The Scandinavian Success Story: Aligning National, Regional and Local Priorities for Sustainable Transportation, Energy and Housing -- Lessons for the U.S. and Canada. Thanks to the Swedish Government, we have some scholarship funds for high level federal officials from HUD, EPA, and DOT. These are the agencies providing funding for sustainable development at the local and regional levels and your chance to learn with them as they determine what is being done in Scandinavia that they should be funding in the U.S.

November 5 to November 10, 2010: i-SUSTAIN is partnering with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to offer this Professional Research Trip to Havana, Cuba.

Registration for Curitiba is officially opening this week. Take advantage of our Early Registration Price for the next two months.

2011 Alumni Study Mission: The vote is in! Mexico City was voted by our Alumni group to be the next destination in Feb 2011, following i-SUSTAIN's research trip of Feb 2010: Mexico City is moving fast! BRT is already in place along with their existing Metro, the historical district is becoming pedestrianized, an impressive water awareness campaign is present city-wide, and they have succesfully implemented a free-bike program.

Alumni study mission to Israel: If sustainable development can happen in Jerusalem, it can happen anywhere! Next week we will be uploading the edited video of Better Place's CEO, Shah Agassi, as he explains the main concepts of this revolutionary Electric Vehicle Company to i-SUSTAIN's group. Read Chuck Wolfe’s tour blogs in the mean time, linked from our homepage.  And for the Israel study mission participants, we have planned a Garden Party at the home of Jayson Antonoff and Patricia Chase, on June 26, 2010, at 4:00 pm.

September, 2010, Reunion for Havana Feb 2010 study tour participants in Sonoma, at the lovely home of Val Thomas and Tripp Hunter. Date to be announced soon

July 16, 2010, 6:00 to 8:00pm, Mithun, Summer Reunion Potluck for all study tour alums. We’ll supply the drinks, but please consider bringing a dish to share.

i-SUSTAIN BEST PRACTICES IN ACTION

Check out the what our clients are doing. We’re glad that we could play a small part! Have you adapted and perhaps even evolved a sustainability best practice that you were exposed to through i-SUSTAIN? If so, let us know. We’d like to feature it in our newsletter and on our website.

Seattle’s Energy Disclosure Legislation Gets Passed!
On January 25th, 2010, Seattle City Council passed new legislation (CB116731) to establish a standard for regular energy performance measurement and reporting for commercial and multi-family buildings. Seattle's Building Energy Disclosure law was inspired by Copenhagen's Building Performance Scorecard. The Energy Disclosure law will help the City achieve goals of improving energy efficiency and generation of green jobs by informing leasing and purchasing decisions, and making energy efficient buildings more valuable in the marketplace.

Seattle Green Factor Wins National ASLA Award
Congratulations to City of Seattle’s Dept. of Planning and Development for winning ASLA’s Analysis and Planning Honor Award for the Seattle Green Factor (SGF). Seattle’s Green Factor was based on Malmo, Sweden’s Green Space Factor, which was based on Berlin’s Biotope Factor. SGF is an innovative development standard designed to increase the quantity and quality of urban landscaping. Planners developed a scoring system to promote attractive and ecologically functional landscapes, including green roofs and walls, permeable paving, tree preservation, and food cultivation. Adopted by City of Seattle in 2006 and expanded in 2009, SGF is inspiring municipalities across the country to develop similar standards