Sustainable Land Development Today - September 2007 - (Page 22)

EDUCATION “We have five job offers for every landscape architecture graduate this last year. The last three years it’s been that way,” Melby said. “We are beginning to see clients who are asking for sustainable systems. One boy went to work for a firm that consults with WalMart which is very interested in creating sustainable facilities.” Vanagas said he is working on a project for a group of companies trying to develop a strategic plan on how to get industry and academia closer. “The reason is they don’t have enough talent, the type of students that they want to hire,” he said. Yanarella points to other opportunities for students. In the last couple of years there’s been a strong up tick in the market for green products, green strategies in building the urban environment, and a considerable amount of interest in sustainable agriculture. “There is market interest in energy efficiency driven by a powerful planning imperative to build cities that are more sustainable,” he says. There’s a lot on the line. All one has to do is look at the Gulf of Mexico to see one area of concern related to stormwater run off. “There is a 9,000 square mile dead zone off the coast of Louisiana as a result of the Mississippi River that is dead from top to bottom. It’s from runoff originating all the way up in the Midwest,” Melby said. The issues are global which will foster international conflict if not addressed, according to Yanarella. “We’re fated to live in a century where natural resource scarcity is going to be even more prominent. Estimates on oil reserves are that we’re at a tipping point. China and India are growing populations and economies, so demand for oil will grow,” he said. There is also the looming crisis over the scarcity of potable water. “The possibility of international friction and war stemming from access to water point to the fact these issues will not go away.” The New Frontier Crisis drives interest. For creative minds, sustainability is virgin territory with magnetic appeal. It encompasses more than the challenges and opportunities related to land use and buildings. “The problem is everybody interprets sustainability from different perspectives,” Vanegas said. “There is no unified body of knowledge or theory on sustainability. It depends on where you look. It can have very rigorous requirements all the way to subjective, rules of thumb and common sense.” “Students love the idea,” Melby said of the uncharted waters. “They see the opportunity to do something that they’re predecessors have not done.” SLDT Additional resources concerning this topic are available online. About the author: Rob Kundert is a veteran reporter and frequent contributor to Sustainable Land Development Today. Circle 162 • or www.LandDevelopmentToday.com/adinfo 22 September 2007 Sustainable Land Development Today http://www.LandDevelopmentToday.com/adinfo

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Land Development Today - September 2007

Sustainable Land Development Today - September 2007 Contents Our Voice: Teaching and Learning Your Voice: Reader Response Editorial Board A 52-Mile Taking Fiber to the Front Doors of America Educators Incorporating Sustainability Land Planning: The Truth about Sprawl Irrigation: Communication Key Wastewater: Many Challenges Determine Sewer Options Regulation: Changing by State, Region, and Municipality Risk Management: Construction Defect Claims Recommended Reading Products/Services Showcase Advertiser Index Calendar Classifieds The Last Word

Sustainable Land Development Today - September 2007

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