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The Twin Cities Neighborhood Sustainability Conference
Saturday, January 17, 2004
8:30am to 2pm
Augsburg College, Minneapolis
Conference Web Site -City of Minneapolis
& www.afs.nonprofitoffice.com
Neighborhood volunteers, resource people and elected officials from St.
Paul, Minneapolis and suburban communities are invited to attend this
free conference. Please pre-register on-line or call 612-331-1099
x 1.
This year's Neighborhood Sustainability Conference will launch several
cycles of new action. You're invited to get involved in several ways:
- Help Mayor Rybak define a pragmatic vision for sustainability
for the city of Minneapolis, with solid measurements that will shape the
city's spending priorities
- Help Minneapolis write a new Sustainability Chapter for its
Comprehensive Plan
- Launch effective sustainability campaigns in Twin Cities communities
& neighborhoods.
- Launch neighborhood sustainability indicators efforts in St.
Paul & Minneapolis.
We define sustainability in a very broad way: we include social equity,
economic opportunity, and ecological health. We especially want to make sure
that low-income and immigrant communities will have a powerful voice. Our
discussion will include issues such as environmental justice, health disparities,
and building community capacity and wealth.
This year's conference is funded by a grant from the Minnesota Office of
Environmental Assistance with matching donations from the city of Minneapolis.
Coordinator is Sean Gosiewski of Draw Forth Consulting. Indicators work
is directed by Ken Meter of Crossroads Resource Center. Many additional
Partners and Sponsors are also making the Conference possible.
There are four tracks to the Neighborhood Sustainability Indicators conference:
1. Sustainability Indicators Roundtable
Ken Meter
, Crossroads Resource Center (612) 869-8664
Participants will refine a draft list of specific indicators (measures)
that will define Minneapolis' vision for long-term sustainability. These indicators
will be tied to the city's budget process, so that the city can shift its
spending priorities to better accomplish sustainability goals over time.
(For more information, see http://www.crcworks.org/msi.html)
2. Minneapolis Sustainability Plan
Michael Orange
, Minneapolis Planning, (612) 673-2347-
City Planning officials will solicit your ideas for writing a new Sustainability
amendment to the Comprehensive Plan.
3. Neighborhood Sustainability Projects
Sean Gosiewski
, Draw Forth Consulting, (612) 331-1099 x 1
Learn about practical plans for projects that your neighborhood or block
club can implement to save resources, improve the environment and build
community. Each session will include panel discussions and networking time
with neighborhood volunteers, city and county staff and non-profit resource
people. Topics to include: Community Gardening, Tree Planting, Greening/Open
space, Low Impact Yard and Garden Care, Healthy & Energy Efficient Homes,
Farmer’s Markets & Urban/Rural Links, Watershed Restoration and Monitoring,
Children’s Environmental Health, Green Buildings and Design, Solid Waste
Reduction, Air Quality, Working with Industries, Promoting Walking, Bikes
& Transit, Pedestrian / Transit-Oriented Development, School-Based Strategies,
Cultural Competency in Environmental Outreach and How to Organize a Neighborhood
Project.
4. Neighborhood Sustainability Indicators
Ken Meter
, Crossroads Resource Center (612) 869-8664-
We will have training materials available for neighborhoods to use to define
their own indicators of sustainability. (See Crossroads Resource Center's
Neighborhood Sustainability Indicators Guidebook at http://www.crcworks.org/guide.pdf).
Conference Agenda
- 8:30am to 9:00am Registration
- 9:00am Plenary – overview of sustainability efforts in Mpls and
St. Paul, and how neighborhoods can offer their input and take action
- 10:00am to 12:30 – Sustainability Indicators Roundtable/ Minneapolis
Sustainability Plan (concurrent with)
- 10:00am First Round of Break-Out Sessions
- 11:15am Second Round of Break-Out Sessions
- 12:30 Networking time and lunch - Lunch can be purchased in the
cafeteria, or bring your own.
- 1:15 to 2:00pm Wrap up Session – Hear the actions neighborhoods
plan to take from each session and the next steps and commitments from City
and County staff and elected officials.
All Day – Tables for nonprofits and city and county
programs, neighborhood project displays
Resource Handouts available for participants at the conference
- A Comprehensive Directory of Twin Cities Neighborhood Action Opportunities,
resource organizations and project case studies.
- Neighborhood Sustainability Indicators Tool Kit - We will have training
materials available for neighborhoods to use to define their own indicators
of sustainability. Contact Ken Meter, Crossroads Resource Center (612) 869-8664
- List of draft Sustainability Indicators for Minneapolis and background
on sustainability efforts in the City of Minneapolis
- Overview of Sustainability Efforts in St. Paul being produced by The
St. Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium in cooperation with City and County
staff.
Pre-registration is recommended for the Twin Cities Neighborhood
Sustainability Conference
to ensure that you get into the sessions of your choice and to let us know
what projects your neighborhood can share at the conference and/or take
action on during the year.
Register for the conference on line at www.allianceforsustainability.net
or call 612-331-1099 x 1.
On-site conference registration (8:30am) and our Opening Session
(9:00am) will be in the Foss Center at Augsburg College at the Corner of
Riverside Ave and 22nd Ave S. in Minneapolis.
Brief History:
The Citizens Environmental Advisory Committee of the City of Minneapolis
has effectively created energy reduction, green purchasing, and citizen
environmental efforts for many years. The Minneapolis Sustainability Initiative
began in 1992 when a group of labor unionists and environmentalists began
to meet together to set a vision for making Minneapolis a more sustainable
city. The Urban Ecology Coalition emerged from this process in 1994. Its
"Creating a Sustainable City" conference drew 180 folks and animated a movement.
Four years later, UEC launched a Neighborhood Sustainability Indicators
Project in Seward and Longfellow. This effort, led by Crossroads Resource
Center, engaged residents in defining measures of sustainability that reflect
their community's long-term vision. Three city-wide Neighborhood Sustainability
Roundtables, held in 1998, 1999, and 2000, supported this effort. This was
the first effort of its kind in the U.S. and it produced groundbreaking
results that have been internationally recognized. See www.crcworks.org/guide.pdf
to learn more about this work.
The first Neighborhood Sustainability Conference in 2002 drew 400 attendees.
Sponsored by the Minneapolis Center for Neighborhoods, the conference was
organized by Sean Gosiewski. Mayor Rybak initiated a Green Cities initiative
soon after taking office.
Now the partners listed below continue this momentum by framing a sustainability
plan for the city as a whole.
On January 17, we will be defining specific measures of what would make
Minneapolis more sustainable. We think that if Minneapolis defines specifically
what it wants to change, it is more likely that we will make progress toward
our vision. Some examples of goals we may want to express using specific indicators
are:
… All Minneapolis residents at all income levels have continual access
to pure indoor and outdoor air.
… Drinking water is safe.
… All Minneapolis children grow up free from risk of lead contamination.
… Minneapolis lakes are safe to swim in.
… People of color are not forced to face heavier environmental burdens
than others.
… Health disparities are reduced.
… Affordable housing is available for all residents.
… Immigrants and low-income residents have paths that allow them to build
wealth.
… Income inequality is reduced.
… More of Minneapolis' energy is generated from renewable "green" energy
sources.
Sponsors
This year’s conference is being funded by a grant from the , MN Office
of Environmental Assistance to the Citizens Environmental Advisory Committee
for the Sustainable Minneapolis Initiative which also includes Augsburg
College , Crossroads Resource Center, Draw Forth Consulting, Minneapolis
Neighborhood Revitalization Program, Minneapolis Environmental Coordinating
Team, Minneapolis Environmental Services, Minneapolis Planning Department,
- with matching donations from the City of Minneapolis . Additional support
provided by Xcel Energy and Centerpoint Energy/ Minnegasco.
Conference Partners
Our planning team for the neighborhood sustainability conference currently
has resource people participating from several Minneapolis and St. Paul
neighborhoods and staff from the Alliance for Sustainability, Augsburg College
, Center for Energy and Environment, Center for Neighborhoods, Clean
Water Action, Citizens Environmental Advisory Committee , Crossroads Resource
Center, Eco-Education , Eureka Recycling , Macalester-Groveland Community
Council , Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program, The Green
Institute, St. Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium, Sustainable Resources
Center, the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and Hennepin, Ramsey and
Dakota Counties Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance , SE Como Improvement
Assoc. , Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board , Volunteer Stream
Monitoring Partnership, and Watershed Partners . Additional Conference Partners
are welcome!
Map, Directions, Bus and Parking Information
Posted at www.allianceforsustainability.net . Campus map www.augsburg.edu/transforming/map.html
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The Alliance for Sustainability