Learning from other cities!
Posted: 12:18PM May 2nd, 2011 | Comments
I returned to my office chair this Monday after a weekend in Chicago, and a weekend of civic education. Sure, there are Cub fans and deep-dish pizza and the impressive collection of art, but I was even more amazed at the level of civic sustainability projects the city has implemented in the past decade. On a boat tour of the city's downtown, I learned that a few of the new buildings are pulling water from the river, using it for its cooling systems and then plopping the water back into the river, filtered and cleaned! At Lincoln Park, we visited the city's working farm and I was amazed to find out that the city is re-paving with pourous materials to soak up oils.
A month from now (June 1-4), the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU) will host its annual conference here in Madison. That's a big deal! This is usually an event held in big cities. Being at the crossroads for all of these ideas is an amazing opportunity for Madison and for individuals to learn about what other cities are doing--and hopefully adopt a few new inspiring ideas. Check out the website http://www.cnu.org/cnu19/ and get registered. It is right here in our backyard, and a whole lot easier than driving to Chicago and fighting through the toll booths.
