CNT’s very first Urban Sustainability Hackathon is this weekend, October 5-7, and we’re very excited to see what the coders and developers are going to come up. The event follows the Reinventing Chicago conversation, where Scott Bernstein, Andrés Duany, and John Tolva will talk with Laura Washington, a veteran Chicago-area journalist, about how technology can address problems raised by urban planning to make it easier to build and live in smart cities.
The hackathon is a way to crowdsource the effort it takes to bring an exciting new idea to fruition: the developers will meet to discuss the topics and ideas raised and brainstorm what they want to do and, finally, split into teams based on interest. They’ll then have 33 hours with access to CNT and the City of Chicago’s proprietary models and datasets to work on their ideas. Read more »
Friday, October 5th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
Through a grant to Project for Public Spaces from the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Sustainable Communities under their Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities Program, Livability Solutions will be offering free technical assistance workshops to 6 to 12 communities around the country, enabling local governments and communities to implement changes that will move them along the road towards smart growth and sustainability. Livability Solutions is a partnership of organizations with expertise in sustainability planning, including CNT. This technical assistance will take the form of one- to two-day workshops, led by one or more experienced coalition members, focused on one or more of the group’s unique suite of livability tools. Read more »
Tuesday, September 25th, 2012 at 2:13 pm
The City of Chicago has selected CNT to manage the Chicago Sustainable Backyards Program (SusBy) which encourages Chicagoans to create more environmentally-friendly landscapes in their yards, as well as in community and school gardens. The program promotes simple, low-cost measures that residents can use to enhance the environment and reduce neighborhood flooding. It offers Chicago residents educational information and rebates up to 50% back on their purchases of trees, native plants, compost bins and rain barrels. Funding for rebates currently comes from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Pollution Prevention Program and a USDA Forest Service Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant. Read more »
Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Nicor Gas launched an Economic Redevelopment Program in June, 2011 as part of its strategy to help owners of commercial, industrial, and large multifamily apartment buildings increase the energy efficiency of their buildings, reduce overhead costs, and provide more affordable, sustainable living for their tenants. Energy efficiency projects can seem intimidating, promising documents filled with technical jargon and expensive futuristic gadgets. The financial incentives, extensive technical assistance and consistent project guidance provided by Nicor’s program remove these barriers to the redevelopment process, making it possible for even the least initiated to implement effective changes. Read more »
