Now is the time to enter your green infrastructure projects in THE-NEXT-GREEN Awards, presented by the Colombian Network of Green Infrastructure RECIVE (Red Colombiana de Infraestructura Vegetada) alongside the World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN).

This year’s World Green Infrastructure Congress (WGIC) will be held in beautiful Bogotá, Colombia on October 19-21, 2016.  Organized by RECIVE, WGIN, and partner universities, THE-NEXT-GREEN Awards is open to institutions, designers, researchers, and students!

“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, Bogota 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 (WGIN) 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.” ~ WGIC2016

Aramis and I have had the wonderful opportunity to attend several of these World Green Infrastructure Congresses, including in Sydney (2014); Nantes (2013); and Mexico City (2010) – as well as the 2012 Hangzhou China World Green Roof Conference held by WGIN member the International Rooftop Landscaping Association (IRLA).

And, we are very pleased to do so again this October in Bogotá, where’ll I’ll be presenting and also have the privilege of being one of the jurors for THE-NEXT-GREEN Awards.

What is it?

Most importantly, 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.  Application to THE-NEXT-GREEN awards 2016 is now open to all countries.

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.

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.

Most of all, make sure to visit the website to familiarize yourself with the Congress, the Awards process, and most importantly, the wonderful, exciting, and increasingly green city of Bogotá and country of Colombia!

In addition, we’ll be sharing much more information about the World Green Infrastructure Congress 2016 soon but for now, if you have any questions, visit the organizers at: http://www.wgicbogota2016.com/ or contact: info@recive.org.

~ Saludos y buena suerte!

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