Sustainable Transportation Conference in Edmonton June 16-1716/06/2004Developing transportation strategies that have a lighter footprint on Western Canada's urban landscape is the focus of a two-day conference in Edmonton, June 16-17 at the Westin Hotel. Climate Change Central is hosting Shifting Gears: Sustainable Mobility for Western Municipalities. The conference will showcase innovative ideas and practical solutions for municipalities, which are dealing with the growing impacts of transportation loads on roads, land-use planning, greenhouse gases and smog. A conference highlight is a display of the latest energy-efficient "wheels", including the new GM hybrid truck, a Toyota Prius, a natural gas vehicle, an electric bicycle and a scooter. The City of Edmonton will be conducting transit and cycling tours and walkability audits, in which a transportation planner assesses how well a streetscape is designed for pedestrians. One keynote speaker is Dr. Reid Ewing, research professor at the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland and the author of several books on urban transportation planning. His recent article on urban sprawl and obesity attracted unprecedented attention in the U.S. National media. The conference also features transportation planning success stories in western Canada. Saskatoon, for example, has developed the second-highest rate of bicycle commuters in Canada, while Canmore's decision to build some new homes in clusters is using less land and reducing sprawl. Similarly, Brandon is reducing urban sprawl by redeveloping old industrial sites into housing projects rather than expanding into green spaces. What: Shifting Gears: Sustainable Mobility for Western Municipalities When: June 16 and 17 Where: Westin Hotel, Edmonton The "Green Wheels" display is from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., June 16, outside the Shaw Convention Centre, 9797 Jasper Avenue. Climate Change Central is a private-public partnership acting as a catalyst for and coordinator of activities by individuals, businesses, institutions and governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Alberta. For further information, contact: Helen Corbett Communications Director Climate Change Central (403)517-2717 |
