Grey to Green Conference Speakers Announced - greytogreenconference.org

Quantifying Green Infrastructure to Make Better Infrastructure Decisions


TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 9, 2017) -

Editors Note: There are two photos associated with this press release.

Senior levels of government continue to overlook the many benefits of investing in living green infrastructure such as urban forests, green roofs, green walls, and bioswales when making multi-billion dollar infrastructure decisions. Join us and shape a healthier and more resilient future at the Grey to Green Conference: Quantifying Green Infrastructure from May 8-10, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Now in its 5th year, Grey to Green will feature a Public Forum on May 8th to discuss barriers and opportunities to advance green infrastructure from a variety of professional perspectives. The Forum includes Jennifer Keesmaat, Chief Planner, City of Toronto; Deborah Martin-Downs, CAO, Credit Valley Conservation; Steven Peck, Founder and President, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities; and Scott Torrance, Practice Leader, Scott Torrance Landscape Architect.

"Quantifying the biophysical, social and economic benefits of green infrastructure is essential to support better design practice and policies for investing in, and protecting, green infrastructure assets," said Steven W. Peck, GRP, and Founder of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. "A lot of progress made on this front in the past year, which we plan to highlight at Grey to Green," he added.

Grey to Green will attract more than 300 architects, landscape architects, policy makers, manufacturers, growers, landscapers, and other green infrastructure professionals to discuss the benefits, growth and tangible effects of the green infrastructure industry. More than 50 expert speakers on a wide variety of topics will present on May 9th their latest work on Natural Capital, Green Infrastructure Asset Management, Stormwater Policy Best Practices, Health Impacts of Green Infrastructure, and Green Infrastructure Design Valuation. Expert speakers include:

  • World renowned designer, Herbert Dreiseitl, Ramboll Liveable Cities Lab on shaping livable cities with green and blue infrastructure
  • Co-founder of the USGBC, Greg Kats, President, Capital E, Bryce Miranda, Partner, DTAH on conducting a smart roof assessment in Washington, DC
  • Ministry of Environment and Energy's new Low Impact Stormwater Guideline, with John Antoszek, MOEE
  • Primary designer of the Javits Center green roof in New York, Peter Olney, Senior Associate, FXFOWLE
  • Dr. Hamid Karimi, Deputy Director, Washington DC Department of Energy and Environment on their innovative Green Area Zoning program
  • Tao Zhang, Principal, Sasaki Associates, Inc. on Park Evaluation in Shanghai
  • Jessica Isaac, Senior Policy Advisor, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario on stormwater funding models
  • Karen Morrison, York University on the latest finding about policy, health outcomes & green infrastructure
  • Yoshiki Harada, Ph.D. Candidate, Section of Horticulture, Cornell University on the value of urban agriculture

Grey to Green also includes a trade show and exceptional networking. Most professional training opportunities are paired with tours and include Low Impact Development, Rooftop Agriculture, New Lighting Technologies for Indoor Vegetable and Medical Crop Production and Living Walls, Green Walls 101: Systems Overview & Design, and Integrated Water Management for Buildings and Sites.

Presented by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the Green Infrastructure Foundation, in partnership with the City of Toronto. Proud sponsors include: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority; Live Green Toronto; DeepRoot; Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition; Credit Valley Conservation; LiveRoof; Ginkgo Sustainability; Gro-Bark; TD Bank Group; Construction Links Media; Renew Magazine; Water Canada; Ontario Association of Landscape Architects; Ontario Parks Association; Ryerson University; Landscape Ontario; greenroofs.com; Carrot Common; and Ryerson University Urban Water.

Early bird rates end March 10, 2017. Student pricing is available. To register visit, greytogreenconference.org. For media passes please contact Kara Orr at korr@greenroofs.org.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities' mission is to develop and protect the market by increasing the awareness of the economic, social and environmental benefits of green roofs, green walls, and other forms of living architecture. The Green Infrastructure Foundation is a charitable organization with a mission is to promote green infrastructure across North America through education.

To view the photos associated with this press release, please visit the following links:

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Contact Information:

Grey to Green
Kara Orr
korr@greenroofs.org

Featured speaker: Internationally acclaimed designer Herbert Dreiseitl and Director of the Ramboll Liveable Cities Lab will discuss Shaping Liveable Cities: Integrating the Blue, the Green, and the Social. Opening Plenary (free public event) keynote speaker, Jennifer Keesmaat, Chief Planner, City of Toronto with a panel of experts will discuss green infrastructure for a resilient city.