Landscapes are an integral part of the built environment that provide a multitude of essential services such as flood control, improved water quality, climate regulation, pollination services and improved health and wellness for site users and communities. These spaces can be designed and managed to employ nature-based solutions that address issues related to urban development, ecosystem function, resource consumption, public health and climate change. The SITES Rating System is a comprehensive tool that brings these ecosystem services to the forefront of decision-making in the development of all types of projects, and it is becoming an ideal tool for university campus applications.
This session will highlight leadership from two distinct universities that are participating in the SITES program and using strategies that produce a more sustainable, regenerative and healthy future. Featured in this session will be stories of two case studies of projects that successfully integrated natural and built systems while connecting people to place and design with ecology. The SITES certified Dell Medical District is a 16.2-acre development located in central Austin on the University of Texas campus. The completion of this project provides functional green spaces around the buildings and along Waller creek, a previously neglected urban stream. This site now serves as an urban oasis providing environmental and human health benefits to students, educators, patients and the greater community. As a commitment to the Arizona State University's overall sustainability goals, Orange Mall Expansion is their first project certified under the SITES v2 Rating System. Located in the core of ASU's Tempe Campus, the project replaces a former section of roadway and cul-de-sac with a new pedestrian mall and multi-use plaza for programmed events and informal social gatherings by students, faculty and staff. Both projects utilized green infrastructure to create an integrated sustainable design solution for the site and the surrounding buildings, and were also developed in concert with adjacent LEED projects.
Hear from key individuals from these universities who design, manage and monitor the performance of these spaces. Learn from their experiences on how to successfully navigate the SITES Rating System with multiple stakeholders. This session will also demonstrate how SITES brings a much-needed voice to the table to ensure we create places that appreciate core values of sustainable landscapes over time, providing a living community asset that is climate positive, fosters resilience, and improves health and wellness to the university community and surrounding areas.
Presenters: Jim Walker (UT Director of Sustainability), Chingwen Cheng (Arizona State University), Norman Yatabe (Arizona State University), Danielle Pieranunzi (SITES Program Manager)
To view this on-demand session at the Global Conference for Sustainability in Higher Education (GCSHE), UT-Austin students, staff, and faculty must register for free access to the conference. Information on free registration here.