Great Cities Speakers Series Presents Doug Farr Discussing “Sustainable Urbanism”

Doug Farr, author of Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature and chair, U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Neighborhood Development, will be featured at the 2008 Great Cities Speakers Series, 6-7 p.m., Monday, October 20, at the San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo De San Antonio. A reception will follow at 7 p.m. to encourage further discussion. This presentation and reception are free to the public. However, reservations are strongly recommended and can be made via email to info@1stACT.org

Farr’s talk, titled “Sustainable Urbanism,” will discuss best practices for designing sustainable neighborhoods and sustainable corridors.

In particular, Farr will review a range of case studies to demonstrate how cities can change the built environment to benefit generations to come.

According to Farr, urban sprawl negatively impacts the environment and further leads to climate change challenges.

“Cities that begin to integrate walkable, transit-served urbanism along with high performance green buildings and associated infrastructure into their current developments and ongoing plans will be the future leaders both in sustainability and livability,” Farr said.

Based in Chicago, Farr is an architect, urban designer and the founding principal and president of Farr Associates. He has served as co-chair of the Environmental Task Force of the Congress for the New Urbanism, chair of the AIA Chicago Committee on the Environment, and chair of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) Core Committee.

Farr’s book, Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature, was hailed by Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin as a “thoughtful book propelled by visionary energy and desire to integrate architecture, city planning and nature for a better way of life.”

Taking part in the discussion with Farr is James MacGregor, publisher of the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal. MacGregor came to the Business Journal in August 2007, from a sister publication, the San Francisco Business Times. MacGregor grew up near Toronto and graduated from Bishop’s University in the province of Quebec. His career took him west, as a sales consultant in Vancouver, British Columbia, at Seaboard Advertising and Rogers Broadcasting. Later, he was general manager of Obie Media Corp. in St. Louis before joining the San Francisco Business Times in 2002.

Produced by San Jose’s Office of Cultural Affairs, 1stACT Silicon Valley and the Commonwealth Club of California, the Great Cities Speakers Series engages residents, and business and civic leaders as well as those who will be directly impacted by the evolution of the Envision San Jose General Plan 2040 — the key planning document that will guide San Jose’s growth, character, and service ambitions over the next 10-30 years. This series of monthly public lectures is designed to provoke thought, discussion and imagination about the city of the future and to bring important outside perspectives to local and regional efforts on civic planning, culture, art and design. The lectures are free.

The Great Cities Speaker Series is also supported by the American Institute of Architects-Santa Clara Valley Chapter, the American Planning Association (APA) California Chapter-Northern Section, the Fairmont Hotel San Jose, the San Jose Repertory Theater and the San Jose State University Department of Urban and Regional Planning.