Lesley Showers: Taking Action for Sustainable Communities

2025-07-29

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Summary In this conversation, Leslie Showers, the executive director of the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) in the USA, discusses the ICA Greenrise Restoration Project, a sustainable renovation of a historic building aimed at reducing carbon emissions and promoting community health. She shares insights on the challenges of renovating an old building, navigating city regulations, and the importance of creative financing for sustainable projects. The discussion also highlights the collaborative efforts in the Carbon Free Building ...

Summary

In this conversation, Leslie Showers, the executive director of the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) in the USA, discusses the ICA Greenrise Restoration Project, a sustainable renovation of a historic building aimed at reducing carbon emissions and promoting community health. She shares insights on the challenges of renovating an old building, navigating city regulations, and the importance of creative financing for sustainable projects. The discussion also highlights the collaborative efforts in the Carbon Free Building Demonstration Collaborative, focusing on sharing knowledge and resources to help other organizations pursue sustainability initiatives.

Takeaways

ICA is focused on community-driven sustainability initiatives.

The ICA Greenrise Restoration Project aims to demonstrate urban sustainability.

70% of carbon emissions come from buildings, highlighting the need for retrofits.

The project is being executed in phases due to the building's size and age.

Challenges include protecting the historic terracotta facade during renovations.

Creative financing is essential for nonprofit sustainability projects.

Collaborative approaches can enhance funding opportunities for nonprofits.

Low hanging fruit for energy savings includes switching to LED lighting.

Success stories from the collaborative show the impact of sustainable practices.

Building relationships with local representatives is crucial for securing funding.

Keywords

sustainability, community development, ICA, carbon emissions, building renovation, nonprofit, energy efficiency, climate action, funding, collaborative

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to ICA and Leslie Showers

01:58 Sustainable Renovation Goals and Motivations

05:04 Project Scope and Sustainability Measures

07:17 Challenges in Renovating Historic Buildings

12:35 Navigating Code Compliance and City Regulations

14:53 Creative Financing for Sustainable Projects

18:27 Collaborative Funding Approaches for Nonprofits

22:49 The Carbon Free Building Demonstration Collaborative

26:45 Low Hanging Fruit in Energy Efficiency

28:09 Success Stories from the Collaborative

31:24 Motivations for Sustainable Retrofits