on Nov 18, 2015
HR&A Partners Speak at Greenbuild in DC
HR&A is proud to participate in the annual Greenbuild International Conference in Washington DC in November 2015. Greenbuild is the world’s largest conference dedicated to green building and sustainability where thousands of industry leaders come together to exchange ideas. HR&A Vice Chairman Candace Damon and Senior Principal Jamie Torres Springer, will both participate in panel discussions at this year’s conference.
On November 18th, Vice Chairman Candace Damon will discuss implementation of green stormwater systems with Craig Holland, Director of Product Development at NatureVest, the impact investment unit of The Nature Conservancy, and Mikel Wilkins, Green Infrastructure Practice Leader at Verdunity. The panel, titled Implementing District Scale Recreational Stormwater Systems, will investigate the economic, logistical, institutional, and cultural frameworks of green infrastructure implementation. The panelists will discuss hurdles, which prevent widespread implementation and successful employment of innovative strategies. The speakers will draw on past HR&A work including economic assessments of a district stormwater system within the proposed Southwest EcoDistrict in Washington DC, proposed changes to the City of Detroit’s stormwater policies, and green infrastructure retrofits within Dallas’s park system.
On November 20th, Senior Principal Jamie Torres Springer will discuss Superstorm Sandy recovery with Kate Dineen, Deputy Executive Director at the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR), and Danielle Arigoni, Acting Director, Office of Economic Resilience, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. The panel, titled From Recovery to Resiliency, will explore the various approaches undertaken in the Northeast following Superstorm Sandy to create enduring strategies and plans for resilience. Topics will include: initial steps to rebound post-storm; techniques for establishing a long-term focus on preparing for and protecting against impacts of climate change; development of responses spanning critical infrastructure areas and built environment typologies; provision of rebuilding and revitalization assistance; and collaboration with community members and local leaders. Case studies will draw upon various resilience efforts in the northeast, of which HR&A has been involved, starting with Jamie’s post as Deputy Director of City’s Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency (SIRR), our work in ten communities in NYC for the State’s NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program, and significant participation on three teams of HUD’s RBD Competition.
HR&A is a proud supporter of the United Stated Green Building Council and we look forward to engaging with attendees at this year’s Conference. Please reach out to Jamie Torres Springer or Candace Damon if you plan on attending – we would love to connect.