NETF GRANT TO JOSLYN INSTITUTE FUNDS SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP Unique workshops engage civic leaders The Joslyn Institute for Sustainable Communities will receive initial funding of $200,000 from the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund (2008 funds) to support the creation of the Nebraska Sustainability Leadership Workshop (NSLW), a unique forum for community leaders to explore solutions to environmental challenges. The NSLW will be comprised of an annual series of 20 statewide sessions in which mayors, city managers, county board members, city councils, school boards and other civic leaders can engage planning, design and leadership experts in finding solutions to critical ecological challenges. Organized around case studies, community leaders will present local issues for discussion with experts and fellow community leaders. Each session will be limited to 15 participants and five consultants, and will explore such topics as: • sound ecosystem management; • protection of soil resources through regional cooperation in public/private and urban/rural coalitions; • management of air quality and community health issues through interjusrisdictional planning, sustainable design and smart growth strategies; • management of watersheds across jurisdictional boundaries to ensure safe and adequate water for all living systems; • underutilized or misallocated natural resources (water, wind, soils, materials. 4-season solar climate), and how jurisdictions can cooperate to make the most efficient use of resources through energy efficiency, waste reduction and material re-use. Initially the program will run for two years under NETF funding, plus matching grants. LINCOLN GREEN BY DESIGN FORMING TASK GROUPS Lincoln Green by Design partners agreed to form task groups at their Spring Meeting. LGbD is open to anyone interested in  working toward building a more sustainable Lincoln (Read more about LGbD). Join the growing list of Lincoln Green by Design partners by visiting the LGbD website. LGbD task groups include Building & Design, Education, Food Systems, Business, Economics & Finance and Land Use, Planning & Development. Presentations from the inaugural LGbD seminar, "What A Green Building Program Can Do For You", are available below. The program, introduced by Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler, featured Joslyn Institute's Cecil Steward, Tim Hemsath with the Flatwater Chapter of the USGBC, and Peter Hind of AIA-Lincoln. Cecil Steward's LGbD presentation Peter Hind's LGbD presentation ASSESSING HIGH RISE STRUCTURES USING THE FIVE DOMAINS METHODOLOGY Sustainable high rise structure is a necessary response to urban sprawl. After several years practice, it is time to summarize the experiences and look forward to the sustainability criterion of the high rise construction. This study is an attempt to assess the high rises with a comprehensive Five Domain sustainablity theory, which includes Economic, Technology, Socio-cultural, Environment, and Public Policy. Read more. ENVISION NEBRASKA: PARTNERSHIPS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Five area partnerships are joining together under the banner Envisioning Nebraska to promote sustainable design through joint and reciprocal research, programming, education and outreach. Envisioning Nebraska gathers together an array of resources encompassing rural and urban communities and linking them to the shared resources of our natural world. A goal of the Envisioning Nebraska partnership is the creation of a statewide advocacy group that promotes integrated, coordinated regional land use planning and conservation of the state's natural resources. Learn more about Envisioning Nebraska partnerships. WHAT A GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM CAN DO FOR YOU Two of the presentations from the inaugural Lincoln Green by Design seminar, "What a Green Building Program Can Do For You," are available. The program, introduced by Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler and led by JCI's Cecil Steward, Tim Hemsath with the Flatwater Chapter of the USGBC, and Peter Hind of AIA-Lincoln, explored the following questions: • What will a municipal green building program do for the City of Lincoln? • What have other similar programs accomplished around the country? • How does such a program fit into a regional framework of sustainable design and development? • What are material and site components for a successful green building? Cecil Steward's LGbD presentation Peter Hind's LGbD presentation A comprehensive look at upcoming sustainability-based events in the approaching months can be found on JCI's CALENDAR page. STATE GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVES COVERED IN LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR Green building growing in Lincoln and Omaha BY ALGIS J. LAUKAITIS/Lincoln Journal Star Sunday, Aug 12, 2007 - 12:07:12 am CDT Native grasses and wildflowers grow on the roof on the new addition to the Pioneers Park Nature Center as a way to save energy. Instead of buying new, the Lincoln Children’s Museum re-used tons of metal, old doors, wood trim, carpeting and plumbing fixtures in their downtown building.  These are just two local examples of green building, the practice of designing and building structures that help save energy, natural resources and the environment.   Cecil Steward, president of the Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities in Omaha, would like to see more green building projects across Nebraska, and eventually, cities and towns adopting green building standards.  To promote the effort, his organization is spearheading efforts to raise awareness and educate the public how green building can help create sustainable communities for the future.  Those efforts include sponsoring a series of workshops and seminars in conjunction with a diverse partnership of professional organizations, nonprofit groups, businesses, agencies, cities and counties.  They are doing so under the umbrella banner of “Envisioning Nebraska.” The first seminar, which is free and open to the public, is Aug. 23. Continue reading the article... ENVISION NEBRASKA: PARTNERSHIPS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Five area partnerships are joining together under the banner Envisioning Nebraska to promote sustainable design through joint and reciprocal research, programming, education and outreach. Envisioning Nebraska gathers together an array of resources encompassing rural and urban communities and linking them to the shared resources of our natural world. A goal of the Envisioning Nebraska partnership is the creation of a statewide advocacy group that promotes integrated, coordinated regional land use planning and conservation of the state's natural resources. Learn more about Envisioning Nebraska partnerships. JOSLYN INSTITUTE  PARTNERS WITH COLD CLIMATE HOUSING RESEARCH CENTER A two year collaborative agreement has been struck between the Joslyn Institute and Alaska's Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC) whereupon the two organizations have agreed to share best practices, further each others' missions, and provide knowledge to architects, designers, home builders and contractors in best sustainable development, resource management, and living and associated housing technologies, products, and techniques. The CCHRC is an industry based, non-profit corporation created to facilitate the development, use, and testing of energy efficient, durable, healthy , and cost effective building technologies. Both organizations are also currently working in cooperation with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAP) to further develop sustainability-based programs out of the university. PANEL ADDRESSES INTERCHANGE DEVELOPMENT More than seventy-five people attended a panel discussion on the future of the proposed I-80 Pflug Road interchange May 24 at Mahoney State Park. W. Don Nelson, former state director for Sen. Ben Nelson and publisher of Prairie Fire Newspaper, moderated the discussion on environmental and economic issues surrounding possible development of the Pflug Road exit in western Sarpy County. The Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities (JCI) and Prairie Fire Newspaper co-sponsored this event, a continuation of the Nebraska/Iowa Metroplex Indicators Conference (N/IMIC). JCI staff is currently working on a series of FAQ regarding the Pflug issue and related topics that will be posted on this website. ECOBUILD PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE Ecobuild America and AEC-ST is the premier event for Green Building, Sustainable Design, Environmental Planning, Construction Technology, and Information Management. Attendees included design and construction decision-makers including: Architects, Engineers, Contractors, Facility Managers, Homebuilders, Building Owners, Specifiers, Planners and Land Developers, Building and Construction Product Manufacturers and more – the entire project team in one place, at one time. Presentations given by JCI President Cecil Steward and Sharon Kuska at the conference can be viewed online: ·  Sustainable Construction Methodologies: Construction and Demolition Waste Management Practices ·  E/STEP: A Metrics Process for Sustainable Design UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS PURSUES SUSTAINABLE DESIGN CURRICULA; JCI'S STEWARD & KUSKA CONSULT Cecil Steward and Sharon Kuska were invited by the University of Alaska Fairbanks to meet with and provide presentations to the administration, faculty, Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC) Professional staff, Fairbanks community leaders, planners, and design professionals on the general subject areas of sustainable design curriculum and principles during March 21 – 24, 2007.  The trip was funded by UAF and organized and supported by CCHRC, JCI and NNN.   During three days, seven scheduled meetings occurred including meetings with the Institute of Northern Engineering, the School of Natural Resources & Agricultural Sciences (Geography and Resilience and Adaptation Programs) and the Fairbanks North Star Borough (Assembly, Planning Commission and Staff).  All of the meeting participants expressed interest in the presentation topic of sustainable design.  As a result of the meetings and presentations JCI has been asked to continue teleconferencing and perhaps work with faculty at some level to develop course work in sustainability.       Of interest: The nearby Calgary-Edmonton Corridor comprises one of the fastest growing regions in North America and is an element of the major route from United States mainland to Alaska. This growth is largely due to energy production, specifically due to oil. Presentations given during Cecil's trip are available in PDF format below. It may take several moments for the document to load. AIA/USGBC Fairbanks Chapter, Design & Planning Strategies for Sustainable Development: Building Scale to Regional Planning Scale North Star Fairbanks Borough, Construction & Demolition Waste, Green Design & Construction, & Municipal Green Building Programs University of Alaska Graduate Students, The Five Domains: Keys to Sustainable Development CCHRC Fairbanks, Construction and Demolition Waste, Green Design and Construction, and Municipal green Building Programs The Calgary presentations are available in Data & Documents under the North North Network for Urban Sustainability heading. JCI IS SECRETARIAT OF UN PROGRAMME JCI leads a UN-sanctioned worldwide partnership, the North/North Network for Urban Sustainability, which targets urban sustainability issues in major cities of the Northern Hemisphere. For more than ten years JCI has been a member of the United Nations Best Practices & Local Leadership Program (BLP). Read More EARTH DAY OMAHA 2007 The focus of Earth Day 2007 is Sustainability. As more and more Americans are learning about how important the issue of Global Warming is; we must also be educating each other how easy it is to live a sustainable life. It is the goal of the Earth Day Omaha coalition to educate Nebraskans about: 1) Ways in which we create a sustainable environment in our home 2) Ways that we can promote a more sustainable atmosphere at work 3) How to support creating a sustainable/"Green" city WHEN: Saturday, April 21, 12-6 pm WHERE: Elmwood Park (808 S 60th St - Behind UNO) WHO: Cecil Steward on Sustainability Recommendations for the 21st Century, center stage at 3 pm PRESENTED BY: Earth Day Omaha Coalition OMAHA ENERGY CHALLENGE The Mayor held a press conference yesterday morning to announce the Omaha Energy Challenge.  This challenge encourages every Omaha citizen to replace an incandescent light bulb in their household with a more energy efficient Compact Fluorescent Light bulb (CFL).   Every CFL bulb will:   -Save an average of $30 or more on energy costs over its lifetime. -Prevent 450 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions over its lifetime. -Last up to 10 times longer than an incandescent light bulb. DR. RICHARD JACKSON PRESENTS ON URBAN SPRAWL & PUBLIC HEALTH Why Good Design is Better Than an Apple a Day April marks the 150th Anniversary of the American Institute of Architects. In celebrating this milestone, AIA Nebraska hosted a lecture presented by Dr. Richard Jackson, MD, MPH, Professor of Environmental Health, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. For many of us, things just don't feel quite right. We are using more land, water, energy, and natural resources. We get fatter, and the planet gets hotter. Young people worry about the future, and older folks wonder what went wrong. Is this all inevitable, or could a real synergy of health and how we create our environments produce better results? Dr. Jackson layed out health and environment data and proposed ways that health and environment can reverse our course and create a sustainable future for our children. He showed how the shaping of our built environment shapes our own well-being and our future, and how architects can lead major improvements in both the quality of our lives and the quality of our environments. His presentation will be available online shortly. PROPOSED PFLUG ROAD INTERCHANGE DRAWS ATTENTION, CRITICISM Joe Dejka and C. David Kotok, of the Omaha World Herald, conducted an investigative report on the Pflug Rd. project. Their articles can be viewed by selecting the OWH blurb below. The proposed Sarpy County Pflug Road interchange would have consequences for the populations and ecosystems within th e immediate vicinity, and would also touch off a host of related developments that would not be attached to any municipal sewer system: motels, gas stations, and various roadside amusements and the housing for the people who maintain them, and other services--fire, police, medical--that such a population would require. How much is too much for a corridor of land from Ashland to Louisville that is already showing signs of stress? . The widening of the Platte bridge and a new interchange would have a dramatic effect on the growth of nearby small towns, the persistence of agriculture in the area, and the ability of towns and counties to control low-density sprawl or other types of development. Potentially, such a poroposal could rapidly accelerate sprawl between Omaha and Lincoln and draw out low-density growth like a giant magnet, further damaging the fragile Platte ecosystem and creating even more water supply and quality challenges for nearby well fields that already supply drinking water to hundreds of thousands. Put together all of the variables along I-80--rapid population groth, the mass replacement of agriculture with housing and other development, and the proliferation of ever widening roadways, and you have the makings of an ecological ground zero in the middle of this region's most fragile ecosystem. Envisioning Regional Design is a partnership of the Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities, AIA Nebraska, the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund and the Nebraska Innovation Zone Commission (NIZC) to craft a vision for the rapidly growing Metroplex region. Last fall the partners conducted a charrette with 150 stakeholders. For a summary of results from the six focus areas, click here. The Envisioning Regional Design Final Report is also available. Above, a detail of a rendering by artist Robert Hanna of the future I-80 corridor with protected green spaces and development that blends with the region's natural landscape. LYMAN STEWARDSHIP AWARD GIVEN TO JOSLYN CASTLE INSTITUTE The Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities was awarded the Ed and Elvynia Lyman “Environmental Stewardship” award at the Wachiska Audubon Chapter's October 2006 general meeting in Lincoln. The award cited the Institute's local green building initiatives including the popular EcoStores Nebraska and DeConstruction Nebraska which has reclaimed usuable building materials and fixtures that would have ended up in our landfills. JCI was also cited for its role in encouraging smart growth and sustainable planning in the region. Visit Wachiska Audubon Society website. GRETNA CONSERVATION GROUP SUES COUNTY BOARD The Schramm Association for a Viable Environment (SAVE) has sued the Sarpy County Board of Commissioners and several developers. The complaint alleges that the board spot-zoned a designated conservation area for the benefit of a developer. See Article ENVISIONING REGIONAL DESIGN CHARRETTE IS SEPT. 13-14 AT SAC MUSEUM The Omaha/Lincoln metro area is experiencing unprecedented growth that will result in a doubling of the region’s population by 2050.  Will we plan for an environment that is a sustainable social resource, or will we continue to treat our environment as a commodity for short-term exploitation? Participants in “Envisioning Regional Design: The Flatwater Metroplex,” Sept. 13-14, 2006, at the Strategic Air Command Museum near Mahoney State Park considered these questions as they shaped a regional vision for a sustainable future. The two-day event focused on challenges and opportunities facing six environments (see "Envisioning Regional Design" document at the bottom of this web page) within the Omaha-Lincoln Metroplex selected to represent a broad range of real-life conditions. Their study considered the transferability of ideas and visions to similar environments and communities in the region. “Envisioning Regional Design” results were interpreted by noted urban planner George M. Crandall, who was also keynote speaker at the event. Crandall has been responsible for more than 50 major urban and community design projects across the country. The charrette workshop challenged participants to explore possible outcomes facing six environments and translate them into drawings and other media-based visions with the help of facilitators, architects and planners. These visions will be shared with the media and the public. "For too long we have lacked a shared vision of preferred regional growth patterns or land use policies," said W. Cecil Steward, president and founder of JCI. "This old way of doing business is harming our economic prospects and our fragile environment. Our hope for a sustainable future requires that we think, plan and act regionally." PANEL: LAND CONVERSION POSES SERIOUS QUALITY OF LIFE CONSEQUENCES Persons appointed to county planning boards are sorely in need of an education, said Pam Daly at a July 13 panel discussion on rural land conversion at Mahoney State Park sponsored by Joslyn Castle Institute for Sustainable Communities (JCI). “These people are appointed with little or no knowledge of the issues on which they are asked to make important decisions.” Daly, a spokeswoman for the Washington County group Save Our Hills, was joined by four other panelists including Mike Dekalb with the Lincoln/Lancaster Planning Department, John Hansen, president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, Twyla Hansen with JCI, and Jarel Vinduska, president of the Schramm Association for a Viable Environment in Sarpy County. W. Cecil Steward, JCI president, moderated the discussion on what Steward called “perhaps the most controversial and critical factor in determining the future quality of life in the Omaha-Lincoln metro region.” Steward posed four questions to the panelists. Excerpts of their responses follow each question: 1. Can there be any consensus on acreage/subdivision policy for the entire Metroplex region? What are some possible regional strategies to address this issue? Pam Daly: Those involved in planning decisions from around the region, whether they are appointed or elected, should come together in regular meetings and work to break down competition and turf issues. This could be accomplished under a regional leader like JCI. Jarel Vinduska: In Sarpy County, when you talk to landowners most have a consensus of what the policy goals should be, but then you run into a planning commission and county board that doesn’t understand the possibilities or how to accomplish what people want. Unfortunately planning is viewed as a game to see who can grow the fastest. They just to try to suck in new growth, and good policy is secondary to planning for growth. John Hansen: You can’t see where you are going with a short-term approach—you just back your way into the future. We need to get more citizen involvement, to see the bigger picture and use the government process for long-term planning. 2. Discuss the conflict between growth and continuing agricultural uses. Mike Dekalb: Developers in Lancaster County will pay $40,000 to $50,000 per acre and bank it for later use, so the farmer buys land further out. But as this land gets developed, how do you sustain the infrastructure? Counties don’t have the dollars to pave all the roads people want. Some opportunities are created for niche farming as farms are broken up, but mostly ag is losing out to urban uses (in Lancaster County). Pam Daly: In our area the farmers believe they should get top dollar because they can no longer farm profitably (as commodity crop farmers). They refer to the land as “their 401K.” Jarel Vinduska: It boils down to having an ethical and conscientious policy. Land value is always based on proximity to urban areas. But it is also based on the size of parcels. The comprehensive plan (in Sarpy County) is supposed to be for the future. But before the future even got here they changed the plan. Twyla Hansen: We have a problem of vision in this country. It’s all about short-term thinking, making a quick buck and moving on. We need to start looking at a new generation of farming opportunities and people who want to be involved in them. W. Cecil Steward: We are all talking about land under the pressure of urbanization. What public policy measures are needed for ag in an urban area? Do we need a specialized ag zoning for urban counties? Will that make any difference how we interpret highest and best use of the land? Jarel Vinduska: That’s what’s ironic about ag zoning. You’ll hear all kinds of outcry over commercial uses moving into residential areas, but what about when they move into ag areas? Our ancestors were smart people. They settled where the best ag land was. Unfortunately today we view our best ag land as just a blank commodity that can be covered up. 3. Is the taxation and property valuation process prompting some landowners to sell even if they don’t want to (i.e. cannot afford to farm land that is taxed for other uses)? John Hansen: The growth where ag land is being acquired as a result of urban sprawl is based on tax law where you have limited amount of time to reinvest those dollars. People forced to sell due to urban sprawl can afford to pay way beyond market value to reestablish farms further out. Those folks who lose out in the bidding are increasingly bitter because they are feeling the impact of this chain reaction...The way we value taxes, it is disproportionately weighted on property, out of balance to income and sales...Enormous dollars are coming out of rural areas on land speculation. We pay more in Nebraska for taxes on a piece of land than what you can buy it for in Brazil. The full-time farmer has to be pretty big or doing something special to keep going. There’s also a lot of absentee ownership. 4. What are loca