Grand Rapids, Mich. - Architect and founder of Architecture 2030 to talk about developing architecture districts that serve as a business model for urban sustainability

The Wege Foundation will host the 19th Wege Speaker Series on Thursday, April 23 at 4 p.m. at the Aquinas College Performing Arts Center. It is the first speaker series event since the passing of Wege Foundation founder Peter Wege in 2014.

At this year’s event, the key speaker is Edward Mazria, founder and head of Architecture 2030, an organization designed to rapidly transform the built environment from the major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions to a central part of the solution to the climate and energy crises. His talk is titled, “The Road to Zero.”

“Peter Wege’s decades-long leadership in promoting green buildings makes Mr. Mazria the perfect choice to deliver the 2015 Wege Lecture and to inspire Grand Rapids to continue Mr. Wege’s Economicology legacy,” said Ellen Satterlee, CEO of the Wege Foundation. Mazria will powerfully illustrate a core principle of Economicology, that creating a healthy environment generates a prosperous economy.

Mazria is an internationally recognized architect, author, researcher, and educator. Over the past decade, his seminal research of the built environment has redefined the role of architecture, planning, design and building in reshaping our world to create access to no cost/low cost renewable energy.

Of particular interest in Grand Rapids are 2030 Districts, an initiative of Architecture 2030. These unique private/public partnerships bring property owners and managers together with local governments, businesses and community stakeholders to provide a business model for urban sustainability. Established in Seattle, 2030 districts in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Denver, Stamford, San Francisco, and Dallas comprise over 180 million square feet of real estate. New 2030 Districts are currently forming in cities across the U.S. and Canada.

Joining Mazria will be Vincent Martinez, Director of Research and Operations, Architecture 2030.

Partners for the 19th Wege Speaker Series event include:

• Institute for Energy Innovation


• West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum


• US Green Building Council West Michigan Chapter


• AIA Grand Rapids


• West Michigan Environmental Action Council


• West Michigan Environmental Leadership Network


• City of Grand Rapids’ Office of Energy and Sustainability


• GRPS City High-Middle School


• GRPS Center for Economicology


 

The Aquinas College Performing Arts Center is located at 1703 Robinson Road S.E. in Grand Rapids. The public is invited and the event is free. Registration is required at aquinas.edu/wegespeaker