NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 15, 2008
Contact: Diane Brossart
Valley Forward Association
(602) 240-2408

VALLEY FORWARD'S LIVABILITY SUMMIT
TO INCLUDE TOUR OF LOCAL 'GREEN' BUILDINGS

PHOENIX, Ariz. (April 15, 2008) – After hearing nationally renowned experts on sustainability, attendees of Valley Forward's Livability Summit will commemorate Earth Day, April 22, with a Green Scene Bus Tour that will take them to local projects built with energy efficiency and environmental quality in mind.

The fifth annual Summit will correlate the impact of the natural environment on health and wellness in a full-day program, which features the organization's first Green Scene Bus Tour.

Stops on the tour include:

The Tempe Transportation Center: The center is scheduled for completion in May and is seeking a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) platinum certification. The three-story, 40,000 square-foot building is located at Veterans Way and College Avenue at the base of A-Mountain and features: underground rainwater collection; under-floor ducting; a Sonoran desert green roof (the first of its kind); a shaded courtyard; a transit plaza serving the new METRO light rail; and one of the country's largest and most extensive bike stations. It will also include retail offices, a transit store, a security office and a community conference room as well as the Tempe Transportation Department offices.

Papago Gateway Center in Tempe: This environmentally sensitive facility is expected to become the first Class "A," LEED® certified office and research facility in the Valley. The 265,000-square-foot, seven-story building is built on a prominent five-acre site at the northwest corner of Mill Avenue and Washington Street, the gateway to the City of Tempe, Papago Park Center and Arizona State University. It features efficient, low-flow water fixtures; salvaged landscaping and construction waste; raised floor plates for flexibility; a bike station with showers and lockers; a green car program; solar exposure with an automated louver-screened edifice; and is located near the light rail station and four bus routes. Papago Gateway is scheduled for completion in March 2009 and is seeking a LEED® Silver Certification.

Granite Reef Senior Center, Scottsdale, AZ: This Valley Forward Environmental Excellence Award winner is LEED® gold certified, the first certified senior center in Arizona. It features photovoltaic solar electric power generation, shading and water efficiency techniques and resource efficient materials.

The Livability Summit will be held at the Phoenix Convention Center, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event kicks-off with breakfast, registration and a preview of Valley Forward's Resource Area, which features exhibits on local sustainability initiatives.

Summit speakers will begin at 8 a.m. with Dr. Richard Carmona, the 17th U.S. Surgeon General and a current Tucson resident on global trends in staying healthy. He will be followed by Steve Curwood, host and executive producer of National Public Radio's Living on Earth; and Wellington Reiter, dean of Arizona State University's College of Design.

The program will break from 11 to 11:30 a.m., followed by a luncheon keynote address from Chicago Mayor Richard Daley at noon and a roundtable discussion on livable community initiatives with Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon.

Valley Forward's Livability Summit is open to the public with advance reservations required. Seating is available for $185 per person and tables of 10 are available for $1,800. For more information, visit www.valleyforward.org or call (602) 240-2408.

Established in 1969, Valley Forward Association is a non-profit organization that brings business and civic leaders together to convene thoughtful public dialogue on regional issues and to promote cooperative efforts that improve the livability and sustainability of Valley communities.