Wisconsin Ideas Forum: Sustainability
Initiated by President Reilly's office of the UW System, the Wisconsin Idea Forum is a semi-annual conference organized by various UW entities on topics of importance to the state. The first Wisconsin Ideas Forum was carried out by UW-Eau Claire on the topic of reducing the negative effects of alcohol consumption in the state. The second Forum was hosted by UW-Madison on the topic of college access. The third Forum was hosted by the UW Colleges and UW-Extension on the topic of sustainable communities. WIPPS was a partner on the UW System team that conceptualized and implemented these first three conferences and was a co-organizer of the Spring 2010 Sustainability Conference held at UW-Fox Valley.
The goal of the Sustainability Forum was to re-imagine how Wisconsin communities might look and function in the future, given the severe fiscal challenges facing local governments, if they move beyond traditional "silo" approaches to problem solving. Communities that embrace sustainable practices increase their effectiveness at creating solutions for economic, social, and environmental challenges by building on unique local assets and resources. More than 700 people participated through six regional roundtables organized by the UW–Extension Sustainable Communities Team, a subsequent two-day conference, and a follow-up survey. Participants examined current policies and resources and contributed policy ideas to strengthen existing efforts, and they determined that the breadth and depth of a local sustainability agenda depends on the community's overall priorities and level of commitment. The defining characteristics of sustainability policy and practice include: a focus on place, holistic outlook, acceptance of limits, long-term perspective, and active involvement in problem solving.
Enlightened by this vision, communities can control many aspects of their future. The policy ideas and recommendations generated through the Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum provide a solid foundation for continuing to develop and implement local and state policies that support community sustainability. UW-Extension has also decided to incorporate sustainability as a key theme in its four major divisions.
Further recommendations from the conference can be accessed at the website listed below, or by clicking on the pdf under the weblink.
(The report was developed by the University of Wisconsin-Extension Sustainability Team, which can be contacted through sustainability@uwsuper.edu.)
The complete report is posted at www.capacitycenter.org
Sustainability Forum Full Report 2-25-11.pdf
Sustainability Forum Executive Summary Final.pdf