2007 CCAPA Conference

 

The California Chapter of the American Planning Association Conference (CCAPA) this year was held in the City of San Jose.  The CCAPA Conference took place from September 30 to October 3, 2007.  Although the Conference had many interesting lectures about sustainability, I was only able to attend one session.

The lecture I attended was titled "Seven Steps to Planning Sustainability" by Steve Coyle from HDR Town Planning. Mr. Coyle talked about  the “metrics of ‘TimeTesting,’  ‘Vernacular,’ ‘Pervasive,’ ‘Virtuous’ to evaluate ‘sustainable solutions’ to determine what’s developable, affordable and broadly accessible without the need for specialist or cause unintended consequences”[1].

Mr. Coyle also proposed "five sustainable strategies and techniques: 'Contained,' 'Connected,' 'Contextual,' 'Adaptable,' and 'Conservative,' to describe the means to develop or redevelop sustainable, human environments"[2]. The lecture was in itself interesting.  However, sometimes during the presentation I had a hard time following the presenter.  The five sustainable strategies  that Mr. Coyle talked about  to describe how to develop human environments would be great strategies to use because they all together encompass what sustainability is all about.

For example, the strategy of conservation as to conserve as many natural resources as possible  when developing sustainable living environments.  Moreover, the strategy of connectedness as to establish close connection between developments and grocery stores, entertainment, doctor offices, etc.  Connectedness is important in order to become less dependent in the use of cars, and consequently reduce the impacts of global warming.  Lastly, the strategy of containment is also very important as to develop living environments that make the best use of the land.

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Source:

[1] Steve Coyle, "Seven Steps to Planning Sustainability," 2007 CCAPA Conference, San Jose, 21.