in a global economy, and the opportunities to best mesh economic development with sustainability imperatives in water, waste and energy. It should be a great discussion: moderated by Judy Villeneuve, Councilor, City of Surrey and Director, Metro Vancouver Board of Directors and joined by panelists Roland Engkvist, Project Manager, Regional Development, Council for the Stockholm Mälar Region; Sadhu Johnston, Deputy City Manager, City of Vancouver; Tatu Laurila, CEO, Greater Helsinki Promotion; and Joan Puigdollers, Environment Councilor, City of Barcelona (tentative).
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