News & Updates

BRA, City of Boston Host EcoDistricts Summit

Oct 23, 2013

From November 12 - 14 Boston will reinforce its role as a leader in urban sustainability by hosting the EcoDistricts Summit at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in the heart of Boston's Innovation District. The annual event gathers top municipal policymakers, developers, business owners, architects, planners, community groups, and researchers to discuss and promote environmental sustainability at the neighborhood scale.

The EcoDistricts framework is still evolving, but the foundational idea is to create connected, collaborative districts that are economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. EcoDistrict projects address critical issues such as urban resiliency to climate change and major weather events. They also leverage new business opportunities ranging from distributed energy systems and waste-water heat recovery to bike sharing.

City of Boston and BRA staff will share their expertise throughout the conference. Mayor Thomas M. Menino will open the Summit on November 12 and will introduce attendees to Boston’s sustainability programs. Kairos Shen, Director of Planning for the BRA, will offer a closing plenary on November 13. John Dalzell, Senior Architect in the BRA's Urban Design Department, and Nicole Fichera, BRA Innovation District Manager, are amongst the many featured speakers.

Boston's own emerging EcoDistricts will play a central role at the conference.  BRA-led walking and biking tours will explore green buildings and clean energy projects in Boston's Innovation District.  Additional conference tours will visit the Fairmount Greenway and Talbot-Norfolk Triangle Eco-Innovation District in Dorchester as well as Jackson and Egleston Squares in Jamaica Plain. Members of the public are encouraged to register for the walking and biking tours, which are not restricted to conference attendees.

The Summit timing coincides with Boston's launch of a City EcoDistricts program and the City’s hiring of EcoDistrict Energy Fellow Travis Sheehan, who is also a featured speaker at the Summit.  The EcoDistrict program and participation in the Summit expand on the City’s continuing commitment to green buildings and sustainability, including the E+ Green Building program, the BRA’s CleanTech business initiative, and Greenovate Boston.

EcoDistrict Summit Details

Date: November 12 - 14
Location: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
Who should attend: Practitioners and students are encouraged to attend the conference, while walking tours and a block party are registered separately and open to the public.
How to Register: Visit the Summit website.
20% Discount: Use promo code COBSUMMIT13 by November 11.

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