EcoCity Builders is one of the most inspiring organisations world wide. It has the theory and and the practical skills to convert our sprawling cities into ecological cities. It's outreach includes under-developed and over-developed countries. If we continue to make cities in the same old way and do not make our cities in balance with nature, then the current climate change will send humans the way of the dinosaurs. EcoCity Builders does more than any other NGO world wide to educate people for the future. My involvement goes back to 1990.
I have volunteered with Ecocity Builders since 1990 when I attended the First International Ecocity Conference convened by Richard Register. He is a visionary who sees hundreds of years into the future and, at the same time, delights in the smallest detail of a crimson autumn leaf or sparkling green dragonfly in the here and now. It is increasingly urgent that we change the way we live on the planet. Ecocity Builders is demonstrating how we can work in partnership with nature to build beautiful, livable human settlements that nurture our souls.
I first became involved with EcoCity Builders after taking a UC Berkeley Extension class taught by Kirstin Miller who is the ED of EcoCity. I was instantly hooked and was glad for opportunities to do more. The important thing about EcoCity as a non-profit is that they are not just a
West Coast Green has worked to spread information about green building to tens of thousands of people and our partnership with Ecocity Builders brought us to a new level. Together, we fermented intimate, trusting relationships with community leaders and brought them together with experts to plan for the future realization of their community's goals. Ecocity Builders have an eye for what's most important and a well developed muscle for generating solutions. Whether they are in the boardroom negotiating or in an abandoned urban plot... they are always moving aside what doesn't work and moving toward solutions that get things done right the first time... for the sake of the community.
Ecocity Builders were fantastic to work with. They managed the entire charrette process with professional attention to detail and a great can-do spirit. Their team was knowledgeable and inspiring to work with, and the charrette deliverables including a final report and resource book were put together in a readable fashion such that everyone from our President through to our students wanted to read it. Now we are implementing, and their willingness to stay engaged and answer questions is appreciated. Thanks Ecocity Builders!
Great people doing Great work! I am very proud to be involved! I look forward to helping creat exciting events for them and helping to raise money for future work.
Over the past four years, I have been able to see Ecocity Builders grow from the living room of an apartment to a downtown office complex. I began working on a project to map relative vitality in Oakland as part of a course assignment. This project eventually received funding and some of the policy recommendations are being considered by the Mayor. More importantly, partners in West Oakland are actively implementing ways to improve the vitality near the BART and historic Central Station. The Executive Director and President have a great deal of energy and have been promoting Ecocities for over 20 years.
I want to thank Kirstin Miller for speaking to my Environmental Issues class (ESPM 10) at Cal on April 1, 2010. The 150 students are learning about urban environments and consumerism, and their environmental impacts. Kirstin gave a truly excellent and exciting talk on how urban to rethink urban environments, providing excellent local examples and case studies.
I recently sat through a lecture that Kirstin Miller gave at UC Berkeley, for an environmental health course. This lecture gave an overview of what Ecocity Builders do in the local area, as well as relating the subject to the topic of our course. Kirstin gave examples of local projects that had been done, such as Strawberry creek, and gave us an inside look to the Center St. project. This lecture inspired me to become more aware of ecocities as a whole as well as interested in the organization as a whole. Great progression guys!
This group has been a leader for more than 3 decades in trying to redesign the main habitat for humanity, the cities where most of the world lives, to be resource conserving and less harmful to the rest of the planet. With little money, they have also implemented important models in their home town of Berkeley. A wonderful example of practicing locally what they preach globally.
