Pathways to Urban Sustainability: Lessons from the Atlanta metropolitan region

Register at http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/sustainability/atlantaurban/index.htm

The National Academies are organizing a workshop in Atlanta to foster discussion of the metropolitan region’s approach to urban sustainability, with an emphasis on building the evidence base upon which policies and programs might be developed. Participants will explore how the interaction of various systems (natural and human systems; energy, water, transportation systems) affect the region’s social, economic, and environmental conditions. Discussions will center on the challenges the region faces, innovative approaches to addressing these complex challenges, performance measures to gauge success, and opportunities to link knowledge with on-the-ground action. The event will be carried out in cooperation with local partners and hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology, but will also engage local, state, and federal agencies in order to explore how their resources could best support sustainable improvements in the Atlanta metropolitan region.

Obejctives

• Discuss the ways that regional actors are approaching sustainability, specifically, how they are attempting to merge environmental, social, and economic objectives
• Share information about ongoing activities and strategic planning efforts, including lessons learned
• Examine the role that science, technology, and research can play in supporting efforts to make the region more sustainable
• Explore how federal agency efforts, particularly interagency partnerships, can complement/leverage the efforts of other key stakeholders