LOS ANGELES-What would a sustainable Los Angeles look like? We might not even recognize it: clean air and water, with zero waste as a goal for every facet of design, purchase and shipping in every product; "green" buildings that would be highly energy efficient, even producing energy; rooftop urban habitat that would sustain biodiversity; and a city that would use far fewer resources and have much less negative impact on surrounding regions.

Sound like a pipe dream? Not according to experts at the Center for Sustainable Cities at the University of Southern California (USC), who for the first time will bring together urban stakeholders from city planning, development, architecture, engineering, nonprofit groups, and corporations for an executive education program "Meeting the Challenges of Sustainability" on November 11th-13th, 2005.

There are a variety of reasons why sustainability has become a hot topic for business and government organizations. Topping the list is financial practicality: sustainability, with its focus on preserving resources, often increases productivity and performance while saving money, and there is a growing public demand for environmentally- and socially-conscious business practices.

"We're seeing a distinct trend toward social responsibility, transparency in corporate practice, and environmental awareness on a global scale," says Professor Jennifer Wolch, PhD, Director of the Center, "Sustainability is becoming a dominant business direction of this decade in the way that the Internet was in the 90s."

The program offers participating executives a USC Certificate in Sustainability Science and Management and a broad range of technical tools and resources to bring back to their organization, as well as the opportunity to create a network of contacts with shared goals. Attendees will leave the program poised to lead the transition to sustainability in the corporate, government and non-profit worlds.

Participants will hear from faculty and panels of leading practitioners about the latest ideas on topics ranging from sustainability as a business development strategy to green architecture, view case studies of dynamic new environmentally sound projects, and participate in hands-on training for the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) indicators of sustainability.

Related Link: Click here for detailed course and registration information

For more information contact:

William Vuong
USC-Center for Sustinable Cities, Center Administrator
Kaprelian Hall 413
Los Angeles
CA 90089-0255
United States

Phone: 213-821-1325
Fax: 213-740-0056
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.cscexecutiveeducation.org