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Toward a Just Metropolis Conference Preparations
Admin
January 12, 2010 - 11:26am
Just Metropolis Conference, National, National Conference, News Items

Dear Friends (and Organizers) of the Just Metropolis Conference: Click here to open up the Toward a Just Metropolis site

Happy New Year! Over the past six months, many of you have helped us take the first steps towards an amazing conference in June in the Bay Area. Others of you have expressed interest in being part of the effort. Through much hard work, we are now on the cusp of a wonderful event - now comes the hard work of publicizing the conference and getting people to submit workshops. This event will only be as good as the people who attend.

Please take a few moments to send an email to your colleagues, networks, listserves, universities, etc. The call is below, but I encourage you to take a few minutes to write your own message - it will mean a lot more.

The other thing you can do is to promote the website - www.justmetropolis.org - through your blogs, gmail chat, facebook, email lists, etc. 
 
These next six weeks will be critical. Please help make this an amazing event by encouraging people to submit and attend.
 
Best, and thanks,
Alex
Alex Schafran
Doctoral Candidate, Department of City & Regional Planning
University of California, Berkeley
ARC-PEACE Statement on Climate Talks in Copenhagen
Nor Cal
November 20, 2009 - 10:14am
News Releases, ARC-Peace, climate change, Copenhagen, National, peace, News Items

This is the statement form ARC-PEACE (ADPSR is the US representative organization) in support of a positive outcome from the COP15 Talks in Copenhagen. ARC-Peace : International Architects / Designers / Planners for Social Responsibility is an NGO in consultative status (Category II) with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

http://arcpeace.org/01_AP_home.htm

Those who pollute most must commit themselves to greater reductions

ARC•PEACE considers the forthcoming meeting on climate in Copenhagen to be of critical importance for achieving global environmental goals. A failure in Copenhagen means that the goal of maximum two centigrades increase of temperature until 2050 is likely not to be achieved, which in turn means that our Earth will experience more disasters such as hurricanes, desertification, deforestation, famine and melting glaciers, followed by more flooding as well as water shortage.

A guiding principle for decisions in Copenhagen should be that those who pollute most are those who must cut down their emissions most. The USA accounts for double the emissions per person compared to the average for the EU countries, which in turn emit about ten times more than China and 25 times as much as India (accumulated emissions, World Resource Institute). If the middle-income countries are to reduce their emissions, the over-consuming countries must reduce their emissions down to the fair envi-ronmental footprint levels. The North-South climate conflict must also be addressed through substantial aid to developing countries when introducing green technologies and planning for sustainable develop-ment of human settlements.

ARC•PEACE supports the target of maximum 350 ppm of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This goal is agreed upon by the UN’s top climate scientists and is advocated by the global environmental movement. To reach this target it is necessary for the EU to reduce their emissions by 40 per cent until 2020. Its pro-posal of 20 per cent reductions until 2020 is far from sufficient. USA has to commit itself to even bigger reductions. Also Russia and Japan have to make far-reaching commitments.

It is possible to make such comprehensive reductions. In recent years knowledge about efficient measures have increased considerably. If there is a political will it is possible to involve all sectors of society in favour of sustainable development.

The built environment has a key role for reaching the climate goals

The built environment is a field where much can be done. In the industrialised countries buildings account for 30-40 per cent of total emissions. In order to reach global targets the use of resources in this sector must be reduced by 75 to 90 per cent before 2050. At the same time generation from renewable resources must increase with up to 80 per cent.

Recent research shows that it is possible to build with substantially less use of energy and non-renewable materials. Available knowledge is only scantily utilized in practice, however, because of the big gap bet-ween research and practice, because of lack of political will and because the construction sector tends to resist change.

Architects and planners have a key role for achieving the goals of sustainable development. ARC•PEACE wants these professional groups to be more proactive. We must improve our competence in environmen-tal planning and design, and participate in the general debate about climate change. We must contribute actively to plan cities based on environmental-friendly collective transport, and design neighbourhoods that promote sustainable lifestyles, for instance by following the principle ‘saving by sharing’. We must work for cities that are better integrated with local food production and for cities that include green spaces.

Nowadays there are functioning models for environmental assessment of buildings. These models take the full life-cycle of buildings into account and they serve as useful instruments when attempting to reduce negative environmental effects. Most of these models apply to both new and existing buildings. Environmental assessments ought to be mandatory parts of planning and design. Architects should be trained how to use them and work actively to implement them in practice.

Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility Announce 2008 Lewis Mumford Award Winners
National
March 24, 2009 - 10:08pm
News Releases, Mumford Awards, National

FOR RELEASE

contact: Zachary Barowitz
917-696-5649
zbarowitz@gmail.com


Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility Announce 2008 Lewis Mumford Award Winners

Saturday May 17, 2008, 6:00 pm, Boston, Architectural College - McCormick Gallery

League of Young Voters, Mel King and Nuestra Raices To Be Honored For Outstanding Work in Social Responsibility

 

(Boston, MA, April 29, 2008) - Architects, Designers & Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR), a non-profit organization of design professionals committed to peace, environmental protection, ecological building, social justice, and community development announced today the recipients of the 2008 Lewis Mumford Awards. The League of Young Voters, a non-profit citizen action group, activist Mel King, and Nuestras Raìces, a non-profit grass roots organization were awarded the Mumford for their outstanding contributions to world peace, socially responsible development, and environmental preservation, respectively.

A reception and party to honor the three winners will take place on Saturday, May 17, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm at McCormick Gallery at Boston Architectural College, 320 Newbury Street, Boston. http://www.the-bac.edu The event is free and open to the public. Students are encouraged to attend.

In 1992, ADPSR instituted the annual Lewis Mumford Awards, program to honor people and organizations that exemplify ADPSR's goals of peace, preservation of the natural and built environment, and socially responsible development. The awards were named after Lewis Mumford (1895-1990) an American historian of technology and science, noted for his study of cities and urban architecture. "Lewis Mumford's writings continue to inspire and remind us that architecture, design, and planning, must respond to human needs, harmonize with its surroundings, and reflect the aspirations and social context of our civilization," said Lynne Elizabeth, President, ADPSR.

The League of Young Voters was named for the 2008 Mumford Award for outstanding efforts in world peace. The League operates year-round, long-term, community-based campaigns to engage young people to participate in political process with a focus on citizens who have been disengaged, particularly low-income and people of color. The organization trains community organizers, build alliances across issues and narrows racial divides with outreach conducted during and outside of election cycles. The League lobbies at the local, state and national level for change. In just three years, local Leagues chapters have become household names in their communities, recognized as a respected player in national politics for their ability to educate and to mobilize communities and individuals to get involved in the political process. www.theleague.com/

Recognized for outstanding work in the area of community development is 2008 Mumford Award recipient Mel King, a veteran activist who has fostered community development in Boston for 55 years, serving as a youth worker, community organizer, state legislator, author and educator. In the 1950's King began working with at-risk youth and street gangs in the South End. He then moved into urban renewal, founding the Community Assembly for the South End to give tenants and residents a voice in their community's future, and went on to direct the New Urban League of Greater Boston. While there, King helped the South End organize a highly effective demonstration against demolition without relocation, resulting in a housing complex dubbed "Tent City" after one of its more dramatic components. In 1970 he began a career as Adjunct Professor of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT, punctuated by a nine year stint as a state legislator and a book, Chain of Change: Struggles for Black Community Development. On "retirement" 25 years later, he established a computer training center for low-income people. He is the founder and current director of the South End Technology Center. http://www.tech-center-enlightentcity.tv/

The Lewis Mumford Award for Environmental preservation was awarded to Nuestras Raìces (Our Roots), a grass-roots organization that promotes economic, human and community development in Holyoke, Massachusetts through projects relating to food, agriculture and the environment. The organization's Protectores de la Tierra program trains youth leaders to host environmental workshops and educational tours and teach painting, mural and garden design. They currently manage a greenhouse, eight community gardens and two youth gardens and are planning more. Nuestras Raìces holds workshops on nutrition and cooking, run a Farm School, sell produce at farmers markets and take it home, and design and build nature trails while their youth are involved in city planning meetings and the Holyoke Youth Commission advising the mayor on youth issues. http://www.nuestras-raices.org/

About Architects / Designers / Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR)
Established in 1981 as a 501(c) 3 public-benefit organization, ADPSR works for peace, environmental protection, ecological building, social justice, and the development of healthy communities. With the foundation that design practitioners have a significant role to play in the well-being of their communities, ADPSR has focused much of its effort on ecologically and socially responsible development. ADPSR participates as an NGO in the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT). There are presently four ADPSR chapters in the U.S.: New York, Chicago, Northern California and Southern California. ARCPeace is ADPSR's international affiliate. More information can be found at: http://adpsr.org/

http://adpsr.org/national/2008-honorees

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