Western Places/Western Spaces - Building Fair and Resilient Communities
Mar 11 2015
Mar 13 2015
America/Denver
University of Denver, Sturm College of Law
2255 East Evans Avenue, Denver, CO 80210, USA
Denver
We have an amazing program lined up for this year's conference. We know, we say that every year, but it's always true. Download a copy of our newly updated program [featured below] to find out for yourself.
We're starting off with the Local Responses to Fracking workshop on Wednesday, March 11. This full day event explores the approaches that communities are using to deal with the challenges and opportunities presented by oil and gas development. Opt in for just the workshop as a stand-alone event, or combine it with your full conference registration for a discount.
On Thursday, March 12, Western Places/Western Spaces opens with a keynote by Timothy Beatley, author of Biophilic Cities and Resilient Cities, who will discuss the value and importance of incorporating natural systems into urban design and planning.
In addition, we have plenary lunch talks planned for each day. Thursday's talk features a distinguished panel of speakers of current and former officials of the Department of the Interior to discuss The Genesis and Future of Federal Large Landscape Conservation Policy. Friday's talk, From Smart Growth to the New Urban Economics, is presented by Arthur C. Nelson, Associate Dean of the University of Arizona and perennial conference favorite.
Our featured track this year focuses on Resilient Communities, which will examine the innovative approaches that communities are using to mitigate future risk. We've also got seven other tracks that provide opportunities for attendees to learn about and discuss the issues that are facing our region.
And if you need a break from attending the 36 sessions we've got in store, you can sign up for our afternoon tours. Thursday's tour takes visitors to the Alliance Center, to see how they're using shared workspaces to promote collaboration. On Friday, attendees will tour the recently redesigned and expanded Union Station, a multi-modal transportation hub at the heart of downtown.
You can learn about these highlights, download a program, register, and more by visiting RMLUI's website.
Time is running out on our Early Bird prices, which will expire on Friday, February 13. If you haven't registered for Western Places/Western Spaces yet, register today.
We'll see you in March!
Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute
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| 2015-rmlui-program.pdf | 1.4 MB |
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Comments
Regulation becomes a key part of intervening in markets
The part that interests me particularly is the way that regulation becomes a key part of intervening in markets for mutually productive outcomes. This is not dissimilar to work that we are doing here in conjunction with a local manufacturing authority, on using regulation to drive innovation. The key evidence for this occurring, not surprisingly, comes from Europe. Setting standards which in various ways promote new energy sources (less energy use yet improved performance) is something that Australian authorities and industry have a lot to learn about - we focus mostly on price. Applying the European philosophy explicitly in a regional development ('positioning') context is a very interesting idea. I think that in Australia, regulation in this sector is seen more as a defensive than a positive initiative.
As for the question about whether this makes Denver/Colorado a 'learning city/region', I am less interested in trying to fit anything that moves into a box that suits me. I doubt that there is a city in the world that is not conscious, at present, of the need to be more strategic, more thoughtful about how they are developing, and how they tackle the things that matter to them. Insofar as they have systematic and inclusive processes for action on these issues, they can fit within our (and UNESCO's) notion of learning cities. If they don't see the value in embracing this perspective themselves, I'm not sure that it serves anybody well for us to be doing it on their behalf.
Focusing on “legal and regulatory frameworks”
Yes, Mike, the thing I like about this conference is that it focusing on “legal and regulatory frameworks” that are tied back against the larger objectives of smart city planning and thinking. In areas of “economic development” my preferred term is “regional positioning” – the notion that you work to better position your place, your city, your region, for larger changes in the economy that you cannot really control. So, it is becoming locally “aware and knowledgeable” within your larger leadership (formal and informal), which requires city and regional “learning” – and this learning process is then channeled into “positioning” – this then becomes what we use to refer to as “economic development,” but this term itself became almost solely associated with simply “growth” which can no longer be a singular focus.
The Colorado conference is oriented the way that it is because much of this region has been in a growth mode for the better part of the last 40 years. It is a region that understands “growth pressures” and growth consequences. So, it has less trouble working into a legal framework for much of this discussion. How do we better guide growth and better achieve resiliency in the midst of growth that is nevertheless surrounded by ‘scarcity” (water, energy, space, etc.). This conference isn’t so afraid of tackling problems with options that work into legal frameworks. It is and has been free of the “free market” mentality for a long time and is pragmatic in orientation, focused on real places with real problems in need of real solutions.
I think when you work you way into the “learning city, learning region” world and thinking – this needs to be both grounded in real places and placed within how legal frameworks around the world work or don’t work, along with governance processes. The learning city work has to get beyond the lingo and phraseology and into substance and real world examples and experience. It then can better develop “traction”.
This is why this conference does this – I’m not sure though if I’ve every seen them use the “learning city, learning region” phraseology, even though this is another layer for what they are talking about.
For 'resilient' read 'learning'
This is very apposite since Glasgow is one of the two cities in the Rockefeller 100 Resilient Cities and Judith Rodin the CEO of Rockefeller was here 10 days ago. John Tibbitt put a posting on the Pascal site, and then Peter Kearns and he then exchanged about this. We see this as an important theme in the LCN and for the Glasgow 2016 conference (3-5 June – put it in your diaries!).
This perhaps gives us a clue on how to engage some US cities. It's all about the language used. For 'resilient' read 'learning'