For Immediate Release
September 29, 2008

Sustainability series to explore region's most critical challenges

Policy makers and the public are encouraged to attend a series of lectures on Sustainability Issues in Southern California sponsored by UCR Extension in cooperation with the UCR Edward J. Blakely Center for Sustainable Suburban Development.

Six lectures will explore the potential economic and environmental impacts of various public policy initiatives throughout Southern California. Issues relating to air quality, housing density, water, transportation and financing of public services will be addressed.

Mark Pisano, former executive director of the Southern California Association of Governments, will kick off the series Tuesday, Oct. 7, with a discussion of regional growth.

Pisano, a senior fellow at the USC School of Policy, Planning and Development, directed the nation's largest regional planning agency for 31 years.

He will address how the region can achieve the triple bottom line of environmental quality of life objectives, energy independence and economic growth.

"We're making suggestions on how the region can organize itself so it can accomplish these goals," Pisano said.

All but one of the lectures will be presented live from 6 to 9 p.m. at UCR Extension, 1200 University Ave., Riverside, and by video conferencing at the UC Riverside Palm Desert Graduate Center, 75-080 Frank Sinatra Drive. The final lecture on Dec. 9 will be live in Palm Desert and via video conferencing in Riverside.

Other lectures include:

• Oct. 14: Housing and Density, Robert "Bob" Johnson, assistant city manager of Temecula (#082-SCH-H62)
• Oct. 21: Water Issues, Timothy Skrove, government relations representative, Metropolitan Water District (#082-SCH-H63)
• Nov. 18: Air Quality, Jim Lents, Ph.D., president, International Sustainable Systems Research Center (#082-SCH-H64)
• Dec. 2: Transportation, Eric Haley, former executive director, Riverside County Transportation Commission (#082-SCH-H65)
• Dec. 9: Financing of Public Services, Norm King, former executive director, San Bernardino Associated Governments. (#082-SCH-H66)

The fee for individual lectures is $35. Cost of the series, which is a required course for the certificate in Sustainable Development and Green Design, is $295.

On-line registration is available at www.extension.ucr.edu or by phone at 951-827-4105 or 800-442-4990. Refer to the registration number following each lecture description. The registration number for the first lecture is: #082-SCH-H61.

UCR Extension is a self-supporting branch of the University of California, Riverside.