Aaron Donovan

Activities which take place in "loose spaces" — which are found alongside the intended uses of planned public spaces like sidewalks and plazas — are largely ignored. Editors Karen Franck and Quentin Stevens introduce their book Loose Space: Diversity and Possibility in Urban Life (Routledge, 2006) and discuss how urban design might address those parts of the built environment that are undesigned or under-designed.

Author of the recent biography, Jane Jacobs: Urban Visionary (Rutgers University Press, 2006), Alice Sparberg Alexiou engages a panel of experts in a discussion of urban economies in New York City based on Jacobs’ second book, The Economy of Cities.

Inspired by the popular environmental website www.worldchanging.com, Worldchanging (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2006) offers a practical toolkit to building a better, more sustainable future. Highlighting elements of this toolkit, a panel of contributing authors discusses how each of us can incorporate these technologies and techniques into our lives for the benefit of the planet.

Rarely a day goes by that you can't read about an environmental problem in the newspaper. The earth and its inhabitants are facing unique environmental challenges that necessitate bold new ideas and solutions.  Solving these challenges demands an understanding of environmental policy.

Today is the RSVP deadline for Dec. 6th's panel discussion at NYU: "Contactless Smart Cards for Transit Fare Payment: A Paradigm Shift."

Artists, scientists, community organizers, and cultural commentators come together to create a collective vision of a sustainable habitat. Instigated by Eidolon Culture, Habitats provides a model for dialogue between urban developers and environmentalists through conferences and panels, participatory and collaborative art, and educational programs. With community efforts leading to cleaner water, the Gowanus Canal area has experienced an increase in wildlife and the prospect of commercial and cultural revitalization. Habitats celebrates this process.

Following Sierra Club NYC's monthly general membership meeting will be a special showing of Contested Streets, a new documentary showing the way to livable, gridlock-free streets -- from the Battery to the Bronx, from Staten Island to Coney Island.

(Photo: Jeremy Lange for The New York Times) 

A roundtable discussion sponsored by the Environmental Partnership for Sustainable Development, featuring presentations by leaders from Central and Eastern Europe in addressing environmental challenges through citizen engagement.

Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment is excited to present the 2006 Green Brooklyn Conference: The Sustainable City, sponsored by Consolidated Edison. With discussion panels, hands-on workshops, and exhibitor tables; the conference will bring new energy and excitement to discourse on the built and natural environments and how to transform Brooklyn and all of New York into a more sustainable city. The moderated discussion Panels are entitled, "The Built Environment: Sustainable Development for the 21st Century" and "The Natural Environment: Conservation, Energy and Sustainable Food for a Cleaner Greener Environment." Workshop topics may include greening education, shopping for green products, or transportation alternatives. Panelists and Exhibitors will include: Council on the Environment of NYC, NYC Office of Sustainable Design, NYSERDA, Earth Pledge, Slow Food USA, Bettencourt Green Building Supplies, Jonathan Rose Companies, Green Maps, Food Change, Sustainable South Bronx, and many more.