Establishing Sustainable Urban
Communities:
HBCU Experiences as Learning
Models
Dr. Charles W. Richardson, Jr.
CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY
AASHE 2013
URBAN SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES
• ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY
– URBAN LOCALES AS ECOSYSTEMS
• SOCIAL JUSTICE
– ECONOMIC, LEGAL AND HEALTH DISPARITIES
• EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
– HIGH LEVEL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
SETTING
• ATLANTA - MOST TOXIC CITY IN COUNTRY,
CIRCUMSTANCES DRIVEN BY UNMANAGED
DEVELOPMENT
• HIGHEST VOLUME OF AIR PASSENGER TRAFFIC
• MIGRATION TO OUTLYING SUBURBS, GENERATING
HEAVY VEHICLE TRAFFIC AND CARBON EMISSIONS
• FREQUENT SEWAGE SPILLS
• FLOODING CAUSED BY SOIL EROSION
• INDUSTRY IN SURROUNDING AREAS (e. g. CHEMICAL
PLANTS AND METAL COATERS)
• TALE OF TWO CITIES
Government
Policy
CAU
Sustainability
Approach
Industry
Corporate
Social
responsibility
Community
Economic
Development
School of Arts and
Sciences
School of Business
Administration
Clark
Atlanta
University
School of Social Work
School of Education
ADMINISTRATION
• Signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate
Commitment (ACUPCC) as a charter member in April 2010
• Member of American Association for Sustainability in Higher
Education (AASHE)
• Integrated sustainability into the current University Strategic Plan
• Established Sustainability Council
• Campus selected as member of Toyota Green Initiative
• Partnering with Campus Vendors to further sustainability efforts
– Barnes and Noble (Bookstore)
• Recycled and recyclable Commencement Attire
• Book rentals and e-Books
– Ricoh (Print Shop)
• Print Less campaign, networked centralized printers
– Sodexho (Cafeteria)
• Local Sourcing, organic providers
• Tray-less operation
FACILITIES
• All renovations and new construction must meet LEED Silver
rating standards.
• Refinements to the campus solid waste diversion and disposal
program has reduced fuel usage and landfills by 20%.
• The installation of residence hall low-flow shower heads and
sink aerators have reduced energy and water usage by 8%.
• Custodial Services has an extensive Green Cleaning program
with certified operating policies and procedures.
• Use of environmentally friendly pesticides. Grounds staff
compost all leaves into loam and grind all pruned branches
into mulch.
APPLIED RESEARCH
• VEGETABLE OIL RECYCLING
– BIODIESEL FUEL
– GLYCERINE
• WATER PURIFICATION
• INDIGENOUS PLANTINGS
• ECOPRENEURSHIP
– GENERATE ECONOMIC VALUE AS A BYPRODUCT OF CREATING SOCIAL VALUE
CURRICULUM – ATYPICAL TOPICS
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Applied Urban Management
Community Based Health Care
Environmental Racism
Fundamentals of Social Policy
Human Behavior and the Social Environment
Multicultural and Global Education
Principles of Community and Economic
Development
• Social Welfare Policy and Services
• Sustainable Marketing
• Urban Society and Culture
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
• Active relationships with notable civic and social
organizations, such as
– UNCF ICB (United Negro College Fund, Institute for
Capacity Building)
– Keep America Beautiful
– Goodwill Industries
– Sustainable Atlanta
– USGBC (United States Green Building Council)
– West End Farmers and Artisans Market
• Board representation on
– Greening Youth Foundation
– KSFB (Keep South Fulton Beautiful)
– University Community Development Corp
PROGRAMS
• OPENING AND CLOSING STAFF AND FACULTY
WORKSHOPS
• RECYCLING, INCLUDING RECYLEMANIA
– CURRENTLY LIMITED BY FUNDING
• MOVE IN
– SET THE TONE
• MOVE OUT
– PARTNER WITH GOODWILL
• EARTH DAY AND WEEK ACTIVITIES
• DISASTER RECOVERY
GOING FORWARD
• TRANSITION COUNCIL TO UNIVERSITY
COMMITTEE, THEN OFFICE
• GENERATE DEDICATED FUNDING
• GREEN REVOLVING FUND
• NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS
• USE OF UNIVERSITY MEDIA (TV AND RADIO)
• INTEGRATION OF AUC IN CITY PLANNING
• CAPACITY GROWTH OF BIOFUELS PROCESS
• BIOGAS PROGRAM
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