Student-run symposium inspires ideas for urban sustainability

A student-organized event Friday brings together a diverse group of pioneering professionals presenting innovative approaches to making cities more sustainable.

The Urban Planning and Policy Student Association hosts its 3rd annual Urban Innovation Symposium in two parts: daytime sessions and nighttime informal events.

“We’re interested in creating an understanding of sustainability as a concept that appears in many different forms, like transportation, urban agriculture, economic development, and so on, in ways that directly affect how communities and individuals live their daily lives,” said Stephen Broadwell, a second-year graduate student in urban planning.

Daytime session begin at 9 a.m. and last until 2 p.m. in Room 302 Student Center East.

The symposium provides an opportunity for students to be around others with shared interests in urban issues.

“While planning the symposium, I was able to gain a better understanding of how well served and connected the planning community was,” said  Jane Wilberding, a first-year grad student in urban planning.

The event is open to the UIC community. Beyond urban planning and policy students, the symposium could appeal to students in public administration, architecture, art and design, economics, business administration, civil engineering, social work, sociology, environmental science and geography, organizers said.

The evening event takes place from 8 to 11 p.m. at Catawampus Gallery, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave., in Wicker Park.The informal events include one-on-one discussions aimed to inspire creative approaches to building more sustainable urban environments.

All events are open to the public but an RSVP is required.

grusse2@uic.edu