From September 25 to 30, POCACITO will host a series of meetings in Minneapolis, Memphis and Detroit to explore the post-carbon future for these three US cities.

Our very special guests on the road will be Chiara Lucchini, an architect from Turin, Italy, focusing on revitalizing industrial sites for business, residential and recreational use; Oeystein Leonardsen, a Business Improvement District manager from Copenhagen, Denmark, who discusses community engagement for business improvement districts; and Francisco Gonçalves, an environmental engineer at LISBOENOVA in Lisbon, Portugal specializing in sustainable energy-water management.

We believe that sustainability is a function of accessibility and community is founded on inclusivity. That’s why we want you, your friends and neighbors, your colleagues and their kids – everyone whose life is impacted by the environmental issues facing Memphis – to be involved in building a more sustainable tomorrow.

In each city, we will have two events. The first part, Finding the Vision, is a two-hour town hall-style forum in the evening that focuses on defining a visionary post-carbon future. This freestyle, open dialogue will encourage you to dream big and, most important, share your ideas, no matter how wild they may seem. The second part, Finding the Way, will take place the next day and begin with a catered lunch and presentations from our European speakers about how they put together the pieces to realize visions at home. Then, sufficiently inspired and well-fed, we will work in groups to develop ways to achieve the visions shared the night before. At the end of the day, we will build a campfire, join hands, and sing songs. No we won’t. What we will do is put together concrete steps we can all take to make sure our discussions lead to initiatives that lead to implementation and to a more sustainable future for our communities and cities.

All events are free and open to all. Here are the dates and links for registration:

Minneapolis:

Sunday, September 25, 6pm, Town Hall at UofM, register here.

Monday, September 26, 12pm, Workshop at Mill City Museum, register here.

Memphis:

Tuesday, September 27, Town Hall at UofM, register here.

Wednesday, September 28, Workshop at Playhouse on the Square, register here.

Detroit:

Thursday, September 29, Town Hall at Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, register here.

Friday, September 30, Workshop at Scarab Club, register here.

We very much hope to meet you at these events.

Please contact us if you would want POCACITO to come to your city!