Archive for the ‘Visions’ Category
Visions refer to ideas on how to create a sustainable future for cities around the world. Visions links in strongly with the overall Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab (VEIL) project, which designs visions to change our current direction towards a more sustainable future. If you are involved with an environmental visioning project you are welcome to post information about your work on SustainableCitiesNet.com. To do so visit the “How to use this site†page and follow the prompts.
Living Climate Change Video Challenge
Posted in Visions by Kate Archdeacon on February 22nd, 2010
Source: Inhabitat
As designers, we believe that envisioning the future leads to new choices and opportunities. Living Climate Change, an online community hosted by IDEO, presents a conversation designed to move the dialogue about climate change toward inspiring, human-centered scenarios that create new possibilities for business and society.
The Living Climate Change Video Challenge invites you to show us your vision of a future shaped by climate change, as we move along the path toward reduced carbon emissions.
The Challenge
Create an original video that envisions how climate change will impact our lives over the next 20 to 30 years. Looking beyond the doom and gloom and the policy discussions that have dominated the debate, how would you envision a human-centered, sustainable future? Which behaviors will change? Which will be preserved?
Tags: climate change, design, ideo, innovation
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The Nature of Cities: Film
Posted in Visions by Kate Archdeacon on December 9th, 2009
Source: How It Grows
Image: Congress Avenue Bridge, by jessicareeder via flickr CC
University of Virgina professor Timothy Beatly premiered his new film, The Nature of Cities, at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s Gillette Forum on October 29th. The film is an interesting overview of various ways in which nature and sustainable architecture are being incorporated into European and American cities. Geared towards people outside the design and science community, it’s a great introduction to the concept of urban nature. The film has several interesting vignettes, like a car-free development that is so eerily quiet you can follow the sound of waves to find a nearby beach. Or a week-long bio-blitz of a canyon in San Diego that allows kids who were previously warned about the ‘danger’ of the local canyon to explore it and identify the native plants and insects.
The most striking story in the film features the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas, famous for its bat colony. The city has gone from trying to torch the bats under the bridge to setting up a protected area where crowds of people assemble to watch 1.5 million bats emerge in the evenings. Now, new bridges in Texas are being specifically designed to house bat colonies. Imagine if more of our buidings and infrastructure were built this way! It’s fascinating to see the shift in construction from environmentally harmful, to environmentally neutral, to environmentaly positive.
Source: How It Grows
Tags: environment, green cities, urban sustainability
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Reinventing Invention – A new way of looking at Industrial Design
Posted in Visions by Virginia on May 13th, 2009
Excerpt from March Issue of Metropolis. To view the article, please visit Metropolismag.
By Susan S. Szenasy
I’m having a wabi sabi moment. Thoughts of simplicity, tranquility, and balance envelop my senses even as I feel a lively intelligence hovering around me. I’ve escaped into Tadao Ando’s Suntory Museum, on Osaka’s carnivalesque waterfront, and I’m strolling through white interiors, looking at an array of famÂiliar objects. They tell a story about how inventive forms, in conjunction with material and technical innovation, can result in an iconic family of industrial designs.
Tags: industrial design, metropolis magazine, susan szenasy
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What sustainability should look like in Valley by 2025
Posted in Visions by Devin Maeztri on May 1st, 2009
“With visionary planning, we created a practical oasis” – original article by Rob Melnick posted in The Arizona Republic.
“Cities would need innovative regional sustainability plans and would have to create economies of scale when purchasing sustainable technologies for public benefit, such as solar-energy products.”
Rob Melnick is executive dean, Global Institute of Sustainability, and Presidential Professor of Practice, School of Sustainability, Arizona State University
To read more of the article visit The Arizona Republic
Tags: Arizona, city planning, sustainability, sustainable city, sustainable vision, Visions
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The Sustainable Cities Network and VEIL wish you a Happy Christmas and a fantastic New Year!
Posted in Visions by fedwards on December 24th, 2008
The Sustainable Cities Network and the Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab would like to wish you a Happy Christmas and a fantastic New Year! The Sustainable Cities Network will be on hold from 25 December to 12 January. We look forward to working with you all to achieve significant sustainable change in 2009!
Best,
Ferne Edwards
Sustainable Cities Network moderator
Tags: Christmas greetings
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Bioneering ahead!
Posted in Visions by fedwards on October 28th, 2008
Posted recently on the excellent blog, Worldchanging.com, is a review of the Bioneers conference. Bioneers are “social and scientific innovators from all walks of life and disciplines who have peered deep into the heart of living systems to understand how nature operates, and to mimic “nature’s operating instructions” to serve human ends without harming the web of life“. Now in its 19th year the Bioneers conference had some fantastic speakers, including Janine Benyus, Ray Anderson, Bill McKibben, David Orr, Naomi Klein, and others. To view the review by author Jeremy Faludi and get inspired by some innovative environmentally-engaged thought, click here.
Tags: bioneer conference, bioneers, environmental innovation, review
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Designing human-powered flight
Posted in Visions by fedwards on October 26th, 2008
Recently published on TED.com is the story of Paul MacCready, an aircraft designer who talks about what we all can do to preserve nature’s balance. His contribution: solar planes, superefficient gliders and the electric car. To view the footage click here.
Tags: airplanes, climate change, Transport
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Research – “Attitudes to conservation and water consumption” report
Posted in Movements, Research, Visions by fedwards on August 8th, 2008
Please find below some information about the report, “Attitudes to conservation and water consumption” which was recently posted on Australian Policy Online . There is also a link to the full article below.
Attitudes to conservation and water consumption
Bill Randolph and Patrick Troy / City Futures Research Centre
Posted: 18-07-2008
Link: http://www.apo.org.au/linkboard/results.chtml?filename_num=221820
Sydney’s water supply is under great pressure as the demand continues to rise. Demand mitigation strategies have had some success, but domestic consumption remains high. This paper discusses the attitudes of households to their water consumption in a search for ways in which domestic demand for water may be reduced. Evidence on attitudes of households in different kinds of housing was obtained using a telephone interview survey supplemented by information derived from focus groups drawn from households in the same areas. The information was collected in a period when strong water use restrictions were in place and major arguments were being mounted in favour of water pricing as a way of moderating demand. The paper argues that the complexity of the forces shaping demand needs to be understood in the context of the socio-demographic composition of households in different kinds of dwellings, as well as the cultural, behavioural and institutional aspects of consumption, if public policy is to be successful in reducing consumption and/or providing alternative domestic supplies of potable water.
Tags: Urban Design and Built Form, waste, Water
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Resource – “Farming Futures” fact sheets
Posted in Models, Research, Visions by fedwards on August 7th, 2008
The information below was sourced from Tara Garnett at the Food Climate Research Network, Centre for Environmental Strategy University of Surrey, www.fcrn.org.uk. This is an excellent resource to receive updates on research and events on an international basis pertaining to sustainable food systems. To join the FCRN mailing list please email Tara at taragarnett @blueyonder.co.uk
Farming Futures – new fact sheets
The Farming Futures programme, managed by Forum for the Future, has produced new fact sheets on: anaerobic digestion, biomass, water management and soil management. You can download them here: http://www.farmingfutures.co.uk/x360.xml . In the pipeline are fact sheets on nutrient management, smart technology, how to measure your carbon footprint and energy efficiency.
To remind you, Farming Futures is a collaborative communications project jointly run by the the National Farmers’ Union, Country Land and Business Association and the Agricultural and Horticultural Research Forum (representing the agricultural and horticultural levy boards), the Agricultural Industries Confederation, Forum for the Future and Defra. It aims to provide provide inspiration and information to the farming sector on how to prepare for the impacts, opportunities, risks and responsibilities that climate change brings. For more information see www.farmingfutures.co.uk
Tags: climate change, Food, Resource
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Invitation to the Sustainable Cities Round Table on Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 12 August
Posted in Events, Models, Research, Visions by fedwards on July 24th, 2008
SustainableMelbourne.com and the Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab in association with the University of Melbourne’s Entrepreneurs Week would like to invite you to:
The Sustainable Cities Round Table on Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Tuesday 12 August night, 6 – 8pm
Copeland Theatre, Economics & Commerce Building
University of Melbourne
RSVP now to save your seat at rsvp @sustainablemelbourne.com
The challenge of climate change presents many opportunities for new sustainable ventures. Entrepreneurs working in this space are able to creatively develop innovative solutions that have environmental, social and economic benefits, yet like all entrepreneurial ventures it is not without risks. At this Sustainable Cities Round Table we will showcase examples of proactive entrepreneurs who have taken this step and bravely gone where no mainstream business has gone before!
The evening will feature a series of short presentations, musical interludes, networking opportunities and more!
Speakers include:
Nick Savaidis, Etiko Fair Trade;
Mitch O’Sullivan, Waterwall Solutions;
Samantha Parsons, Family of Sam design;
Alexi Lynch, Australia Manager, Cities for Climate Protection, ICLEI & Co-founder, the Environmental Jobs Network;
Cathy Parry, Owner of Ron D Swan: Bags and Cycling Accessories;
Bruce Rowse, Director, CarbonetiX;
Cam Hines, Co-founder & owner, Mountain Goat Brewery;
Elizabeth Boulton, Founder, Logistick – Sustainable Supply Chain Solutns;
Aldo Penbrook, Central Victorian Carbon Auditing Service.
The Sustainable Cities Round Tables are a regular series of events that showcase local environmental initiatives and encourage networking for people working in urban sustainability issues across the government, academic, industry and community sectors. To view footage of previous events visit www.sustainablemelbourne.com/category/sustainable-cities-round-table/.
Please forward this invitation to others who may be interested in attending.
Best,
Ferne
Ferne Edwards
Sustainable Cities Research Officer
Victorian Eco-Innovation Laboratory (VEIL)
Australian Centre for Science, Innovation and Society (ACSIS)
Tags: energy, networks, Resource, Urban Design and Built Form, waste, Water
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