U. launches planning, design academy for Mountain West region

SALT LAKE CITY – Between now and 2040, the population of the United States is expected to increase by more than 100 million people. With that growth will come new infrastructure, including homes, nonresidential buildings, roadways and facilities housing power supplies.

The trick is to plan and build efficiently and economically. And that is where the University of Utah comes in.

This spring, the U.'s Department of Continuing Education, along with the College of Architecture and Planning, will be launching the Mountain West Planning and Design Academy to offer a series of intensive workshops taught by experts in city planning, demographics, economics, finance and architectural design and technology.

"Staying current with new technologies is vital to creating the most efficient, environmentally responsible structures, and ultimately the most livable future that we can," said Arthur C. Nelson, director of the Metropolitan Research Center at the U. "The West is developing incredibly rapidly, and we need to be as strategic and educated as possible in shaping how it will be built."

The academy is designed to keep professional architects and planners up to date on new technologies and strategies and will focus on sustainability of built and natural environments and the interactions between them.

The U.S. Green Building Council estimates that existing buildings already account for 12 percent of water use, 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, 65 percent of waste output and 70 percent of electricity consumption in the United States. Because of these demands, new buildings require higher standards for resource conservation.

The first of five academy courses kicks off on March 10, which can be found online at www.proed.utah.edu/mwplanning, or by calling 801-585-1780.

e-mail: wleonard@desnews.com