Have you taken advantage of the Early Bird Discount Registration for the 2016 World Green Infrastructure Congress (2016 WGIC), held in beautiful Bogotá on October 19 – 21, 2016?  Don’t miss out on the savings ending this Friday!

Early Bird Registration Deadline: August 19, 2016

And, have you entered your projects in THE-NEXT-GREEN Awards yet?  Organized by RECIVE, WGIN, and partner universities, THE-NEXT-GREEN Awards is open to institutions, designers, researchers, and students in various categories.

Award Submissions Deadline: August 19, 2016 (World Humanitarian Day)

Join colleagues and industry professionals from across the world in the very green capital of Bogotá, Colombia, this fall for the 2016 WGIC to gather and talk about the positive impact of green infrastructure on urban environmental quality and on the well-being of people who live in cities.

Presented by the Colombian Network of Green Infrastructure RECIVE (Red Colombiana de Infraestructura Vegetada) alongside the World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN), the World Green Infrastructure Congress is a world-class event that every year attracts experts from 25 countries to discuss the latest advances on urban Green Infrastructure.

This year, Bogotá has the privilege of hosting the event on the 19th, 20th and 21st of October after previous years events held in Japan, Australia, France, China, and Mexico.  The World Green Infrastructure Network appointed the capital of Colombia for its leadership in the development of the building greening industry over the last 8 years in which more than 300,000 m2 of concrete surfaces were turned into living landscapes.

Located at 8,600 feet above sea level in the geographical center of the country, and with approximately 7.6 million people living in its metropolitan area, Bogotá is by far the biggest urban center of the country and the sixth biggest city in Latin America.  Colombia is considered a diverse country given its culture, geography, and rich history making it a unique and genuine travel destination.

The congress venue will be the new convention center, CONNECTA, a 250,000 m2 green city within the megacity of Bogotá.  With many buildings having received LEED Gold certification, CONNECTA introduces the concept of “business ecosystem” in Colombia: a working environment that fosters well-being and follows cutting-edge green design – covered with greenroofs!

“During the two days of lectures and discussions, the leading experts will show the most successful applications of green infrastructure in the world, the best research initiatives, the most outstanding projects, the latest technologies and the most recent incentive-oriented policies for building greening. On the third day, the congress audience will go to strategic places of Bogotá with the international experts. In this guided tours the visitors will be able to know in detail the best projects of green roofs and living walls, unique local flora and ecosystems, and local communities that do urban farming on the roofs of their houses.” ~ WGIC2016

WGIC 2016 Highlights

Key Facts:

More than 30 speakers; More than 20 international speakers; 400 – 500 attendees; Trade Fair with 25 stands; First World Green Congress in South America; Technical, Social and Environmental Tours; Green Awards in four categories; Business Roundtables; Technical and Commercial Lectures.

Congress Topics:

City Greening and Cultural Services – Technonatures: Technique and Installation – Policy and Economics of Green – Supporting Services Come to Town – Regulating Services in the New Eco-urban – Provisioning Services in the New Eco-urban – Project and Design: Rethinking Green – International Case Studies – After Green: Future Trends – Latin American Green.

Keynotes and Speakers:

L to R: James Ramsey, Patrick Blanc, Manfred Köhler, and Dusty Gedge.

You’ll hear from awesome international presenters including WGIC 2016 co-organizer Andrés Ibañez (RECIVE and the Latin America Green Infrastructure Network) from Colombia; Mexico City Secretary of Environment Tanya Müller García, Mexico; James Ramsey (The Lowline) from the U.S.; Patrick Blanc (Le Mur Vegetal) from France; Manfred Köhler (World Green Infrastructure Network) from Germany; Dusty Gedge (European Federation of Green Roof Associations -EFB- and livingroofs.org) from the UK; Steven Peck (Green Roofs for Healthy Cities) from Canada; me (Greenroofs.com) from the U.S. – plus many more!

See the full, jam-packed Agenda.

THE-NEXT-GREEN Awards:

THE-NEXT-GREEN Awards is a world-class competition that selects and promotes the best projects of Green Infrastructure that interface nature and man-made environment at any scale from micro to macro: objects, products, furniture, buildings, parks, master plans, green belts, bioswales, man-made wetlands, etc.

Environment: Projects built in the last 3 years. Track open to professionals and institutions.
Community: Projects built in the last 3 years. Track open to professionals and institutions.
Design: Concept designs or full designs proposed in the last 3 years. Track open to students, professionals or institutions.
Research and Innovation: Research Projects completed in the last 3 years. Track open to students, professionals or institutions.

Each track has two categories:

Global: Projects and authors from all countries except Latin American. Submission information must be in English.
Latin America: Projects and authors from Latin America. Submission information may be in English or Spanish.

All proposals submitted by students will be evaluated separately from the applications submitted by professionals and institutions.

THE-NEXT-GREEN Awards Important Dates:

Submissions Deadline: August 19, 2016 (World Humanitarian Day)
Announcement of Winners: September 22 (World Car Free Day)
Awards Ceremony: October 20, World Green Infrastructure Congress 2016, Bogotá, Colombia.

If you have a great project located anywhere in the world that fits the requirements of these categories, we strongly encourage you to participate in THE-NEXT-GREEN Awards.

“The congress will place Bogotá at the core of the latest urban environmental themes, with an agenda that goes beyond climate change. Experts and audience will discuss the urban transformation resulting from the positive impacts of Green Infrastructure: air purification, flood risk reduction, noise absorption, food production, generation of clean energy, mitigation of heat island effect, increase of natural habitat for species in risk of extinction, connection of local ecosystems with urban green belts, and creation of green areas for human recreation and contemplation.

These themes will open up a new chapter in the development of our cities towards eco-productive architecture and incremental urbanism.” ~ WGIC2016

More info:

Visit: http://www.wgicbogota2016.com/ or contact: info@recive.org.

Don’t miss out on learning about green infrastructure and being a part of the bustling, musical, and magical Bogotá where warm hospitality mixes with modern and traditional every day – and don’t miss either the Early Bird Registration OR the Submission Deadline for THE-NEXT-GREEN Awards ending this Friday, August 19th!

Aramis and I will be here in Bogotá, where I’ll be presenting and also have the privilege of being one of the jurors for THE-NEXT-GREEN Awards.  We hope you will, too.

~ Saludos!

Linda S. Velazquez, ASLA, LEEP AP, GRP
Greenroofs.com Publisher