Join Green Building Alliance and partners for a morning of intensive learning. These “lightning” fast and thought-provoking presentations spotlight topics and exemplary projects that leverage innovation and demonstrate leadership in the design, construction, and ongoing operation of resilient and healthy spaces.

Attendees will also enjoy coffee, breakfast, Q&A session with the speakers, and opportunities for networking.

Designing for Resilience: Empowering Students to Build Sustainable Communities 

As communities face increasing environmental, social, and infrastructural challenges, preparing the next generation to think critically about resilience has never been more important. In that context, how can we prepare students to build more resilient communities? 

The Student Sustainability Challenge (SSDC) provides an engaging, real-world opportunity for students to explore local sustainability challenges and develop innovative solutions that promote healthier, more resilient spaces.

The Consortium for Public Education will showcase examples of SSDC student-led projects and highlight experiences and accomplishments of participating students engaging in this hands-on program.

The Living Asset: Integrating Agriculture and Nature into Commercial Building 

What happens when underutilized urban rooftops turn into thriving agricultural ecosystems that grow food, nurture pollinators, engage tenants, and strengthen the case for green investment in the built environment?

In this presentation, Kristof Grina (Up Top Acres) explores how integrating agriculture into commercial and residential buildings creates a living infrastructure layer that delivers measurable returns: improved tenant health and satisfaction, demonstratable real estate value, certified sustainability performance, and urban wildlife habitat where little existed before. Through the lens of projects across the East Coast, attendees will learn how integrating agriculture into the built environment can be a win for ownership, tenants, and the environment. 

Building for Health: How LEED Supports Occupant Health in a Changing Climate 

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of hazards that directly and indirectly affect individual and community health, safety, and wellbeing. During her talk, Colleen Smith (USGBC) will explore the critical role that buildings play in protecting occupants from chronic and acute hazards including extreme heat, wildfire smoke, flooding, and power disruptions and how resilient building design can enhance service reliability to support broader community health outcomes. This talk will also demonstrate how LEED v5 advances occupant health and resilience through a required Climate Resilience Assessment and credits related to healthy indoor environments, green infrastructure, passive survivability, and power resilience. 

Please check back as additional speakers are added to the agenda.