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Download (2.5MB) a PDF of the presentation by David Rouse.

On January 22, David Rouse of WRT and Storm Cunningham, CEO of the Resolution Fund, LLC in Washington, made a presentation at the New Green Economy Conference in DC. The purpose of this event, the 10th National Conference on Science, Policy, and the Environment, was to "engage leading thinkers and doers from a diversity of disciplines, sectors, and perspectives in a structured conversation about the meaning of the green economy and how investment in green education, research and jobs can help solve both the economic and environmental crises."

David and Storm's session was entitled "Funding Strategies for Green Community & Regional Development: Achieving Rapid, Resilient Renewal of the Natural, Built & Socioeconomic Environments." David addressed the drawbacks of conventional economic development practices and alternative approaches drawn from WRT's city and regional planning practice, using the Sustainable Economic Development Strategic Plan for Cumberland, MD as a case study. Storm's presentation, not shown here, explored new strategies for designing, funding, and perpetuating community revitalization as documented in his recent book reWealth (published by McGraw-Hill in 2008). Storm is also author of The Restoration Economy (2002).

Speakers at the conference included Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; David Gergen, Director of The Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University; Charles Holliday, Chairman and CEO Emeritus of DuPont; and other governmental, business, and nonprofit leaders. "The conference highlighted ways to create economic opportunities and jobs through strategies such as clean energy, green technology, and restoration of natural and built assets," said WRT principal David Rouse. "The future lies in building a strong economy and healthy environment together."