From November 20 through 22, the world's largest conference dedicated to green building practices will take place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center with the
Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) as official host.
Greenbuild 2013 marks the conference's 20th year.
DVGBC's Heather Blakeslee believes that Philadelphia was chosen to host GreenBuild's anniversary year because of the Pennsylvania Convention Center's expansion and upcoming LEED certification. In addition, the region has become a hotbed for innovative sustainable architecture and design.
In an attempt to extend the event's impact on the region,
DVGBC issued a challenge in May 2012, asking local businesses to "green" themselves in practical, quantifiable ways by November 2013. These pledges are now showcased in a public exhibit at the
Independence Visitor Center Corporation and will be highlighted at Greenbuild.
"We really wanted to put together a program that would allow the larger sustainability community to participate in the lead-up to Greenbuild," says Blakelee. "Any agency, school, business or residential community who wanted to participate could do so. We received 150 pledges from around the region."
Other free community events surrounding Greenbuild include a "
Community-based Sustainability Forum" on Wednesday, November 20 (9 a.m. – noon); "
Neighborhoods Go Green! Scaling up Sustainability Exhibit Opening" on
Wednesday, November 20, 2013 (6 - 7:30 p.m.); and a "
Faith-based Professional Peer Group" on Thursday November 21 (9 – 11 a.m.).
Stay tuned: Flying Kite will have a full report from Greenbuild 2013 in an upcoming issue.
Writer: Nicole Woods
Source: Heather Blakeslee, DVGBC