Green cities kicks off for 2015

Green cities kicks off for 2015The annual Green Cities conference, Australia’s premier built environment sustainability event, kicks off today in Melbourne.The conference brings together leading industry professionals, academics and policymakers to compare notes, hear from the best in the business and together take the next big strides forward on the road to sustainability.This year’s conference opens with a keynote address by internationally acclaimed urban planner Larry Beasley CM (pictured).Beasley’s vision for sustainable cities of the future centres on liveability and bespoke solutions that recognise the divergent needs of different communities around the world.”We must develop cities that meet the sustainability test but are also extraordinary and fulfilling and touch what matters for people – cities that people truly want to be in, cities that offer memorable experiences.”Green Cities includes sessions on:reinventing old spaces, led by the man who has helped make Melbourne the world’s most liveable city;
creative change in uncertain times featuring Clean Energy Finance Corporation Chair, Jillian Broadbent AO and 2014 G20 Youth Summit Chair Holly Ransom; anda first-of-its-kind look at Australia’s canopy tree cover; the urban housing challenge; Green infrastructure, just to name a few.Green Cities will also feature:a Women’s Leadership breakfast for the first time to promote continued discussion of workplace diversity and increasing the number of women in leadership roles; and
green building site tours and master classes.Get involvedYou can keep up to date with all the conference goings on via:twitter @GreenCitiesConf #GC_2015FacebookOver three packed days the conference, now in its ninth year and jointly hosted by the Property Council of Australia and the Green Building Council of Australia, will showcase how sustainability makes business sense.”Our success on the sustainability front was confirmed with the latest results from the latest Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) ranking Australia the world’s greenest property market,” said Property Council Chief Executive Ken Morrison.”The recently released intergenerational report serves to reinforce the importance of building for a sustainable future, particularly when it comes to our cities.”The theme of this year’s conference is Connect – because sustainable cities are connected cites. They connect people, places and opportunities.Green Building Council of Australia CEO Romily Madew said “Investors, purchasers, occupiers and regulators are increasingly demanding sustainability – because they know sustainability is short-hand for smart, secure, efficient and enduring assets. This long-term thinking extends far beyond this financial year or this electoral cycle.”