Sustainable City Series: Urban Gardens (Courtesy UDS)

The tenth edition of the Sustainable City Series will be help Tuesday, July 7th at the Glassworks.  These forums, hosted by the Urban Design Studio, have proven to be popular.  Patrick Piuma, director of the UDS, tells us that there has been record interest for the upcoming “Urban Gardens” event, so be sure to RSVP soon on the Urban Design Studio’s web site.  Food will be provided by Ramsi’s and coffee will be supplied by Heine Brothers.  Here’s some information about the forum:

The tenth forum of the Sustainable City Series held by the Urban Design Studio focuses on the appropriate and sustainable ways to go about urban gardening from private to community-based gardens.

The growing demand for locally grown foods has been accompanied by an ever-increasing interest in the development of community and private gardens. There are many different types of community gardens out there and many more plans and hopes for the future, however there are some things that all these gardens have in common… the environment. The importance of taking the proper steps early on is critical, because even though your food may be grown locally, if you don’t know what is in the soil you are using, the food you produce is not necessarily any better than those shipped from thousands of miles away, and perhaps even worse.

Whether you are interested in starting a community garden, currently belong to one, have a backyard garden, or just enjoy local food, join us on July 7th to learn more about how to ensure that our local food system is sustainable.

Our guest speakers will be:

Ann Carroll works for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization. Carroll has training in science and public health and over 25 years experience working on a range of environmental protection and health issues in the US and internationally; including over 15 years with the US Environmental Protection Agency and former Office of Technology Assessment with the US Congress. Her efforts have focused on a range of environmental health hazards including hazardous wastes, lead and heavy metals as well as risk assessment and risk communication. She has worked in private consulting, with the National Governor’s Association and US EPA Offices in Washington DC and Boston Massachusetts and managed the Lead Reference Center of the NSW Environmental Protection Authority based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from 1996 to 2000, provided consulting services to India, Indonesia and a range of countries before returning to US EPA in February 2002 to work in the Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization. Carroll recently has been accepted to Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health to begin her doctorate in public health in Environmental Health Sciences beginning the fall of 2009.

Wayne Long has worked at the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service since December 2008 as the Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent and County Coordinator. Prior to coming to Louisville, Wayne had a consulting company working with Central Kentucky equine farm managers and owners on various forage and environmental issues. He joined the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture’s Plant and Soil Science Department in 2001 as a member of the research team investigating causes of the Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS). While at UK, Long began a PhD program in Equine Forage Management and Ecology that he hopes to complete soon. From 1981 to 2001 he worked in management positions at Spendthrift Farm and Shadwell Farm. In the late 90s, while working on a master’s of Biology degree from Eastern Kentucky University that focused on wetland flora and aquatic ecology, Long became acutely aware of the devastating power humans have on the environment committing him to do his part of lessening the impact and assisting others to do the same. He now looks forward to the collaborative efforts between the Extension Service, local agencies and communities.

Sarah Fritschner is the Board President of the local sustainable composting and economic development project, Breaking New Grounds. Fritschner is currently a member of the Food in Neighborhoods Economic Development Committee, part of Mayor’s Healthy Hometown. She is also a board member of Bern heim Arboretum. Her interests involve increasing the communication between and improving the relationships among Kentucky farmers and Louisville Metro institutions. That relationship creates a more vibrant local food economy by providing Kentucky-grown foods to institutions from corporate offices to schools and nursing homes to emergency food supplies. She is the sole proprietor of BetterWorld-PR, presently engaged in project management, communications and marketing for several non-profit and for-profit enterprises.

The event will be held on Tuesday, July 7th at Glassworks (815 W Market Street, Louisville, KY) and is free and open to the public. For more information on the Sustainable City Series, to RSVP for the upcoming event, or to learn more about the Urban Design Studio, please visit our website at http://uds.louisville.edu or contact Patrick Piuma, the Director of the Urban Design Studio at 502.587.7015 or email udslouisville@gmail.com.

Sustainable City Series: Transportation (courtesy Urban Design Studio)

The Sustainable City Series‘ ninth forum will be all about transportation.  The event if free, but you must sign up by 1:00pm tomorrow (Tuesday).  Featured speakers include Barry Barker, Executive Director of TARC, and Dirk Gowin, Transportation Planning Administrator of Bike Louisville.  It’s going on at the Glassworks on Ninth and Market Streets on Tuesday at 6:00 pm, so if you want to go, you’d better act fast.  We’ve already signed up and at the time of posting there were only 51 seats left out of 340, so this event looks to be well attended.  Here’s some information from the Urban Design Studio:

The ninth forum of the Sustainable City Series held by the Urban Design Studio focuses on transportation modes that promote more sustainable communities.

Transportation is the backbone of regional development. Urban form has been largely dictated by the available modes of transportation at the time cities developed. This can be seen in the compactness of older city centers where the mode of transportation was by foot or horse drawn carriage. The placement of cities along navigable waterways, such as Louisville, was driven by transportation. With the advent of the automobile we witnessed the subsequent development of suburbs, spreading farther from the core of urban activity extending infrastructure needs and creating less efficient land uses. More efficient transportation systems must be developed if we are serious about promoting regional sustainability.

In order to return to a more sustainable region, transportation modes such as bicycling, rail and bus systems must be further developed. Join us on May 26th to hear what our region is doing to develop these modes of transportation. 

Read more about the event on its web site.

A random chemical plant in Rubbertown

Big plans in Chicago for solar energy got us thinking about Louisville.  TreeHugger reported today that Chicago’s South Side is installing the largest urban solar power plant in the United States.

“Where once there was an abandoned industrial site, soon there shall be the biggest urban solar power plant in the USA. It shakes down like this: $60 million + 33,000 solar panels + 39 acres in the South Side of Chicago + Obama’s stimulus = one solid, 10 megawatt producin’ solar power plant. And it should be up and running by the end of this year.”

That’s enough solar energy to power 1,500 homes and is equivalent to removing 2,500 cars from the streets or planting over 3,200 acres of forest.  All while cleaning up and reusing an abandoned industrial brownfield site.

But what if Louisville started down this road of thinking big sustainably.  We could create our own sort of eco-city-within-a-city.  And we could do it in some of the most centrally located and affordable neighborhoods in the city.  There are plenty of brownfield sites in Louisville sitting neglected that could house some sort of solar plant.  The new green end should incorporate more than just solar energy though (either centrally produced at a plant or locally produced on a house’s roof).  Emphasis on energy efficiency, transit, walkability could create a veritable “Green End.”

Imagine a neighborhood brought back to life by a focus on sustainability.  There’s some amazing architecture and real estate waiting for redevelopment in our existing neighborhoods that are walkable and close to Downtown.  There’s already efforts going on to create sustainable neighborhoods, most notably the East Market/NuLu District with several LEED Certified buildings is looking to acquire LEED Neighborhood Certification.  In the end, all of Louisville should become more sustainable, but targeting efforts to create a cohesive whole as an example neighborhood and magnet to green, new economy jobs could provide a guiding light for the city and nation.

Metro Council Pres. David Tandy & Gill Holland at The Green Building (photo by Office of D. Tandy)

In an effort to encourage the “green” redevelopment of Louisville neighborhoods, Metro Council President David Tandy announced today a proposed new ordinance to encourage property owners to renovate existing buildings with sustainable practices.  After all, the greenest building is the one that already exists.  The plan hopes to dually promote local economic investment and LEED Certification of buildings in Louisville.

The approach is geared toward providing new life to vacant or inefficient buildings in Louisville’s diverse neighborhoods and commercial corridors while stimulating the construction industry and creating a healthier city.

The ordinance would provide a Tax Assessment Moratorium (TAM) if a residential or commercial property over 25 years old and meets one of three criteria:

• The renovated building receives LEED Certification
• The renovation costs meet a value threshold
• The building is located in an area of low income or poverty

The proposal hopes to provide an incentive level that offsets the higher initial cost of a green renovation.  It’s an expansion of the existing TAM which covers renovations of older buildings and older buildings located in specific target areas.  The goal is to create a more energy efficient city with healthier homes, more productive workplaces, and an increased number of “green” jobs.

The new ordinance could help to usher in a new wave of sustainability and and spur job creation in the new economy, setting Louisville apart as a leader in green neighborhood development.  It’s especially ambitious as it could make sustianable upgrades “virtually cost-free.”  Tandy expects a lot of support for the measure as it helps to revive the local economy and create a more pleasant environment.

Local solar panel dealer and installer RegenEn Solar has announced two partnerships to help your home or business to become more environmentally friendly.  RegenEn Solar has partnered with the Sustain store in St. Matthews to offer residential solar power systems to Louisville homeowners.  To celebrate, the team is offering a $1,000 discount on new solar panels for your home or business if it supplies 25% or more of the building’s electricity.  The offer is available through Earth Day on April 22nd, so you’d better act fast.

Together, RegenEn Solar and Sustain hope to educate the public on the impact of solar power on the environment.  RegenEn Solar says one solar panel system supplying 100% of the electric power to an average home over a 25 year period is equivalent to removing 600,000 lbs. of CO2 from the atmosphere, planting 32,000 trees, or removing 700,000 miles of automobile travel.  That’s quite a savings, and with their Earth Day incentives, you could save even more.

RegenEn Solar has also partnered with local “green” architect and developer Mark Isaacs to offer Eco-audits for your home or business.  These audits are a combination of an energy audit and an evaluation of the building’s materials and appliances intended to save money on energy costs and ensure that you’re using the most efficient appliances and “green” building materials in your home or business.  Mark Isaacs has been awarded numerous accolades in sustainable design and serves on the Governor’s High Performance Building Standards Committee overseeing energy performance on state-sponsored construction projects.

If you have been considering a solar panel system for your home or business, there’s no better time to take advantage of these savings before Earth Day.  Not only will you help burn a little less coal in the Commonwealth, you’ll also save money while doing it.

• RegenEn Solar Fighting To ‘Keep Louisville Green’ (Broken Sidewalk)

RegenEn Solar

We recently came across a new local company hoping to bring solar power to homes and businesses across Louisville.  RegenEn Solar sells and installs photovoltaic cells that can pay for themselves in a matter of years.  By harnessing the most plentiful renewable energy source available  –  the sun, solar panels can be used to power just about anything from your television to the blender or can replace a gas-guzzling hot water heater.

Louisville is in desperate need of RegenEn Solar, too.  According to the Brookings Institution, Louisville ranks 98th out of 100 metro areas for carbon footprints.  That means you individually emitted 1.318 metric tons of carbon last year.  With generous tax incentives on the state and Federal level for installing photovoltaic systems and declining costs, we could change that statistic as rapidly as you can say Possibility City.  Solar power is more affordable than ever and a solar panel system can last forever with very little maintenance.  A typical residential installation can save over $4,000 from rebates and the unit would pay for itself a few years later.  After that, it’s all free energy.

As you soak up the sun, a new solar panel system can actually give you that rare joy of watching your electric meter spin backwards as you sell excess power back to LG & E.  After the recent wind and ice storms, it sure would be nice to have the utility paying us for electricity rather than the other way around.  And you don’t have to worry about drawing your electricity from those coal fired power plants, either.  What RegenEn Solar offers, really, is your ticket to energy independence, all done locally.  The solar-power trend isn’t just about going ‘green.’  It’s also a great investment for your property.  Business 2.0 Magazine sums it up nicely:

“New tax credits and rebates are making solar-powered conversions as smart as redoing your kitchen. Before you drop $40,000 or more on a new kitchen or master bath, consider the newcomer on the renovation block: a rooftop solar-power system that not only will lower your overhead costs and insulate you from a volatile energy market but will likely add just as much to your home value over the long haul. A study in Appraisal Journal found that for every utility-bill dollar saved annually because of an improvement, you gain $10 to $20 in property value. So if you can zero out a $1,000 annual electric tab by installing solar, you’ll get back $10,000 to $20,000 in home value.”

And to sweeten the deal even more, RegenEn Solar will set aside 2% of gross revenue along with external fundraising to help pay for a solar panel system for Louisville’s disadvantaged.  Their philanthropic arm also aims to expand solar outreach programs to disadvantaged communities across the globe to bring clean, renewable solar energy to help solve global “green” issues.

If you’re interested in solar technology for your home or business, you should definitely get in touch with RegenEn Solar.  They can help you choose the right photovoltaic system for your application and guide you through government tax credits to save you even more green.  We put a green button on the top of the page that will take you to RegenEn Solar’s web site where you can learn about solar panels and follow the Keep Louisville Green blog that’s full of information on environmental issues locally and abroad.  RegenEn Solar is creating the “green” jobs of the new economy today right here in Louisville and training a workforce knowledgable in cutting edge technologies.  This is exactly the kind of business and product that will help Louisville excell in the 21st century.

• RegenEn Solar (Official Site)

In just a few weeks, the Glassworks building should be teaming with ideas about how to “green” Louisville’s public policy.  The inaugural Green Convene, set for February 20th and 21st, hopes to unite a coalition interested in affecting real change in local policy and government.  A second event is scheduled for July to coincide with the Forecastle Festival.  Registration for the event is $10 and can be done online at the Green Convene web site, but only 250 seats are available, so act fast to get your ticket.

The two day event will feature prominent local leaders including Charles Cash, Director of Metro Planning & Design Services, Jack Trawick, Executive Director of the Center for Neighborhoods, and Metro Council Members Tandy, Owens, and Ward-Pugh.  With such a strong guest list, the ideas espoused at the event are sure to have an important impact on Louisville.

• The Green Convene (Official Site)

Future green wall at The Green Building

The Green Building in the heart of the East Market Street gallery corridor isn’t just a catchy name to describe the sustainable architecture of the potentially LEED Platinum structure.  In the back courtyard of The Green Building, a plain painted block wall doesn’t look like much today, but eventually, it will be transformed into a “green wall” overflowing with plants.  You may have heard of a green roof, like the one just installed at the Metro Development Center on Fifth Street, but these plants will literally be growing from the walls… intentionally.  Louisville has seen many of examples of unintended green walls over the years, but this will be the first installation of a green wall in the city.

Green walls or living walls add significantly to the sustainability of a building, potentially providing enhanced thermal and accoustical insulation, shelter from destructive UV rays, reduce the urban heat island effect, absorb rainwater runoff, and provide a habitat for local wildlife.  Not to mention they can be extremely beautiful.  Below is an example of a complete “living facade” at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris.  The museum was designed by Jean Nouvel, but the green wall was the work of Patrick Blanc, the world’s preeminent green wall artist.

While the wall likely won’t be installed until warmer weather arrives, the project is an exciting one and proves Louisville, and especially Gill Holland, mastermind behind The Green Building, is serious about sustainable architecture.  We’re looking forward to see this one progress.

• The Green Building (Official Site)
• A Living Green Wall (Greenline)
• Photo gallery of green walls (ELT Easy Green)
• Patrick Blanc: Vertical Garden (Official Site)
• Vertical and Verdant (Architectural Record)
• Metro Development Center Set For A Green Roof (Broken Sidewalk)
• Unintended Green Architecture: Attack Of The Trees (Broken Sidewalk)
• Going For Platinum: Gallery NuLu’s Green Building (Broken Sidewalk)

Green Facade of the Quai Branly Museum