conference

Here’s an interview I did with Don Borut, Executive Director of the National League of Cities, at the Green Cities Conference in Portland, Oregon. Points of interest include rating the success of the conference as a “grand slam home run,” noting that sustainability is the new lens through which cities are starting to look at themselves, displacing economic growth and growth for its own sake, and Don’s statement that sustainability is fundamental to the NLC.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsU1Izmuig8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00]

The Green Cities Conference has exceeded attendance projections by about two times, with up to 750 attendees, and enthusiasm and interest are very high, at least in our conversations with attendees. Several people from across the country have told us their cities are getting going on their sustainability plans, and we were pleased to learn from one council member that his Tennessee city hired a sustainability coordinator based “99%” on our article, What’s a Sustainability Coordinator? in the October 2008 issue of CitiesGoGreen.

In an interview with us, Don Borut, Executive Director of the National League of Cities, calls the conference a “home run,” especially for a first event. He went on to talk about sustainability as a new lens through which to look at city management, an alternative or replacement for the long-accepted “growth at all costs” view, without sacrificing the economic benefits, and indeed producing more potential in many ways.

Hi, Daimon here, in Portland Oregon at the Green Cities Conference and Expo. We’re setting up our booth (120 – come see us if you can) and I just ducked out to write this. I’ll be posting now and then, as I can. Feel free to add your own comments, whether you’re at the show or not. So far it’s a big hall with antsy (both antlike in comparison to the size of the hall and busy-like) people scurrying around creating stuff to show the city folk when you/they show up at 4:30.

My business partner Judith and I had a nice 5 hour ride down from Bellingham (I look forward to the high speed rail connection) on a beautiful sunny, warm day, and we’re looking forward to what happens. See you soon, I hope, if you’re at the show.