*CRSP Institute for Urban Ecovillages* at
the Los Angeles Eco-Village
hosts
Workshops & Special Events
home
(updated 1/5/09)
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For tour schedule of Los Angeles Eco-Village and tour
details,
click here
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Scroll down to see events - in
date order
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For Related Events,
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Thursday, January 15, 2009 from 3:00 to 5 pm at Los Angeles
City Hall , 200 No. Spring St (enter on Main) Get
transit directions at
http://www.metro.net/
Peter Newman and Timothy Beatley give a talk on
Setting the New Planning Agenda based on their new books:
Resilient Cities: and Lessons from Down Under
No Charge for this event but space is limited.
Reservations recommended: crsp@igc.org
or 213/738-1254
These books are, in essence, a detailed practical depiction of how
cities can change their land-use and transport functionality to compensate for
the needs of people and the needs of the environment. Along with the
combined wealth of global experience of their authors, these books provide a
model of how to enhance sustainability practices into land-use and transport
planning.
About Peter Newman
Peter Newman is Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University
in Western Australia and Director of the CUSP Institute. He is the author
of Sustainability and Cities: Overcoming Automobile Dependence (Island Press,
1999), Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems and the new book Resilient Cities:
Responding to Peak Oil and Climate
Change (Island Press 2008). Internationally recognized as one of the
world's leaders in sustainability, he has written eight books on the subject and
over 200 refereed journal articles. He is a member of the Board of
Infrastructure Australia which is delivering $20 billion of infrastructure to
Australian cities and regions using a new sustainability-based approach.
About the new book Resilient Cities: Responding to Peak Oil and Climate
Change
The authors of this spirited book don't believe that oblivion is necessarily the
destiny of urban areas. Instead, they believe that intelligent planning
and visionary leadership can help cities meet the impending crises, and look to
existing initiatives in cities around the world. Rather than responding
with fear (as a legion of doomsaying prognosticators have done), they choose
hope. First, they confront the problems, describing where we stand today
in our use of oil and our contribution to climate change. They then
present four possible outcomes for cities: "collapse," "ruralized," "divided,"
and "resilient." In response to their scenarios, they articulate how a new
"sustainable urbanism" could replace today's "carbon-consuming urbanism."
They address in detail how new transportation systems and buildings can be
feasibly developed to replace our present low efficiency systems. In
conclusion, they offer ten "strategic steps" that any city can take toward
greater sustainability and resilience.
This is not a book filled with "blue sky" theory (although
blue
skies will be a welcome result of its recommendations). Rather, it is
packed with practical ideas, some of which are already working in cities today.
It frankly admits that our cities have problems that will worsen if they are not
addressed, but it suggests that these problems are solvable. And the time
to begin solving them is now.
About Timothy Beatley
Timothy Beatley is Teresa Heinz Professor of
Sustainable Communities at the University of Virginia. His books include
Green Urbanism (Island Press, 2000) and Ecology of Place (Island Press, 1997).
Professor Beatley has written 13 books on the subjects of cities, planning and
policy and is considered one of America's finest thinkers within the arena of
sustainability. His new book Green Urbanism Down Under was written after
an extensive tour of Australian cities and provides perspectives on how
Australian innovations in sustainability at a local and regional level can be
applied to American cities and regions.
Green Urbanism Down Under: Learning from Sustainable Communities
in Australia
In this immensely useful book, Timothy Beatley sets out to
answer a simple question: what can Americans learn from Australians about
"greening" city life? Green Urbanism in Australia reports on the current stat of
"sustainability practice" in Australia and the many lessons that U.S. residents
can learn from the best Australian programs and iniatives.
Australia is similar to the U.S. in many ways, especially in its "energy footprint." For example, Australia's per capita greenhouse gas emissions are second only to those of the U.S. A similar percentage of its residents live in cities (85% in Australia vs 80% in the U.S.). And it suffers from parallel problems of air and water pollution, a national dependence on automobiles, and high fossil fuel consumption. Still, after traveling throughout Australia, Beatley finds that there are myriad creative responses to these problems--and that they offer instructive examples for the U.S.
Green Urbanism Down Under is a very readable collection of
innovative solutions. Although many of these solutions are little-known
outside Australia, they all present practical possibilities for U.S. cities. Beatley describes green transport"projects, city farms, renewable energy
plans, green living programs, and much more. He considers a host of public
policy initiatives and scrutinizes regional and state planning efforts for
answers. In closing, he shares his impressions about how Australian
results might be applied to U.S. problems.
More info on the books and Peter and Timothy at:
"Resilient Cities:
http://islandpress.org/bookstore/details.php?isbn=9781597264990
"Green Urbanism Down Under:
http://islandpress.org/bookstore/details.php?isbn=9781597264129
This event is sponsored by CRSP in association
with:
L.A. City Councilpersons Ed Reyes and Bill Rosendahl,
Beverly-Vermont Community Land Trust, BikeSage, Earth Day LA,
Eco-Home Network, Global Green, Latino Urban Forum, Los
Angeles Eco-Village, Urban Center for People and the Environment of the UCLA
Institute of the Environment, USC Center for Sustainable Cities
Others Invited to Co-Sponsor Include (we will add their names
to the above list as confirmations are received)
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Councilpersons Eric Garcetti, Wendy Greuel, Tom LaBonge, Herb
Wesson,
CRA-LA
Cultivating Sustainable Communities
DONE (Department of Neighborhood Empowerment)
EAD (Environmental Affairs Department)
Green LA
Green Team
LACCD (Los Angeles Community College District Board Members Mona Field and Nancy
Pearlman)
L.A. City Planning
L.A. County Bicycle Coalition
LA- DOT (Department of Transportation)
LA-DPW (Department of Water and Power)
LA-DWP (Department of Public Works)
LAUSD
Metro (Metropolitan Transportation Authority)
SAJE (Strategic Actions for a Just Economy)
TreePeople
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Friday, February 6, 2009 at 7:30 pm at L.A. Eco-Village
directions
Chris Carlsson gives a talk and slideshow on
Nowtopia: How Pirate Programmers, Outlaw
Bicyclists, and Vacant-Lot Gardeners are Inventing the Future Today
Fee:
$5 (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Reservations: Recommended.
crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254
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Friday, February 13 at 7:30 pm
Greywater Guerrillas give a talk on
How to disengage from the water grid: Greywater, Rainwater, and Composting Toilets
How to Disengage from the Water Grid- with Rainwater, Greywater, and Composting Toilets. We will connect the water in our lives to local and global water struggles, look at rainwater as a resource, explore options of reusing greywater, and contemplate waterless (composting) toilets. From the apartment, to the house, to the city, ecological sanitation offers a path to a sustainable and just water future.
Reservations Required: 213/738-1254
or crsp@igc.org
Fee: $10 per person (sliding scale available)
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Environmental Artist
Freya Bardell -
Watch for Details
Freya is an artist who does garden/environmenta
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Watch for these upcoming
events:
- Vegan cooking
- Writing for Social Change
- Installing a gray water system
- Rainwater harvesting with cisterns
- Practice in Creating a Mediative Culture
- Practice in Non-Violent Communications
- Introduction to Non-Violent Communications
- Case study tour of permaculture practices in Los Angeles
- Strategies for Creating Green Jobs in Your Neighborhood
- Strategies for helping neighbors transcend negative Nimbyism
- Creating a Local Exchange Trading System in Your
Neighborhood
- Ten easy steps for starting ecovillage processes in your
neighborhood
- How to Form an Organic Food Buying Co-op in Your
Neighborhood
-
Sacred Passage:
The Practice of Creating a Personal and
Deeply Meaningful
Funeral for your loved one at home with Olivia Barham
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