Corporate and regional leaders will team up Sept. 13 to explore the sustainable philosophies of some of the world’s most important companies — IBM, McKinsey, Siemens and NRG — at a conference titled “Sustainable Cities: A Business View.” Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research and Houston Tomorrow are hosting the event, which will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Westin Oaks Galleria, 5011 Westheimer.
Corporate leaders will explain their rationales for creating business models around the idea of sustainability and increasingly around the idea of smart, sustainable cities. Regional civic leaders will react to the corporate challenge to organize the Houston region’s towns and cities around the idea of sustainability, the notion of surviving and thriving into the future.
Rice speakers will include Michael Emerson, co-director of the Kinder Institute, and Lester King, a sustainability planner for Rice’s Shell Center for Sustainability.
The Kinder Institute conducts scientific research, sponsors educational programs, and engages in public outreach that advances understanding of pressing urban issues and fosters the development of more humane and sustainable cities.
The nonprofit organization Houston Tomorrow, formerly the Gulf Coast Institute, explores urban issues and promotes discussion of growth in the Houston region.
The event is $60 per person. For more information or to register, visit https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6239/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=49778.
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It’s refreshing to see that ‘big’ business is getting more involved in the ‘Sustainable’ debate. I was only reading a similar article yesterday where IKEA are looking to build entire new communities to try and regenerate run down areas – I believe they’re first one is going to be in the East End of London.
My only reservations are that the ‘community’ building idea, certainly in terms of bricks and mortar, is an incredibly difficult thing to achieve. Post war Britain has many examples of where this idea went horribly wrong, but here’s to hoping that lessons in design have been learnt from these new town nightmares.
I really hope that the conference is productive as building in a sustainable manner etc. is both necessary for us all, and certainly requires the big investment that hopefully these companies can bring to the table.
Regards,
Julian