Net-zero and Regenerative Large-Scale Developments

Communities starting their ‘Race To Zero’ with social equity will need innovative solutions for achieving the triple-bottom-line. This event will showcase global community-scale projects with ambitious, impactful and actionable roadmaps, implementation, and management strategies. They are catalyzing energy, emissions, water, waste, transportation, social equity, and quality of life innovation and continuous improvement with credible frameworks for effective decisions.

U.S. Green Building Council for the past 30 years has transformed how buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous economy. From green building technology and innovation to knowledge-sharing and success stories, USGBC has catalyzed the green building movement and empowered the ecosystem with the tools and resources to adopt and accelerate sustainable and equitable urban practices.

USGBC’s LEED for Communities program works with more than 160 projects globally, revolutionizing the way communities are planned, developed and operated to improve their overall sustainability and quality of life. This LEED framework encompasses social, economic and environmental performance indicators and strategies with a clear, data-driven means of benchmarking and communicating progress.

USGBC proposes to organize three panels on September 20 showcasing global projects for 9am-12:30pm at Thornton Tomasetti offices and coordinate a site visit to one of the projects in Brooklyn for 2:30-4pm.

Climate Week Side Event: Regenerative, Carbon Neutral and Just Communities Showcasing Actionable Outcomes

September 20, 2023 - 9am to 4pm (Panel Discussions: 9am-12:30pm and Site Visit: 2:30-4pm)

Event hosts: U.S. Green Building Council, Thornton Tomasetti, The Alloy Block

Event locations: Morning Panels (9am-12:30pm) at Thornton Tomasetti, 120 Broadway, Floor 15, New York, NY 10271

Site Visit (2:30-4pm) at The Alloy Block, 100 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn NY

9:00-9:10am Welcome and an Introduction to the Day’s activities

Vatsal Bhatt, US Green Building Council

Gunnar Hubbard, Thornton Tomasetti

Jeffrey Sullivan, The Alloy Block

9:10am-10:30am Panel 1: Regenerative Communities

Projects will showcase regenerative strategies for natural resource and ecosystem conservation and restoration, blue and green infrastructure for water positive, sponge city, circular economy, urban farming and food systems and nature-based solutions towards resilience.

Speakers:

• Edner Bellanger, Arcos, Guatemala

• Gautami Palanki, Howard Hughes, USA

• Ricardo Corrales Baruque, Madrid Castellana Norte District, Spain

• Giovanna Piesco, CTE Smart Cities, Brazil

Moderator: Julie Pietrzak, Thornton Tomasetti

10:30am-11:30am Panel 2: Carbon Neutral Communities

Projects will highlight planning, implementation and management for ambitious net zero targets; with operational and embodied net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and absolute zero scope 1, 2 and 3 by 2040. It will include smart mobility, nearness to all uses, extensive public transit, smart last-mile delivery logistics, electric transport, smart energy production, management and savings, smart two-way grids, positive-energy buildings and renewable energy including solar, wind, bioenergy, storage and geothermal.

Speakers:

• Nadia Boschi, Lendlease, Italy

• Lisa Bolle, Thornton Tomasetti and Jeffrey Sullivan, The Alloy Block, USA

• Erin Cooke and Anthony Bernheim, San Francisco International Airport

Moderator: Gunnar Hubbard, Thornton Tomasetti

11:30am-12:10pm Panel 3: Just Communities

Projects will highlight multiple dimensions of strategies and policies deployed for integrating community health, safety, wellbeing and intergenerational equity. This will include (1) Equity for people in Project Teams, (2) Equity for people in the Community who work, live, learn, or play, (3) Equity for people in the material Supply Chain, and (4) Equity for people in fenceline communities.

Speakers:

• Esteban Martínez, Green Loop, Colombia

• Monte Hilleman, Sustainable Investment Group, USA

Moderator: Vatsal Bhatt, US Green Building Council

12:10-12:25pm Details of the Site Visit: Jeffrey Sullivan, The Alloy Block

12:25-12:30 Concluding Remarks - Vatsal Bhatt, US Green Building Council

2:30-4pm Site Visit – The Alloy Block, 100 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn NY

https://alloyllc.com/work/the-alloy-block

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Thornton Tomasetti (Floor 15), 120 Broadway, New York, United States