Dutch and U.S. Partners Hold Green Building Seminar

On November 17, 2010, APA hosted an international seminar, Building Green, Planning Green, Living Green, that discussed methods to make our urban environments more sustainable.

The event was held by Royal Netherlands Embassy, in cooperation with the American Planning Association, the U.S. Green Building Council, the U.S. Embassy in The Hague, and Dutch representatives at the Green Build International Conference and Expo in Chicago.

December 7 brought together high-level Dutch and American government officials, architects, and planners to share best practices in sustainable building, architecture, and planning. Participants examined Dutch and American case studies that demonstrate how green design, urban planning, technology, and social and economic factors can be better integrated.

Featured speakers included:

Dutch Ambassador to the United States, Renée Jones-Bos
U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands, Fay Hartog-Levin
W. Paul Farmer, FAICP, CEO, American Planning Association

Building Green, Planning Green, Living Green was organized around two breakout sessions in which speakers and participants identified common challenges and shared solutions that cross sustainable planning, architecture, design, and building practices.

Building Green: Sharing Experience in Green Building Industry looked at the challenges and solutions at the building level from industry experts. The session was led by Henk Ovink of the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Planning and Environment, and Ana Marie Argilagos, Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Living Green: Sharing Experience in Sustainable Planning delved into the existing U.S./Dutch conversations in climate change adaptation, water management, and waterfront development. This session was led by Luc Vrolijks, Urban Progress, and John Reinhardt, AICP, American Planning Association.

See how Dutch and U.S. partners showcased green building, planning, and living expertise at this event. Video courtesy of www.the-netherlands.org.