University of Wisconsin
- Extension
Sustainability Team
Capacity Center
Featured News Item
for February
Public
Policy Forum on Sustainable Communities
UW
Colleges/Extension will be hosting the third in a continuing
series of biannual “Wisconsin Idea” Public Policy Forums to be
held March 25-26 at UW-Fox Valley. The theme of this forum is
Sustainable Communities. The first day of the forum
is tentatively slated to include invited plenary speakers on
community sustainability and community case study panels
featuring both in-state and out-of-state presentations and
responses. The second day of the forum will be a hands-on,
participatory session focused on public policy opportunities and
recommendations. A series of regional Sustainable Communities
Roundtables are planned for late February and early March to
lead up to and provide input for the March forum. The
Roundtables will look at ways communities can engage in
sustainability—based on compelling examples from around the
state—and gain input from participants regarding the
opportunities and challenges they see in terms of the policy
dimensions of community sustainability. The findings and
recommendations from the regional Sustainable Communities
Roundtables and the Public Policy Forum on Sustainable
Communities will be summarized in a written publication. It will
capture and document the broad movement across the state toward
sustainability and help translate this grassroots interest into
action through practical steps and solutions. Additional
information on the roundtables and forum will be provided as it
becomes available.
Archived News Items
Sustainable
development is defined in the “Brundtland Report” as development
that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs. Recently, emphasis has
shifted to the science of sustainability and a focus on the core
principles of ecological limits. Regardless of the definition or
approach, there is a broadly shared sense that sustainable development
explicitly recognizes the interconnections and relationships between the
economy, society, and the environment. Concepts of sustainability can
guide improved programming in Extension and better planning and
development in society at all levels from individual business plans to
international policy.
