Imagine Austin Speaker Series: Creating Vibrant Green Cities

Creating Vibrant Green Cities: Lessons from Seoul, Korea and San Marcos, Texas. 



Join us for a panel discussion with Matthew Lewis, Assistant Director of Planning and Development Review, and Thomas Hardy, Ph.D. on the lessons learned from two great green infrastructure projects located an ocean away. Dr. Hardy is one of the principal designers of the Cheonggyecheon River Project in Seoul, South Korea. 



The Cheonggyecheon was an all but forgotten river under the shadow of an elevated highway in the heart of Seoul, which was transformed as a metropolitan-scale green infrastructure park through an unprecedented effort of urban planning and design. Completed in 2005, the project re-made the river as the centerpiece of a 3.5-mile-long public park and the core of a multifaceted ecological, cultural, and economic redevelopment. 

Matt Lewis, the former Planning Director of the City of San Marcos will also discuss how they are using the local watershed to inform development decisions, promote sustainable design, and green-up that city. Discussion will also include the benefits of green infrastructure and the social and cultural benefits of the Cheonggyecheon River Project.

Parking is very limited at the Dougherty Arts Center so please use alternative transportation, or park at One Texas Center (505 Barton Springs Road) and walk.