Detroitisit hosts Sustainable Urban Design Summit in partnership with the Netherlands during Dutch Design Week

    DETROIT, MI, October 13, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- As one of the most densely populated countries in the world, the Netherlands is becoming a global leader in sustainable urban design – focusing on the re-usability of products, minimizing wasted energy and resources, building climate-neutral houses, utilizing smart transportation practices, and more.

The city of Detroit's goals toward sustainability are similar to what the Netherlands has accomplished. Knowing we could learn from the country's innovations, the media platform Detroitisit partnered with the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Chicago and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Washington DC to host the 2021 Sustainable Urban Design Summit.

The virtual summit – sponsored by Sustainable Business Network of Detroit https://www.sbndetroit.net – will take place from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19 and Thursday, Oct. 21 in partnership with Dutch Design Week, the largest annual design event in Northern Europe. The Summit will include online networking, forums (panels?) about sustainable urban planning and circular economy, followed by a Q&A session.

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, who is currently traveling across Michigan as part of the Thriving Cities Tour, is a participating speaker of the Summit. He will talk about how the Whitmer administration is working toward improving the quality of life in urban areas like Detroit.

"Detroit is continuing to lead the way when it comes to inclusive and sustainable urban development as well as mobility technology testing and deployment through projects," said Gilchrist, who served as the first-ever director of Innovation and Emerging Technology for the city of Detroit from 2015 to 2017.

"I'm looking forward to discussing more solutions we can pursue and investments we can make to meet every city's needs, from transportation to infrastructure to housing."

Good sustainable urban planning and design help improve the welfare of people by shaping their neighborhoods into healthier, more efficient spaces. Attendees of the Summit will learn how Dutch projects are achieving this and why Sustainable Urban Planning is essential to the architecture of tomorrow's Detroit and cities worldwide.

"Detroiters deserve to thrive in an equitable, green city; have access to affordable and quality housing; and live in clean, connected neighborhoods. It's important for the state of Michigan to collaborate with other countries to make this a reality and to create more sustainable futures – not just locally but also globally," said Ivana Kalafatic, founder of Detroitisit.

"We are excited to partner with industry leaders from the Netherlands – melding minds and developing creative solutions focused on Sustainable Urban Planning and the Circular Economy."

In addition to Lt. Gov. Gilchrist, other speakers at the Sustainable Urban Design Summit include:

• Guido Braam, Director of Powered by Meaning, a Netherland-based portfolio company
• Fedor Bron, Associate Director of MVRDV, an architecture and urban design practice based in Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Ryan Friedrichs, Vice President of Development at the Related Companies and former Chief Development Officer for the City of Detroit
• Kate Gasparro, Director of Urban Strategy and Innovation for Bedrock in Detroit and Cleveland
• Eva Gladek, founder and CEO of Metabolic, an international consulting and venture building company headquartered in Amsterdam
• Jorn Konijn, Dutch Design Week's head of program and senior design researcher at ArtEZ University of Arts
• Victoria Prouse, Transportation Planning Lead for Ford Motor Company's Michigan Central Mobility Innovation District
• Olga Stella, Vice President of Strategy and Communications at the College for Creative Studies and Executive Director of Design Core Detroit
• Simon Sylvester-Chaudhuri, Co-Founder of Detroit Urban Solutions and Founder and Executive Director of CIV:LAB, a network of more than 30 diverse local innovators from government, academia, business and neighborhoods
• Ingrid van der Wacht, International Public Affairs Manager for the Dutch Design Foundation
• Peter Wijsman, City Executive in the San Francisco Bay Area for Arcadis, a global design and consultancy firm for built and natural assets

"We encourage decision makers, government officials, innovators, investment and policy leaders, urban planners, real estate developers, engineers, tech professionals, journalists and architects to attend the Sustainable Urban Design Summit to find how they can help the city of Detroit create systematic change," said Kalafatic.

Register to attend the Sustainable Urban Design Summit https://sustainableurbandesignsummit.com/
For more information about Detroitisit, visit detroitisit.com or follow on social media at facebook.com/detroitisit and instagram.com/detroitisit. Linked? And Twitter @Detroitisit

Detroitisit https://detroitisit.com is an online news organization which serves as a local guide to culture, community, innovation, design and more. The company strives to be environmentally conscious – raising awareness about topics such as city farming programs, solar energy, public transit, preservation opportunities, waste management, and clean-up initiatives in Detroit. In addition to the upcoming conference, Detroitisit has also hosted the Sustainable Future of Transportation event in partnership with Deloitte during NAIAS and as a media partner, hosted a keynote panel Why Water? during the Sustainable Brands Innovation Expo 2019.

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