Sustainable Urban Planning: Big Lights in Little Rock

If I were to tell you that a LED lighting project in the medium sized American city of North Little Rock, Arkansas would light the way for global change in clean technology deployment in the developing world, would you believe it?

I had the unique opportunity to participate in the P80 Group Foundation-Club de Madrid conference in Little Rock, Arkansas last December and was witness to how such a lighting project was a critical influence in bringing together immense resources, innovative ideas, and essential solutions for investing nearly $3 trillion USD in clean energy technology in the developing world. But how? In this post I will discuss the urban landscape of North Little Rock, its small-scale but powerful vision for the future, the outcomes of the recent P80 Group Foundation-Club de Madrid Conference that took place there, and ultimately the ways in which cities like Little Rock are paving the way for a sustainable future.

As the European Union Regional Policy division defines, a visionary and sustainable city should be:

• “a place with advanced social progress with a high degree of social cohesion, socially-balanced housing as well as social, health, and ‘education for all’ services;
• a platform for democracy, cultural dialogue, and diversity;
• a place with green, ecological, or environmental regeneration; and,
• a place of attraction and an engine of economic growth”. (1)

Although North Little Rock is only one half of the Little Rock Metropolitan area (which also includes Little Rock proper), it certainly has a vision for a sustainable city. The city, founded in 1821, ranks number 75 out of 381 US Metropolitan areas by population, ranking in at about 717,000 inhabitants. The Little Rock Metropolitan area is one of the most historic cities in America, home to some of the most impressive environmental, social, and economically liberal policies in the traditionally conservative American South. Arkansas is the birthplace of many major global corporations including Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt, and Axiom, and is therefore an important hub for economic development in the region and the country. Little Rock also has many museums and cultural attractions, including a 33-acre public park and 14 miles of trails that support a vibrant green city. Arkansas has an impressive history of important figures in business and the arts, including Maya Angelou, Al Greene, William Fulbright, Winthrop Rockefeller, and Bill and Hillary Clinton. As such, the city features the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and the Clinton School for Public Service (the first university to offer a Master of Public Service), as well as leading global nonprofits such as Heifer International and Winrock International, both of which have particular focus on sustainable urban and rural development.

To learn more about this historic American city and how it is situating itself for the future, I encourage you to watch this fantastic video, which debuted at the opening of the Club de Madrid conference:

As the video above demonstrates, Little Rock indeed has a vision for a sustainable city. Under the impassioned, 24-year leadership of Mayor Patrick Henry Hays (who just retired in January 2013), Little Rock was witness to significant sustainable urban transformation in terms of increased green space, expanded trails systems for recreation and public health, revitalized city center, preserved historic sites, and an expansive LED lighting project across city roadways, parks, and public spaces.

Hays’ involvement in initiatives such as the LED lighting project led him to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors for ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives), which is considered one of the foremost international associations for urban engagement in environmental and sustainable planning. ICLEI has long led the movement for city leadership on the global scale in terms of social and environmental sustainability, and Mayor Pat Hays provided visionary guidance and action during his time as mayor of North Little Rock. In this sense, the city served as a key pulse-point for Mayor Hays’ global activity and advocacy, deeply connecting the local activity of North Little Rock with the global leadership of ICLEI and vice versa. In fact, the US Green Building Council (which manages the LEED certification scheme) cites North Little Rock and Patrick Hays’ work as a program model in its “12 Steps to a Greener Community” guidelines — demonstrating how this medium-sized city has proved to be a local, national, and international model for sustainable urban planning. (2)

Given the Mayor Hays’ leadership, North Little Rock’s deep connection with ICLEI, and the presence of Bill Clinton’s presidential library and university, the city was a perfect setting for the 11th annual Club de Madrid Conference, which focused on installing clean energy technology in the developing world. To do so, the Club de Madrid (an association of 90+ former Heads of State putting democracy into action for development) had invited the P80 Group Foundation (a nonprofit organization with the mission to catalyze $3 trillion USD in pension funds and sovereign wealth investments toward climate solutions), ICLEI (for its sustainable urban planning experise) and nonprofits like Peacework (for their sustainable rural planning expertise). Together, the Little Rock Accord was signed, which formalized a partnership for the financing and deployment of clean energy technology in the developing world, using urban centers as models and catalysts for change. As the photo shows below, I was lucky enough to participate in the signing of the Accord, alongside sustainability professionals and practitioners as well as 90+ former Heads of State represented by the Club de Madrid:

Although it took many actors and influences to bring together this unique group of people, this case demonstrates how cities themselves can take steps forward to achieving the sustainable solutions that we envision for a better global future. Despite the important role of international treaties and agreements (i.e. Kyoto Protocol, UN Global Compact), such soft law frameworks have critical challenges than can delay implementation and innovation.

Cities and their leadership, however, have always been innovating to face the rapidly changing demographics and needs of urban centers, thereby providing critical outlets for more immediate sustainable solutions than perhaps any other avenue can provide. The case of Little Rock demonstrates how cities — even medium or small sized cities — can pilot innovative climate solutions, scale it up through international networks, and spark widespread change. Other medium sized American cities (such as Salt Lake City, Richmond, and Tallahassee) and world cities (such as Vancouver, Canada; Kingston, Jamaica; and Lisbon, Portugal) can learn a lot from the leadership of Little Rock.

It is with this enthusiasm and experience that I look toward the “Cities of Tomorrow” as ideal sites for the innovative solutions that we desperately need to provide a prosperous future for our people and our planet.

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(1) Regional Policy, European Union (October 2011). Executive Summary. Cities of Tomorrow: Challenges, Visions, Ways Forward. <<http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/studies/pdf/citiesoftomorrow/citiesoftomorrow_summary_en.pdf>> Accessed 14 May 2013.

(2) US Green Building Council. 12 Steps to a Greener Community. Archived Resources. <<http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/Archive/General/Docs7584.pdf>>. Accessed 14 May 2013.

Comments Off on Sustainable Urban Planning: Big Lights in Little Rock / 14 May 2013 por Kelly Elizabeth Behrend
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