The US Studies Centre with the support of the New South Wales Government invited local communities in New South Wales to participate in an exciting program which aimed to provide leaders of cities and towns the opportunity to explore, discover and test innovative ways to address some of the challenges they face.

The program was based on the Mayor’s Institute forum conducted in the United States, where like-minded leaders meet to work with leading thinkers to develop innovative solutions for re-designing precincts so they are great places to live and work, and are also adaptive to the changes in energy and water demands — from renewing town centres or high streets, to re-designing community precincts and parks, or alternative transport possibilities.

All of the selected communities were invited to a seven-day study tour of the West Coast of the United States to examine outstanding examples of community sustainability and liveability transformations. The expectation was that at least two workshop attendees’ from each community participate in the study tour to optimise the translation of outcomes for the cities and towns.

Itinerary

Saturday 8th June 2013

Los Angeles, California

• Arrival and welcome drinks in hotel
• Hilton Checkers, Los Angeles

Sunday 9th June 2013

Los Angeles, California

• City Tour of revitalized Downtown LA
• Tour of Pasadena
• Dinner in Pasadena with LA Metro at Transit Oriented Development site
• Hilton Checkers, Los Angeles

Monday 10th June 2013

Los Angeles, California

• Site tour of Rodeo Road and Santa Monica 3rd St, with focus on energy reduction projects of regional and local scale with Tree People
• Team dinner with Urban Land Institute leaders
• Hilton Checkers, Los Angeles

Tuesday 11th June 2013

Los Angeles, California to Portland, Oregon

• Leave Los Angeles and fly to Portland
• Walking tour of Downtown Portland - Pearl District, South Waterfront, and EcoDistricts with Rocky Mountain Institute
• Dinner with Portland Planners
• The Governor Hotel, Portland

Wednesday 12th June 2013

Portland, Oregon to Denver, Colorado to Boulder, Colorado

• Tour with Portland Sustainability Institute to review transit and energy projects around Portland, City of Hillsboro, Intel, and Orenco Station
• Leave Portland in evening and fly to Denver with coach transfer to Boulder
• Hotel Boulderado, Boulder

Thursday 13th June 2013

Boulder, Colorado and Denver, Colorado

• Meet with Denver Urban Land Institute leaders, Rocky Mountain Institute and Local Business Partnership
• Tour of Train Station area and area across the Downtown Mall and LoDo
• Hotel Boulderado, Boulder

Friday 14th June 2013

Boulder, Colorado and Ft. Collins, Colorado to Denver, Colorado

• Tour of National Best Practice award winning sustainability projects in and around Ft. Collins
• Tour of Rocky Mountain Institute offices
• Dinner at New Belgium Brewery
• Coach transfer from Boulder to Denver after dinner
• The Brown Place Hotel, Denver

Saturday 15th June 2013

Denver, Colorado

• Team de-brief
• Optional return flight to Los Angeles for connecting flights to Australia