Gonzaga lecture series: Nature-Positive Development and Generous Urban Design - Feb 5

This lecture is hosted by Gonzaga University's Institute for Water, Climate, and the Environment

Date: Wednesday February 5
Time: 6pm PT
Location: Hemmingson Auditorium, Gonzaga University and livestreaming online
Free and open to the public

To register.

Urban environments rely on healthy ecosystem services to thrive, such as clean air, clean water, and temperature regulation. Because 56% of the world’s population now live in urban environments, urban design and development must contribute to the health, well-being, and sustainability of the ecosystems they impact. As of September 2023, humanity has crossed six of the nine biophysical boundaries that allow life to thrive on Earth. According to the Nature-Positive movement (which consists of 27 of the world’s largest nature conservation organizations, institutes, businesses, and finance coalitions), “connecting the nature-positive goal to equity and carbon neutrality recognizes the fundamental connection between human development and the health of nature and the deep connection between nature, climate, and Earth system stability.” In the face of biodiversity loss, oceanic acidification, and climate change, how can we optimize urban development for life in the coming decades and support local ecosystems within our built environment? The Spokane University District (UD)—an innovative life sciences and energy district--aims to pioneer both nature-based infrastructure and an urban development framework that supports the long-term health of the district’s ecosystem, inhabitants and ecological limits.

About the speaker: Juliet Sinisterra currently serves as the CEO for the Spokane University District public development authority. Juliet holds a professional Bachelor of Architecture degree and a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from Washington State University. She also holds a certificate in urban design from Syracuse University, Florence, Italy. She brings over 30 years’ experience in urban design, master planning, project management, community engagement, and sustainable community development from her work in both the Seattle and Spokane areas. Her work at the University District has focused on developing a community-informed prioritized listing of strategic investments within the district that can be implemented via regenerative urban development and nature-based infrastructure. Juliet is particularly interested in how urban systems can respond to the limits of planetary boundaries, while at the same time developing systems that support all of life.