San Jose Goes "Glocal" With "Great Cities Speaker Series" Featuring UVA Professor of Architecture Bill Morrish and Cisco's Wolfgang Wagener

Event to Examine How Citizens, Public Spaces, Social Institutions, Cultural Expression and the Natural Environment Integrate to Form Today's Urban Landscape

SAN JOSE, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/29/08 -- Bill Morrish, professor of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban and Environmental Planning at the University of Virginia will be featured at the "2008 Great Cities Speakers Series" from 4-5 p.m. on Sunday, June 8 at San Jose City Hall Council Chambers, 200 E. Santa Clara Street. This presentation is free to the public. However due to capacity limitations, reservations are strongly recommended and may be made at www.commonwealthclub.org, or by email to info@1stACT.org.

Held in conjunction with 01SJ: A Global Festival of Art on the Edge (www.01sj.org), Morrish's talk, entitled "When Cities Tango: The Art of Glocal Public Space Design," will discuss the realities of today's cosmopolitan urban landscape public spaces need to integrate formal, functional, productive and generative characteristics.

Taking part in the discussion is Wolfgang Wagener, director of Cisco's Internet Business Solutions Group's (IBSG) Connected Urban Development (CUD) Program. CUD was born from Cisco's participation in the Clinton Global Initiative -- launched by the William J. Clinton Foundation in 2005 to solve global problems that affect the quality of human life -- to help reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency. The CUD program demonstrates how to reduce carbon emissions by introducing fundamental improvements in the efficiency of urban infrastructure through information and communication technology (ICT).

Morrish's work is exemplified by his innovative urban design plan for Phoenix, Arizona's public art plan which unites artist and public work engineers in the transformation of city utilities into the a citywide cultural setting and new public realm. His other major projects include the Las Vegas Children's Museum and Public Library, Yerba Buena Center Cultural Facility Plan, and the Santa Fe Building for the Arts Cultural Facility Handbook.

Morrish's research projects have focused on urban design issues, such as Building Mississippi River Community, and Reclamation of Recreational Systems and Environmental Resources. He has been a frequent lecturer at universities and conferences on issues such as "Urban Issues Facing Neighborhoods," "Public Art Work," "Defining the American Urban Landscape," and "Visualizing Change in Metropolitan Areas."

In addition, Morrish is also the author of the forthcoming book, "Grow Urban Habitats: Design Principles for Compact, Affordable and Sustainable Multi-family Homes and Gardens."

Morrish holds a B.A. in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, College of Environmental Design, and a Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

"Great cities of tomorrow must consider a paradigm shift in the way they look at the integration of architecture and infrastructure, including architecture that acts as a 'glocal' connector in the 'glocal' [global and local] arena," said Morrish. "We need to view architecture and landscape as infrastructure. The infrastructure we created in the 1950s created the economy of the 1980s and 1990s, and the infrastructure we create today will create the future economy."

Wagener added, "Successful cities in the future will need a broad global community of urban, business, research, and civic leaders committed to adopting innovative urban planning, collaboration technologies, and overall smart policy. By considering emerging approaches to the assimilation of the traditional built, cultural and network infrastructures, it will provide San Jose the opportunity to reflect on how important advances in art and technology, the green movement, government and engineering will help shape the City's future."

Produced by the San Jose's Office of Cultural Affairs, 1stACT Silicon Valley and the Commonwealth Club of California, the "Great Cities Speakers Series" engages residents, and business and civic leaders as well as those who will be directly impacted by the evolution of the Envision San Jose General Plan 2040 -- the key planning document that will guide San Jose's growth, character, and service ambitions over the next 10-30 years. This series of monthly public lectures is designed to provoke thought, discussion and imagination about the city of the future and to bring important outside perspectives to local and regional efforts on civic planning, culture, art and design. The lectures are free.

The "Great Cities Speaker Series" is also supported by the American Institute of Architects-Santa Clara Valley Chapter, the American Planning Association (APA) California Chapter - Northern Section, the Fairmont Hotel San Jose, the San Jose Repertory Theater and the San Jose State University Department of Urban and Regional Planning.

ABOUT THE 01SJ FESTIVAL

01SJ is North America's newest and largest biennial festival of digital arts featuring transformative and provocative new works from world-renowned artists and performers at the cross-section of contemporary art, technology, and culture. The 2008 five-day Festival, June 4-8, will incorporate exhibitions, films, concerts, performances, happenings, and nightlife occurring throughout downtown San Jose's parks, public streets, museums, theaters, and clubs. From a hip-hop, multi-media meditation on Antarctica to robot art, from conversations with artificial intelligence to operatic performances of Google headlines about the environment, from avant-garde cinema to new musical forms -- more than 100 projects will be featured at the Festival. 01SJ is produced by ZER01, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit whose primary mission is to conduct a biennial festival that offers attendees compelling experiences at the intersection of art and digital culture. For more information about the Festival, visit www.01SJ.org.

ABOUT THE SAN JOSE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS

The Office of Cultural Affairs is part of the City's Office of Economic Development. Together, they foster cultural and economic development as related strategies for building San Jose as the creative center of Silicon Valley. The Office of Cultural Affairs coordinates services for outdoor events and festivals, offers financial support for arts and culture providers, supports arts education, and leads the development of public art works throughout the city. For more information, please visit www.sanjoseculture.org.

ABOUT THE CITY OF SAN JOSE

From its founding in 1777 as California's first city, San Jose has been a leader, driven by its spirit of innovation. Today, San Jose stands as the largest city in Northern California and the Capital of Silicon Valley -- the world's leading center of innovation. The city, the 10th largest in the U.S., is committed to remaining a top-ranked place to do business, work, live, play and learn. For more information, visit, www.sanjoseca.gov.

ABOUT 1STACT SILICON VALLEY

1stACT Silicon Valley is a broad network of regional civic, cultural, and business leaders working to catalyze participation and investment at the intersection of art, creativity, and technology. 1stACT strives to create an authentic sense of place in Silicon Valley that fuels community pride, broad participation, and philanthropic investment. Please visit, www.1stact.org.

ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, bringing together its more than 18,000 members for over 400 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy. The Club has offices in San Francisco and San Jose, with regular events in both cities, as well as programs in the East and North Bay. Please visit, www.commonwealthclub.org.

Contact Kim Walesh City of San Jose (408) 535-8177 kim.walesh@sanjoseca.gov

Brendan Rawson 1stACT Silicon Valley (408) 200-2020 ext. 105 brawson@1stact.org

2008-05-29 22:10:34 0373453 MARKETWIRE