East Coast Green - Session Descriptions

East Coast Green is offering over 30 continuing education sessions focused around individual topics tracks throughout the conference.

Below is a detail of one of the courses. To see full course listing and times go back to Speaker Schedule.

Click Here to go Back to complete Schedule

FR17P1
Friday, September 17, 2010, 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Sustainable Growth as Public Policy
1.0 HSW/SD LU Hours - Approved
1.0 USGBC CEU Hours - Approved

Although public agencies, planners and transit agencies around the country have come to appreciate the advantages of promoting smart-growth policies that mix residential and commercial uses within a "walkable" community with easy access to transit, when working within the confines of existing communities and neighborhoods, "Transit Oriented Development" is often a hard sell.

A great deal of outreach, education, and hand-holding is necessary to successfully introduce transit-friendly land use principles into local land use policy. A positive response is not necessarily assured by good planning and design. There also must be a willingness from public officials to take a stand and provide political leadership to confront constituents who may be afraid of change.

In the presentation, Sustainable Growth as Public Policy, Mark Strauss, Architect, Planner and Past President of AIANY, will discuss recent "TOD" planning efforts in Hoboken, Nassau County, and Tysons Corner, VA. Mark will discuss how political leadership is necessary to make sustainable growth happen. The presentation will conclude with lessons learned from other cultures; and how FXFOWLE's participation in an ideas competition for the redevelopment of Nordhavnen Copenhagen is redefining the firm's understanding of what makes a community sustainable. The Nordhavnen project was recognized by World Architecture News in 2009 as the most outstanding urban design project in the world.

Speaker:

Mark E. Strauss, FAIA, AICP, LEED, PP
Senior Partner,
FXFOWLE Architects LLP
Past President AIA New York

Download PDF of Presentation:
FR17P1 - Sustainable as Public Policy.pdf
( 12,073 Kb )

Program Description: "Sustainable Growth as Public Policy" will explore how transit and infrastructure projects are linked to sustainability and the necessity to better integrate them with communities. As part of the presentation Mark Strauss will highlight some of the firm's recent work, including FXFOWLE's plan for Copenhagen's Nordhaven Peninsula, recipient of the World Architecture News outstanding Urban Design project for 2009. Other projects to be presented include the Nassau County Hub plan; the Hoboken Railyards Redevelopment Plan, the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Plan, and recent work in Tyson's Corner. The presentation will highlight the importance of balancing an appreciation for local concerns with design leadership; the necessity to address economic realities; and opportunities to truly define a sustainable vision for our region's future.

Program Outline:

1.

a. Introduction - "Architect Magazine" Infrastructure Issue - February 2008. We have an infrastructure deficit... and design matters... but it's not the only issue.

b. As Yogi Berra observed, "You got to be careful if you don't know where you are going because you may not get there."

c. Throwing money at shovel-ready infrastructure projects is not necessarily the answer. Sound Vision and Strategic Planning is required.

2. Infrastructure as Catalysts for Change

• Croton Aqueduct
• Grand Central Station and Park Avenue Development
• Central Park

3. Defining a Sustainable Future Today

• Anacostia Waterfront - DC
• The BeltLine - Atlanta
• HBLRT - New Jersey

4. Why investment in urbanism matters.

• Why Mass Transit is essential
• Increased ridership is spurring demand for Mass Transit

5. The Five R's of Sustainable Planning and Infrastructure Investment

• Re-Development
• Re-Integration
• Re-Thinking
• Re-Positioning
• Re-Vitalizing

6. Learning from Hoboken

7. A Case Study for Redefining Suburbia

• Nassau Hub - Long Island
• Tysons Corner, VA

8. Nordhavnen: Lessons Learned from Copenhagen

• The Mission: 40,000 Residents; 40,000 Jobs; 40,000 Bicycles
• City Regenerative: Connect Extend Weave
• Making a New Community
• The City that Grows itself
• Defining a Sustainable Culture

9. Architecture as Public Policy

• The role of design... and the necessity to Listen, Learn and Lead (The 3 L's)
• Architects need to be more engaged in policy

10. And... Our Political Leaders must wave the flag for a sustainable future.