City Forum: Austin’s Green Economy
View the event recording here.
Join us in-person Friday, September 16, from 12:00-1:30pm in the Goldsmith Lecture Hall (GOL 3.120) for our first City Forum of the school year: "Austin’s Green Economy: Pathways to an Equitable and Sustainable Future."
Faculty from the Community and Regional Planning program and collaborators from the City of Austin will discuss the findings of a newly released report, Expanding Pathways to Quality Jobs in Austin’s Growing Green Economy. This research report demonstrates that robust growth in the green economy opens new pathways to high-quality jobs and rewarding careers for those who have historically had limited opportunities in the Austin labor market.
Contrary to the view that strong environmental actions suppress employment growth, the report shows that jobs directed to improving environmental outcomes have grown significantly faster than overall employment both nationally and in the Austin region. We will highlight how workforce-based strategies targeted to growing green occupations can help advance the goals of the City of Austin’s 2021 Climate Equity Plan, which focuses on expanding opportunities in communities that have suffered past environmental harms but have not benefited from opportunities provided by green economic development.
Participants:
The University of Texas at Austin:
- Michael Oden, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Community & Regional Planning
- Miriam Solis, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Community & Regional Planning
- Katherine Lieberknecht, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Community & Regional Planning
City of Austin:
- Marc Coudert, Climate Resilience & Adaptation Program Manager, Office of Resilience
- Daniel Culotta, Interim Chief Innovation Officer
- LaJuan Tucker, Interim Project Manager, Austin Civilian Conservation Corps, Parks & Recreation Department
Box lunches will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. This talk will be recorded and posted to the City Forum webpage soon after the event takes place. We hope to see you there!