Events

Building the Cycling City by Melissa Bruntlett & Chris Bruntlett | An Island Press book

Unlocking Multimodality in N. America -- Using Bikes to Better Our Transit Systems

Tuesday, December 11, 2018 - 12:30pm EST

In recent years, some urban planners have begun to explore ways to unlock Dutch-style multimodality, hoping to utilize the bicycle as a tool to increase public-transit ridership and decrease car dependency. In fact, the case could be made that—with the right conditions—bikes are better placed to deal with the lower population densities and longer distances traveled in North America.

Explore how we can all learn from the Dutch model of using bikes to feed public transit in this free webinar. Lessons will be easily applicable to a North American audience. Local case studies will be highlighted.

Panelists include:
- Chris and Melissa Bruntlett, Building the Cycling City authors and Owner/Operators of Modacity
- Kat Maines, Planner at Alta Planning + Design
- Michelle Poyourow, Senior Associate at Jarrett Walker + Associates

Corinne Kisner, Deputy Director of NACTO, will moderate the conversation.

Your questions are welcome both when you register and during the event itself.

ENTANGLED: A Deep Dive into the Vaquita Crisis

Thursday, December 13, 2018 - 12:00pm PST

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

47900 Portola Ave

Tennity Boardroom

Palm Desert, CA 92260

United States

ENTANGLED: A Deep Dive into the Vaquita Crisis. Join us for a unique Speaker Series event with researcher, Brooke Bessesen to hear her talk about Vaquita conservation efforts.

When Brooke set out to write a book about the smallest cetacean, she had no idea how high the stakes would change. For 22 months, she followed scientists studying vaquitas and the organizations and honest fishermen facing grave risk to save these tiny porpoises. Attempting to reconcile the conflicts obstructing conservation amid rising violence and a plummeting vaquita population, Brooke found herself on a raw, personal journey to the doorstep of extinction. In this presentation, she shares stories from the field and helps clarify the historical and immediate forces driving a species to the brink. After her talk, she will be signing her new book, Vaquita: Science, Politics, and Crime in the Sea of Cortez.

Webinar: Harnessing and Measuring the Creative Potential of Social Design

Tuesday, January 15, 2019 - 1:00pm EST

Businesses, governments, foundations and the social sector are investing millions of dollars in social design as the most promising methodology for solving the complex human challenges of our time.

In this webinar, Cheryl Heller, Founding Chair of the Design for Social Innovation MFA program at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and President of the design lab CommonWise, along with Anne LaFond, Director of the John Snow, Inc. Center for Health Information, Monitoring and Evaluation (CHIME), will present an overview of what Social Design is and how it works.

For the first time, Cheryl and Anne will share learning from research supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on how leading practitioners of social design are measuring the effectiveness of their work.

Q&A will follow the presentation. Participation and specific questions for your organization’s needs are encouraged.

Webinar: Saving Our Suburbs (Part 2) -- How to Seize Emerging Opportunities

Tuesday, January 29, 2019 - 1:00pm EST

In the first of three webinars, urbanist Chris Leinberger joined us to discuss how suburbs are building walkable urban places to become more Successful in response to dramatically shifting demographics, a growing knowledge economy, and disruptive technologies.

On January 29, join us to learn about how suburbs can cover the costs of creating walkable urbanism by being Opportunistic and developing innovative public/private partnerships to pay for streets, public spaces, art and culture, and, yes, even parking—in other words, the infrastructure that turns density into a tool for creating community. Sarah Woodworth of W-ZHA and Chris Zimmerman of Smart Growth America will join us. Both are nationally known for their success in helping suburbs create innovative financing strategies.

We conclude the series in March with a conversation on how suburbs can become "Smart" by harnessing rapidly emerging and disruptive technologies to make their communities more livable, equitable and resilient for everyone.

This conversation will be moderated by Jason Beske, AICP, Consultant and Adjunct Professor at Virginia Tech College of Architecture & Urban Studies.

Panelists include:
- Sarah Woodworth, Managing Member/Owner, W-ZHA, LLC
- Chris Zimmerman, Vice President, Economic Development, Smart Growth America
- David Dixon, FAIA, Vice President, Stantec’s Urban Places

Your questions are welcomed!

Cheryl Heller at the 92nd Street Y

Tuesday, April 2, 2019 - 7:00pm EDT

92nd Street Y

1395 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10128

United States

Harnessing the Creative Potential of Design for Social Good
Cheryl Heller with Rosanne Haggerty

Designer and business strategist Cheryl Heller, author of The Intergalactic Design Guide, talks with designer Rosanne Haggerty about how social design can help address our most pressing challenges, from poverty to climate change.

Design has built global brands, disrupted industries, and transformed our lives with technology. It has also contributed to the complex challenges we face today. Social design is a new kind of leadership. Cheryl and Rosanne discuss some innovative approaches for increasing creativity, strengthening relationships, and developing our capacity to collaborate—with the potential to transform everything from corporations to cities and to design ourselves for change.