SvN Architects + Planners (SvN) is launching a LinkedIn Live Series dubbed SvN Speaks on June 1, 2022. Hosted by various practice leaders at the firm, each episode will feature conversations with expert urbanists and industry professionals themed around the urgent need for cities to take bolder action to fight climate change and meet net-zero deadlines.
Solution-oriented topics will range from accelerating and incentivizing low-carbon building designs to electrifying and enhancing the carbon sequestration of an entire city grid. Guests will include leading experts from across North America who are making strong headway in these areas, including the cities of Vancouver, San Francisco and New York.
SvN Speaks is a response to the City of Toronto’s review of the Official Plan (OP 2051), and will highlight key opportunities, challenges, and recommendations to inform the ongoing review process and help transition the Official Plan from a land-use focus to a zero-carbon focus.
“We believe the City of Toronto’s Official Plan needs to re-centre its purpose by adopting climate-positive policy as the foundational element of all planning,” says Drew Sinclair, Managing Partner, SvN. “We are bringing together experts from across North America who are leading the way in in climate-focused policies to discuss their learnings and recommendations. We hope this knowledge sharing will spark a dialogue that is action-oriented and help create a fundamental shift in the way we look at city building as an industry.”
Earlier this year, SvN’s Post Carbon Research Team released a report titled “The House is On Fire” detailing five priority areas to help transition the Official Plan from a land-use focus to a zero-carbon focus. SvN Speaks episodes take inspiration from the findings and recommendations outlined in the report.
SvN Speaks episodes will run weekly or bi-weekly starting Wednesday, June 1 at 12:00pm EST. The first episode will focus on New York City’s massive shift towards the electrification of new buildings and the rollout of the progressive Local Law 97. Special guests are Lolita Jackson, MBE, former Special Advisor for Climate Policy & Programs with the City of New York, and former Mayor of Toronto David Miller, who is currently the Managing Director of the C40 Centre for Urban Climate Policy and Economy.
To follow along with the series and sign up for notifications, follow SvN Architects + Planners on LinkedIn or contact kg&a for more information.