| |
| Home |
| People |
| Applied Research |
| Data and Resources |
| Blogs |
| Giving |
| Join Us |
| Contact |
| Pacific Rim Map |
Ongoing Applied Research
Pacific Rim Ecosystem Restoration & Eco-Village Initiative
This is SPRC’s applicable project. It targets on villages or urban areas in East and Southeast Asia as well as Latin America, who are both lacking economic resources and suffering with environmental problems. SPRC brings resources and experts to the residents assisting them to build a economic self-sustainable and ecologically healthy communities.
The project contains three main aspects: 1) restoring already damaged ecosystem by implementing non-chemical treatment tools to treat polluted areas, such as, using ecological engineering methods to improving water quality and wastewater treatment, 2) building an inclusive and ecological orientated economic modeling to improve economic condition of the place, 3) plan and design a livable and eco-friendly, age-friendly concept and practices that will provide a healthy and walkable environment to people in all age. For more information, please contact us at info@sustainablepacific.org.
Pacific Rim Outlook
Many cities and countries in the Pacific Rim economically play very important roles in the world economy, such as, Beijing and Shanghai in China, Seoul in South Korea, Tokyo in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan in East Asian and Sydney in Australia. Yet, there are many places in the Pacific Rim region that are still quite poor with citizens living in poor and extremely poor economic condition, such as Peru. According to IMF 2010 data, 31.3% of Peru’s total population is poor, including 9.8% that is extremely poor. World Bank defines extremely poor as living on less than US$1.25 (PPP) per day.
The economic condition of the cities and countries in the region are disparate, and often times defined by geo-economic boundaries within the region. The common terminology or concept of Pacific Rim region, generally defines the Pacific Rim as “Asia and the Pacific”, which fails to include many second tier cities and countries located in the Pacific Rim; effectively leaving them behind in Pacific Rim discussions.
The absence of definition creates a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the region and leads to leaving behind various cities and countries located in the Pacific Rim. It also limited to understand and analyze the intra/inter relations within the region that geographically bound it together.
SPRC, as a regional entity, would like to overcome the disparity problems. We define the region by its geographic boundary, not economic rankings. We provide a centralized, comprehensive, consistent and detailed data related to the environment, economy and urban studies. We track conditions and trends both in wealthy, poor and extremely poor cities and countries in the Pacific Rim. We compile this valuable research in our Pacific Rim Out Look, which is available to SPRC member cities and countries.
The Pacific Rim Out Look focuses on several aspects: 1) sharing a regional vision; 2) helping each city and country better understand its own economic condition; 3) assisting cities and countries to understand inter/intra relations between and with other cities and countries located in the region. 4) SPRC also helps the region to access innovative methods and tools that could overcome regional disparity and build sustainable regional coalitions and collaborations on a long-term basis. For more information, please contact us at info@sustainablepacific.org
Urban Design and Planning Responding to Disaster Preparedness and Adaptation
Given the fact, 75% of global volcano activities and 90% of the world’s earthquakes transpire on the Pacific Rim, commonly, under the name of the “Ring of Fire,” Meanwhile, due to global warming, many cities along the Pacific Rim facing the disasters caused by rising sea levels. SPRC would like to address these issues by building regional coalitions and collaboration in responding to disaster preparedness and adaptation.
SPRC will focus on three aspects – knowledge sharing through building an information a clearinghouse, building a regional coalition and collaboration platform, publishing action plans and research reports. In addition, SPRC would like to address the niche of special need groups, such as children, women, seniors, and people with disabilities with respect to disaster preparedness.
If you are interested in learning about our program and participating in our working group, please contact us at info@sustainablepacific.org
Innovation and Sustainability on Trade, Finance, and Economic Development
Innovation and sustainability of trade, finance, and economic development defines as rethink and redesign existing unsustainable theories, models and practices of trade, finance and economic development through interfacing them with social and ecological sustainability. The program focuses on building information clearinghouse, selecting working groups, mixing selected innovative and sustainable concepts and implement them into specific place/project as our case-study.
If you are interested in learning about our program and participating in our working group, please contact us at info@sustainablepacific.orgUrban Design and Planning for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities
The purpose of the program is to create a communication/ conversation platform between people with disabilities as well as the senior population and urban policy makers, planners and designers in the public and private sectors.
The key of the program is to help both sides understand the needs and difficulties of seniors and people with disabilities related to urban design and planning, that is, issues of urban accessibility and safety that they face in their daily lives, but which most planners, designers and policy makers do not see in their daily practice. And at same time, the idea is to help seniors and people with disabilities to better understand the processes and practices of planning so that they are better empowered to represent their own interests effectively.
Our first step for the program is to organize a workshop as well as to seek partnerships with public, private and non-profit. For more information, please download the brochure. If you are interested in participating in our program, please contact us at info@sustainablepacific.org
Upcoming Projects
Back to the City: “Ciclovia” and “Night Market” in Downtown Oakland
Map of “Ciclovia” and “Night Market” in Downtown Oakland [JPG]
Imagine getting out in the morning for a bike-race across downtown, but instead of the typical worries of stoplights and aggressive drivers you can coast through the familiar city streets on car-free roads. Imagine going to a free concert near your favorite lunch spot, winding your way crowds of street performers.
At the end of the day you could also catch a classic movie with some friends before going to try fresh foods and farm products, available late at night a huge outdoor farmers market. These are all part of one program. It is the Ciclovia, Night Market development begun by Sustainable Pacific Rim Cities.
The Ciclovia
Ciclovia, a Spanish term means "Bike Path." It can be used to describe the closing down of streets for a progressive and transformative event, such as using them for biking, walking, and major thoroughfares during a weekend for non-motorized use. Over years, Ciclovia has built uncounted successful cases in the world by transforming areas that face socio-economic problems into viable, livable and environmentally sustainable neighborhoods.
The Ciclovia is most commonly associated with various countries in South America and Europe. In the past few years, several American cities have begun embracing the Ciclovia model to encourage people to drive less, use more public transportation, walk, and bike more. Last summer New York City, Chicago, Portland, and San Francisco opened key downtown streets allowing citizens to freely walk, bicycle, run, skate, dance, play music, or just hang out. Not surprisingly, city dwellers came out in droves to enjoy the harmony of open air, live music and car free travel.
The format of Ciclovia in downtown Oakland is divided into two phases. The first phase focuses on bike races in the early morning. The second phase is an afternoon activity, which mixes with bike parade, street fairs, performing art, street sports, and family orientated activities.
The Night Market
The concept of the Night Market, which is common in much of the world, is gaining popularity in North America in such cities as Vancouver, Portland and San Francisco. Essentially, it a street market or street bazaar operating at night and generally dedicated to leisurely strolling, shopping, and eating.
The Night market in Downtown Oakland will take place in Old Oakland and Chinatown with a pedestrian only connection along 9th street. The Night Market will take advantage of the diversity of food cultures in the two neighborhoods, and also integrates live music, performance art as well as classic, international, and rare movies into the diversity of the local food culture.
Sustainable Pacific Rim Cities is envisioning Oakland as a healthy, sustainable urban environment, prepared to meet the challenges of a new green era. Imagine empty parcels and parking lots as public plazas; busy intersections as town squares; and, congested road-ways as bike paths. Sustainable Pacific Rim Cites is attempting to empower us to take back our city is from gas guzzlers and smog producers.
For more information about the project, please contact: catherineyang@sustainablepacific.org
Past Projects
Fall 2009: Learning from Others: Cycling, Walking and Public Transit in China