Sustainable Futures: Designing Green Communities and Buildings

In this episode, Sustainable Futures sits down with professor, researcher, and advocate Dr. Sabine O’Hara to discuss urban agriculture, food justice, and the fostering of a better relationship with the products that sustain us. Dr. O’Hara’s work has focused on enhancing food equity, promoting health and wellbeing through sustainable food systems, and enhancing urban sustainab

In this episode, Sustainable Futures sits down with microbiologist and Columbia University Professor Emeritus Dr. Dickson Despommier to discuss his pioneering work and thought leadership on vertical farming. Beginning as a thought experiment for his students in 1999, Dr. Despommier quickly recognized the impact that vertical farming could have in revolutionizing our food systems an

In this episode, Sustainable Futures sits down with architect and visionary Ken Yeang to discuss the the practice of ecological design and how it can and must be used to enhance global resilience and combat climate change. Ken has been a pioneer of ecological design and hyper-green architectural design practice, believing in the imperative to design with nature from the ground up.

In this episode, Sustainable Futures sits down with designer and consultant Bill Browning to discuss the science and practice of biophilic design and how it can influence and affect our interaction with the world around us. Human beings have a strong affinity for the natural world, which green infrastructure and nature based design practices can be a powerful and cost effective mec

In this episode, Sustainable Futures sits down with educator and research Dr. Olyssa Starry Ph.D. to discuss the part water plays in urban ecology and the physical chemistry of plants and how this can affect the achievement of sustainability goals. Water is crucial to living systems like green roofs and other forms of green infrastructure, and managing how much and when can have a

In this episode, Sustainable Futures sits down with artist, designer, and thought leader Herbert Dreiseitl to discuss the critical role of water in natural ecosystems, and what lessons can be learned and applied to our urban environments. To cope with climate change, cities need to better use their natural infrastructure assets to manage and treat water before it becomes a problem

In this episode, Sustainable Futures sits down with Assistant Professor Scott Macivor of the University of Toronto to discuss the critical role of insects in the natural world, how climate change affects insect communities and populations, and the ways in which green roofs and green infrastructure can support and enhance those communities in our urban environments. Join us for a co

This episode, Sustainable Futures sits down with noted ecologist Dusty Gedge, president of the European Federation of Green Roof and Wall Associations, to discuss fostering biodiversity through urban naturalization, developments in bio-solar technologies, and his background as a lifelong birder. Join us for a conversation on his life as a passionate bird watcher, his career advocat

This episode, Sustainable Futures is joined by Nicole Austin, Black Student Engagement Coordinator, and Arlene Throness, Urban Farm Manager, to discuss their work with the urban rooftop farms at Toronto Metropolitan University. Their efforts through the two rooftop farms strive to support the health and well-being of the community and surrounding ecosystem by using practices that a

This episode, Sustainable Futures is joined by Dr. Mike Dixon, PhD to discuss his futuristic work in developing a biological life support system based on plants for the International Space program through the Space and Advanced Life Support Agriculture (SALSA) program at the University of Guelph. Join us for a conversation on his vision for the future of sustainability, long term i