This conference series highlights state-of-the-art initiatives to plan the sustainable cities of the future. Three conferences bring together leading practitioners, top academics, and high-ranking state and federal government officials to discuss the barriers to implementing energy efficiency in the residential sector, more sustainable economic development and fiscal practices, and transportation innovations that will reduce its environmental footprint. The conferences are open to the public and will culminate in the production of policy briefs that summarize the discussions and provide action steps to policymakers.

Sponsored by the Ted and Doris Lee Fund at the College of Environmental Design and the Boalt School of Law, managed by the Institute of Urban & Regional Development. Individual conferences organized by the Berkeley Program on Housing and Urban Policy, the Institute of Urban & Regional Development, and the University of California Transportation Center.
[+] CONFERENCE NO.1

Thursday, September 8, 2011

This conference will gather practitioners, experts and policymakers to discuss key issues in "green residential," including sustainable residential energy use (design, feasibility, performance), energy efficiency in affordable housing, and government participation (policy, promotion, regulation).

Policy Overview Posted

Affordable Housing (From the 2011 I. Donald Terner Memorial Roundtable)
by Jake Wegmann

Policy Notes Posted

Sustainable Residential Energy Use: Design, Feasibility, Performance
by Elizabeth Mattiuzzi

Energy Efficiency in Affordable Housing
by Siri Colom

Government Participation and Green Housing: Policy, Promotion, Regulation
by Trevor Gardner

Energy Efficient Investment in a Troubled Economy
by Aubree Kendall

Organized by the Berkeley Program on Housing and Urban Policy.
[+] CONFERENCE NO.2

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Local and state governments across the country are in a state of fiscal crisis. In California and other states, the budget crisis is forcing policymakers to rethink their approach to public finance, with radical options such as eliminating redevelopment and enterprise zones under discussion. At the same time, climate change legislation (specifically, SB 375) is forcing regions to plan land use in conjunction with transportation investment. This, in turn, creates an opportunity to rethink economic development as part of an overall regional sustainability strategy that takes the environment and social equity into consideration as well.

This symposium will explore how policymakers and elected officials can harness land use, redevelopment, and planning regulations and programs to help cities, particularly big metropolitan areas in strong market regions, think more strategically about how to promote sustainable economic development. It will bring together academic thought leaders, cutting-edge practitioners, and foundations from around the country for a daylong conference with three panels and keynote speaker.

Policy Overview Posted

Sustainable Economic Development
by Alea Gage and Anthony LoPresti with Cecilia Estolano, Karen Chapple and Michelle Wilde Anderson

Policy Notes Posted

Community Development in Lean Fiscal Times Policy
by Tony LoPresti

Real Estate Development in a Post-Redevelopment World
by Alea Gage

Sustainable Economic Development through Advanced Manufacturing Policy
by Chris Schildt

AICP certification maintenance (CM) credits available.

Organized by Professors Michelle Wilde Anderson, Karen Chapple, and Cecilia Estolano.
[+] CONFERENCE NO.3

Thursday, February, 23, 2012

The urban transport sector's environmental footprint is huge and growing – around a third of energy consumption and CO2 emissions in U.S. cities is in the transport sector. The debate on how to shrink the sector's footprint has splintered into two camps: those arguing for technological solutions (e.g., clean-fuel vehicles; smart cars) and those contending that policies (e.g., congestion pricing) and land-use management (e.g., TOD) that reduce the demand for car travel offer considerable, if not more, promise. The debate and rhetoric has become fractious and at times divisive. In modeling how to comply with AB32, for example, CARB (California Air Resources Board) estimates that some 90% of the targeted CO2 emission reductions will come from technological advances and a much smaller share (5% or so) might come from land-use initiatives like TOD. Many smart-growth policy advocates dispute this.

The technology versus policy debate could very well be a false dichotomy. Is it possible that the two might effectively work together in tandem, promoting cross-purposes? Need the two points-of-view always be at loggerheads? Might there be synergies/win-win outcomes associated with aggressively pursuing the two strategies in tandem.

Policy Overview Posted

Sustainable Mobility and Cities:Marrying Technology and Policy
by Elisa Barbour

Policy Notes Posted

Mobility Apps
by Dana Weissman and Monica Villalobos

Transportation Pricing
by Matt Brill

Alternative Fuels, Vehicle Technologies and Urban Logistics
by Maggie Witt

Dynamic Ridesharing, Feeders, and the “Last Mile Problem”
by Celeste Chavis

AICP certification maintenance (CM) credits available.


Organized by the University of California Transportation Center.