2017
APA-SCD WEBINAR #15
“AWARD-WINNING SUSTAINABILITY 2017 (PART 2)”
December 6, 2017
Speakers:
Representatives from the Austin, Texas, South Central Waterfront Vision Framework Plan team will provide an overview of their process for completing a visionary yet financially feasible roadmap for transforming a 118 acre district into a new model for sustainable urban redevelopment. Innovations include a unique financial framework that led to the implementable vision.
Members of the Millvale Ecodistrict Pivot Plan team will discuss how the process and plan integrates placemaking and sustainability priorities for a town striving to make its Ecodistrict status part of its identity and culture, not just its infrastructure. The plan provide implementable solutions, as evidenced by actions already being taken to realize the vision.
The Sustainable Communities Division’s annual awards program – the Awards for Excellence in Sustainability – honors projects, plans, policies, individuals, and organizations whose work is dedicated to supporting and growing sustainable communities. In these sessions, speakers representing winners of SCD’s 2017 Awards for Excellence in Sustainability will demonstrate a wide variety of ways that communities can function more sustainably. Our speakers will showcase different types of projects that provide a multitude of ideas for tackling challenges and thinking about sustainability at all scales and in very different locations. For those who may be interested in applying for this year’s awards, Part 1 will kick off with a description of the 2018 Awards for Excellence in Sustainability process. There will be a Q&A session following speakers for both webinars.
APA-SCD WEBINAR #14
“AWARD-WINNING SUSTAINABILITY 2017 (PART 1)”
November 14, 2017
Speakers:
Representatives from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Division of Neighborhood Revitalization (DHCD/NR) discuss successes, innovations, and lessons learned from their Sustainable Communities Program, through which DHCD/NR has led collaborations among various state agencies, facilitated sustainability planning among local governments, and invested in capital projects that support sustainable development.
Representatives from the Lindsay Street Park project (Atlanta, Georgia) winner in the Sustainable Park, Recreation, or Open Space Project category, discuss how their community-driven process emphasized the importance of local knowledge and the needs of those that have been traditionally the most affected by environmental degradation and injustices. From stormwater mitigation, to job training, to safe places to run and play, this project provides numerous benefits to the local community and has become a model for park development.
The Sustainable Communities Division’s annual awards program – the Awards for Excellence in Sustainability – honors projects, plans, policies, individuals, and organizations whose work is dedicated to supporting and growing sustainable communities. In these sessions, speakers representing winners of SCD’s 2017 Awards for Excellence in Sustainability will demonstrate a wide variety of ways that communities can function more sustainably. Our speakers will showcase different types of projects that provide a multitude of ideas for tackling challenges and thinking about sustainability at all scales and in very different locations. For those who may be interested in applying for this year’s awards, Part 1 will kick off with a description of the 2018 Awards for Excellence in Sustainability process. There will be a Q&A session following speakers for both webinars.
APA-SCD WEBINAR #13
“MEASURING THE BENEFITS OF TREES: THE GREEN STREETS LAWRENCE HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT”
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Speakers:
Angela Vincent, AICP
Neil Angus, AICP CEP, LEED AP BD+C & ND
Brad Buschur
The physical environment in which we live is an important determinant of human health. Green infrastructure elements such as street trees can play an important role in the mental health, physical activity, and social interaction of residents. In 2016, Massachusetts planners and members of the American Planning Association’s Sustainable Communities Division partnered with Groundwork Lawrence on a volunteer service project to measure the health benefits of the Green Streets Program. This program’s goal is to plant 2,400 trees throughout the City of Lawrence over a 3-year period. To promote the program and achieve this goal, APA-SCD worked collaboratively with Groundwork Lawrence and residents in Lawrence to conduct a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) to analyze the potential health benefits of street tree planting in the City. Throughout the project, the APA-SCD team documented their steps to ensure this process could be replicated by planners in any community around the country. The result was a comprehensive assessment and evaluation of the physical, environmental, and social impacts of street tree planting in Lawrence. Speakers will provide an overview of the Green Streets Program HIA process, and a summary of findings, recommendations, and the resources that were developed by the APA-SCD team to achieve the Green Streets Program goals. This webinar is co-presented by the American Planning Association Massachusetts Chapter (APA-MA). You can find the full HIA report here.
APA-SCD WEBINAR #12
“MAKING COMMUNITIES MORE RESILIENT THROUGH LOCAL MITIGATION PLANNING”
Friday, July 21, 2017
Speakers:
Shannon Burke, MSUS
Lawrence Frank, MRP, CFM
Allison Hardin, CFM
This webinar seeks to strengthen the ties between hazard mitigation planning and other local planning and regulatory land-use processes. It introduces hazard mitigation as a vital area of practice for planners and provides practical steps on how to integrate hazard mitigation strategies into local plans, including comprehensive and functional plans. It also shows where hazard mitigation can fit into zoning and subdivision codes. Best practices and practical applications, including the APA Safe Growth Audit, are provided. The presenters have valuable experience at both the national and local levels and can offer a variety of effective strategies and methods on incorporating mitigation into local plans.
APA-SCD WEBINAR #11
“A DOZEN TOOLS FOR ACCELERATING LOCAL SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP”
Friday, July 21, 2017
Speaker:
Eliot Allen, LEED AP-ND, EcoDistricts AP – Instructor at Transformative Tools
Over half of the world’s population now lives in cities, where built environment decisions endure for decades, impacting social and economic prospects for generations. In response, a new class of sustainability appraisal tools has emerged that gauge equity, resiliency, and resource efficiency at neighborhood, city, and urban component scales. These tools can provide stakeholders with inclusive and transparent systems that support and accelerate local leadership on critical issues of sustainability. In the face of a faltering national commitment, the use and advocacy of these tools by communities takes on even greater significance and urgency.
The webinar will examine major U.S. tools for assessing the sustainability of neighborhoods, cities, and their components, including: 2030 Districts, APA Sustaining Places, EcoDistricts Protocol, Enterprise Green Communities, Envision for infrastructure, LEED for Neighborhoods, LEED for Cities & Communities, Living Community Challenge, STAR Community, Sustainable SITES, and WELL District. Each tool will be reviewed in terms of assessment scope, intended users, rating procedure, costs, and output. And a set of evaluation criteria will be presented for judging and selecting the best tools for community and neighborhood needs.
Learning Objectives
Understanding the value of urban sustainability assessment
Recognizing the qualities of an appraisal tool
Learning the range of available tools
Knowing how to select a tool
APA-SCD WEBINAR #10
“DIVISION OVERVIEW AND OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED”
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Speakers:
Scott Turner, SCD Chair
Anne Miller, Sustainability Champions Coordinator
Scott Southall, Sustainability Champion from Kentucky
Stephanie Weigel, SCD E-Bulletin Coordinator
Jenny Koch, Past Secretary-Treasurer
Curious about what SCD does, and how you can be more involved? Join us for a webinar to learn about ongoing and upcoming APA Sustainable Communities Division activities. Division Chair Scott Turner, Sustainability Champions Coordinator Anne Miller, and others will provide an overview of initiatives, discuss leadership/volunteer opportunities, and answer your questions!