Join us in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, for CitiesAlive 2010 and enjoy this excellent opportunity to learn from a wide variety of experts the latest in research, policy, design, and product development for green roofs, walls and other forms of green infrastructure. Expand your business opportunities, develop new policy approaches, discover new design techniques and tools, share and develop new research opportunities and have fun!

In 2009, the green roof industry grew by an amazing 16 per cent across North America, despite the downturn in the economy. 2010 is already shaping up to be much better! Yet the market potential remains enormous, with more than 4 billion square feet of flat roofs built or retrofitted each year and an untold potential for green walls. Green roofs still account for a very small fraction of this market, but each year we lay foundations, like the new Green Roof Professional (GRP) accreditation, that advance the industry. In Vancouver, the results from a number of new initiatives will be launched that will help you to achieve your goals faster and more effectively. Urban rooftop food, energy calculator savings, fire and wind design standards, renewable energy integration, embodied energy analysis, water-energy dynamics, net zero water goals, ecological design principles, advanced maintenance, food and biofuels from urban forests, award winning projects, and life cycle cost savings from the updated GreenSave Calculator are all new, leading edge offerings on the agenda at CitiesAlive.

Earn continuing education credits from GRHC for new GRPs, USGBC, AIA, ASLA, OAA, RCI and others. Take advantage of leading edge presentations and conversations about new products, new design practices that deliver client benefits, new projects and markets, and new policies and research opportunities. At CitiesAlive we will focus our efforts on the importance of integrative/collaborative approaches to design, research and policy development. We will work together to uncover new methods on how to mitigate greenhouse gases through better systems design and engineering. We’ll also explore the ability of green roofs and walls to help cities adapt to climate change challenges such as the worsening urban heat island, food security and intense storm events.

CitiesAlive is truly a unique celebration of green roofs and walls – unlike any other event you are likely to attend this year. CitiesAlive will include a formal reception, amazing local tours, networking sessions, industry meetings, training courses and GRP accreditation examination. Our pre-conference education program offers a wide variety of choices, from full day courses to 1.5 hr seminars on subjects ranging from Integrated Water Management to the Living Building Challenge 2.0. Conference delegates receive discounted rates on all of our pre-conference educational opportunities and the new ability to pre-purchase audio recordings of all of the conference sessions.

The CitiesAlive Trade Show will be populated by industry leaders in the field of green infrastructure and leading-edge educational institutions. While in Vancouver why not stay an extra day and go skiing or snow boarding in the internationally famous Whistler Resort, or take the cable car up to visit the Grizzly Bears at the top of Grouse Mountain, just 30 minutes from our harbourfront hotel, the Pan Pacific?  We’ve negotiated a great rate for conference delegates– only $199 CDN/Night in this fantastic hotel which overlooks the harbour, the giant green roof on the new Vancouver Convention Center and the mountains.

Full agenda and detailed information on the conference and sessions are available at www.citiesalive.org .

Finally, the marriage of local foods and culinary arts is enjoying a broader audience in both British Columbia and around the world. And with such a rich bounty of local foods available year round, it?s easy to see why. To showcase and celebrate this connection that we are blessed with, FarmFolk/CityFolk has teamed up with Wellbrook Winery to host the 16th annual Feast of Fields on Sunday, August 29th at Wellbrook Winery, located on Bremner Farm in Delta, BC.

Each year, Feast of Fields offers an inviting, relaxed farm setting where guests wander at their own pace, taking in high summer?s many food gems prepared by the best of BC?s culinary masters. Together our region?s farmers, restaurateurs, vintners, brewers and food artisans share with the public their passion and knowledge of our local fare.

Since 1994, Feast of Fields has provided a delicious opportunity for its guests to experience the simplicity of committing to a local, sustainable diet, as well as the endless enjoyment and variety that come with eating locally.

This year's theme, 'A Taste of History' will not only showcase 2nd generation farm production, but will also highlight the long standing relationships that some of BC's best chefs have with BC farmers. Host Wellbrook Winery is located on Bremner Farm, a 55-acre property known for growing, producing and bottling some of the best juices in Canada.

Started in the 1950s by Stan Bremner, the combined operations are today run by sons Alan and Terry. Along with running a successful fruit juice company, the Bremners also own Wellbrook Winery, which specializes in blueberry, cranberry, strawberry, peach, apricot and apple wines. A special feature of the winery location is ?The Old Grainery Store?, which was lovingly restored by Terry Bremner during a two-year restoration project.

Feast of Fields is FarmFolk/CityFolk?s annual fundraiser. Net proceeds support their work year round as they help to create a sustainable food system for British Columbia. Not only will guests have a great culinary experience but they will also be investing in a secure food future. Feast of Fields takes place Saturday, August 29 from 1?5pm at Wellbrook Winery (4626 88th Street, Delta, BC). Tickets are $85 and can be purchased online starting June 15th at www.feastoffields.com

Light House will be exhibiting at the Vancouver Home + Interior Design Show, September 9-12 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.  Please visit www.vancouverhomeandinteriordesignshow.com for more information.

"Kitchen Design: An environmentally sustainable approach"

Gerald Chan, CKD, LEED AP

Location: Cedarbrook Lodge Seattle/Tacoma

Capacity: 200

Washington is leading building commissioning, by being the first US state to require buildings over six stories to have their air leakage measured. Experience a unique blend of online and hands-on training with experts in the field.

• Learn how to set up the equipment using easy-to-follow graphics

• Use simulators to perform tests on multiple configurations in minutes

• Meet the top, large building testers

• Discuss USACE and other opportunities presented by large building testing

More details to follow soon.

Follow Retrotec on Twitter @retrotec for more exciting training opportunities.

www.retrotec.com  
Ph: (604)732-0142

Venue: SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver

Admission is free; reservations are required.

Reserve at www.sfu.ca/reserve

In their new book, Carjacked, authors Catherine Lutz and Anne Lutz Fernandez present their unprecedented, controversial yet hopeful look at car culture, while discussing the complex impact of the automobile and how to develop cheaper and greener relationships with cars.  Supported by anthropological findings and research, the authors argue we are at a tipping point in car culture and transportation economics, where the future of active transportation and transit use will be strong, particularly if cultural ideas and actual experience with the car are made more visible.   More details can be found here:

http://www.sfu.ca/city/fpl10popup.htm

The book will be sold at the event for a discounted price, and the authors will be available for book signing and a question and answer session.

Catherine Lutz is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology and the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University. Anne Lutz Fernandez is a former corporate executive who specialized in management and marketing of consumer brands, and is now a writer and teacher of English.

Venue: SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
Admission is free; reservations are required.
Reserve at www.sfu.ca/reserve

As transit becomes more popular, many cities are having
intense and often bitter quarrels about what kind of transit to build or operate. Working from his 20 years of experience as a transit planning consultant, Jarrett Walker examines some of the most common confusions that affect debates about transit, and that often lead to disappointing outcomes. He then suggests strategies for clarifying transit debates, by recognizing the unavoidable “hard choices” that arise from transit’s intrinsic geometry and costs.

Jarrett Walker is a consultant specialising in transit network design and policy, with 20 years experience on four continents. He grew up in Portland and has been based in Portland, San Francisco, and Vancouver. Currently, he is a Principal Consultant for McCormick Rankin Cagney, based in Sydney, Australia. He holds a Ph.D from Stanford University and writes the popular transit weblog humantransit.org.