The Sustainable Futures Conference is a four-day virtual event taking place April 27 – April 30 that seeks to mainstream public discourse around the concept of sustainable practice. The conference consists of a variety of virtual talks, discussions and events including 16 keynote speakers, community-led breakout sessions, a youth climate congress and even screenless activities – short thought exercises meant to provide participants with a break from their monitors.

On Tuesday, April 27th, from 1-2pm, Jeff Mirel, Executive Vice President of The Rosenblum Companies, will lead a breakout session for Day 1 of the Sustainable Futures Conference called “The Region is the Message” that will probe the question, how do we promote regionalism in the Capital District and leverage the power of our collected experiences to forge a more prosperous, inclusive and sustainable future. The topic is particularly timely given the recent launch of CapNY, a regional brand and talent attraction initiative launched by the Alliance for the Creative Economy (ACE) and its parent organization, the Center for Economic Growth (CEG). Jeff has long served on the ACE leadership board and is a leading voice for regional cooperation and identity in the eight-county Capital District.

Another highlight of the Sustainable Futures Conference is the Innovation Salon, an interactive exhibit hall featuring sustainable technology, design, and infrastructure projects that will help us meet the aggressive 40% GhG reduction requirements in the CLCPA. The Salon will allow visitors to move freely from booth to booth, viewing presentations and interacting with presenters between 4:30pm and 6pm. Exhibitors will change each day. On April 27, Jeff returns to the conference for a session in the Innovation Salon, where he will give a brief presentation on Rosenblum Development’s Building 150 project. Building 150 will be a new market-rate multifamily building at the company’s Great Oaks Office Park that will maximize onsite solar PV and Passive House design to achieve net-zero energy use while transforming the property itself into a mixed-use neighborhood. Earlier this year, Building 150 was selected as a winner of the Buildings of Excellence Competition, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

The Sustainable Futures Conference is organized by The Future of Small Cities Institute (foSCI), which cultivates just and resilient solutions for small and midsized metro regions. FoSCI fosters local community partnerships and regional city networks, produces cross-platform resources and publications, hosts dynamic event series, and is actively building a knowledge-base of best practices for smaller cities. The University at Albany, SUNY and the Center for Architecture, Science, and Ecology (CASE) at RPI are acting as conference co-hosts.

Rosenblum Development is proud to be a sponsor of the Sustainable Futures Conference and we are excited to take part in these conversations about a more sustainable Capital Region!

To attend Jeff’s breakout session and/or presentation in the Innovation Salon, view the conference schedule, and purchase tickets, visit sustainablefuturesconference.com