On Friday evening, a group of Nicholas school students jumped in a 1971 biodiesel van headed up to Raleigh. We attended a presentation on The Sustainable Sites Initiative, which was affiliated with a conference on urban design at NC State University.  The initiative is a partnership between the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the United States Botanic Garden, and various stakeholders to develop sustainable guidelines for landscapes. 

The guidelines will consider vegetation, hydrology, soils, materials, and human well-being in the development of a proposed site.  Most interestingly, these standards will differ by bioregion, making the initiative a huge endeavor.  I guess that's why they are not due out until 2012.  They are also a valuable complement to the LEED standards for green buildings and extend sustainability outside of the built realm.  For me, it was inspiring to hear how a collaborative of diverse groups from around the nation were combining their expertise to develop solutions for urban sustainability.  I can't think of a better time to be in an interdisciplinary program.

On that same thought, I experienced a moment today that encapsulates the multidiscliplinary nature of the Nicholas School MEM program.  On the bus to UNC, I was talking with an MEM alumni on the phone about watershed delineation and stream restoration.  When I finished the call, I started reading a chapter in the book Global Business Citizenship for my Sustainable Business Strategy course.  Then I arrived at UNC, where I attended two classes through the City and Regional Planning Department on land use planning and development impact assessment.