“Green Design and Sustainable Cities” at URI
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — October 16, 2001 – Timothy Beatley, an internationally recognized expert in the creation of more livable cities and an associate professor of urban and environmental planning at the University of Virginia, will speak on “Green Design and Sustainable Cities” as part of the University of Rhode Island fall honors colloquium, “A Just and Sustainable Future: Overcoming Barriers to Action.” Beatley will speak on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. in Paff Auditorium in the Sheperd Building on URI’s Providence campus. The lecture and discussion are free and open to the public.
“Although many Americans believe that cities are the main source of environmental degradation and human suffering, Beatley argues that Europeans are demonstrating that cities can be redesigned to create a lifestyle that minimizes human impact on the environment and enriches our daily lives,” said Robert Thompson, assistant professor of community planning and co-coordinator of the honors colloquium. “He will provide a myriad of examples of what other cities are doing to create healthy, equitable, and lively communities.”
According to Don Chen, director of the Washington-based Smart Growth America coalition, “Tim Beatley reminds us that our success in protecting the environment depends greatly upon our ability to succeed in our cities.”
In addition to his work on livable communities, Beatley has written extensively on coastal management, natural hazards planning, environmental values and ethics, and the conservation of biodiversity. Some of his recent books include, Green Urbanism: Lessons from European Cities, The Ecology of Place, Ethical Land Use, Habitat Conservation Planning, An Introduction to Coastal Zone Management, and After the Hurricane.
For more information about the many other events of the URI Honors Colloquium, visit www.uri.edu/sustainability, or call the Honors Program at 874-2303. The major sponsors of the colloquium are The Providence Journal and the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities.
For Information: Todd McLeish, 874-7892, Jennifer Smith, 874-2116