"It was commonplace practice in Mayan cities to link the arts with science and mathematics within spaces encountered in daily life. This provided a powerful impetus that even today unleashes the creative faculties of children, adults and the community at large," Valdez said.

Born in Delano, Calif., Valdez graduated from James Lick High School in San Jose and went on to earn a degree in English from San Jose State University (SJSU). Valdez worked with Cesar Chavez and founded El Teatro Campesino in 1965 on the picket lines of the Delano Grape Strike. Regarded as the father of Chicano theater and film, Valdez's work includes "Zoot Suit" and "La Bamba." One of the founding professors of California State University at Monterey Bay, he launched the Institute for Teledramatic Arts and Technology.

Taking part in the discussion with Valdez is former San Jose Mayor Tom McEnery. McEnery has been a major leader in shaping the growth of San Jose and Santa Clara County, a role that his father and both grandfathers also previously enjoyed. Elected as San Jose's 61st mayor in 1982, McEnery is credited for leading the rebirth of the city's downtown core and elevating San Jose to one of the top large cities in the United States. He continues his interests in the area's political arena while remaining active as a writer, public speaker and an owner and member of the Board of Directors for San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises, which owns the San Jose Sharks, San Jose's McEnery Convention Center is named in his honor.

Produced by San Jose's Office of Cultural Affairs, 1stACT Silicon Valley and the Commonwealth Club of California, the Great Cities Speakers Series engages residents, business and civic leaders as well as those who will be directly impacted by the evolution of the Envision San Jose General Plan 2040 -- the key planning document that will guide San Jose's growth, character, and service ambitions over the next 10-30 years. This series of monthly public lectures is designed to provoke thought, discussion and imagination about the city of the future and to bring important outside perspectives to local and regional efforts on civic planning, culture, art and design. The lectures are free.

The Great Cities Speaker Series is also supported by the American Institute of Architects-Santa Clara Valley Chapter, the American Planning Association (APA) California Chapter-Northern Section, the Fairmont Hotel San Jose, the San Jose Repertory Theater and the San Jose State University Department of Urban and Regional Planning.

ABOUT THE SAN JOSE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS

The Office of Cultural Affairs is part of the City's Office of Economic Development. Together, they foster cultural and economic development as related strategies for building San Jose as the creative center of Silicon Valley. The Office of Cultural Affairs coordinates services for outdoor events and festivals, offers financial support for arts and culture providers, supports arts education, and leads the development of public art works throughout the city. For more information, please visit www.sanjoseculture.org

ABOUT THE CITY OF SAN JOSE

From its founding in 1777 as California's first city, San Jose has been a leader driven by its spirit of innovation. Today, San Jose stands as the largest city in Northern California and the Capital of Silicon Valley -- the world's leading center of innovation. The city, the 10th largest in the U.S., is committed to remaining a top-ranked place to do business, work, live, play and learn. For more information, visit www.sanjoseca.gov

ABOUT 1STACT SILICON VALLEY

1stACT Silicon Valley is a broad network of regional civic, cultural, and business leaders working to catalyze participation and investment at the intersection of art, creativity, and technology. 1stACT strives to create an authentic sense of place in Silicon Valley that fuels community pride, broad participation, and philanthropic investment. Please visit www.1stact.org

ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, bringing together its more than 18,000 members for over 400 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy. The Club has offices in San Francisco and San Jose, with regular events in both cities, as well as programs in the East and North Bay. Please visit, www.commonwealthclub.org

Contact
Steven Brewster
(415) 577-8851 mobile
San Jose Office of Economic Development
Email Contact

Brendan Rawson
1stACT Silicon Valley
(408) 200-2020 ext. 105
Email Contact

SOURCE: City of San Jose, California

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In particular, Farr will review a range of case studies to demonstrate how cities can change the built environment to benefit generations to come.

According to Farr, urban sprawl negatively impacts the environment and further leads to climate change challenges.

"Cities that begin to integrate walkable, transit-served urbanism along with high performance green buildings and associated infrastructure into their current developments and ongoing plans will be the future leaders both in sustainability and livability," Farr said.

Based in Chicago, Farr is an architect, urban designer and the founding principal and president of Farr Associates. He has served as co-chair of the Environmental Task Force of the Congress for the New Urbanism, chair of the AIA Chicago Committee on the Environment, and chair of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) Core Committee.

Farr's book, Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature, was hailed by Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin as a "thoughtful book propelled by visionary energy and desire to integrate architecture, city planning and nature for a better way of life."

Taking part in the discussion with Farr is James MacGregor, publisher of the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal. MacGregor came to the Business Journal in August 2007, from a sister publication, the San Francisco Business Times. MacGregor grew up near Toronto and graduated from Bishop's University in the province of Quebec. His career took him west, as a sales consultant in Vancouver, British Columbia, at Seaboard Advertising and Rogers Broadcasting. Later, he was general manager of Obie Media Corp. in St. Louis before joining the San Francisco Business Times in 2002.

Produced by San Jose's Office of Cultural Affairs, 1stACT Silicon Valley and the Commonwealth Club of California, the Great Cities Speakers Series engages residents, and business and civic leaders as well as those who will be directly impacted by the evolution of the Envision San Jose General Plan 2040 -- the key planning document that will guide San Jose's growth, character, and service ambitions over the next 10-30 years. This series of monthly public lectures is designed to provoke thought, discussion and imagination about the city of the future and to bring important outside perspectives to local and regional efforts on civic planning, culture, art and design. The lectures are free.

The Great Cities Speaker Series is also supported by the American Institute of Architects-Santa Clara Valley Chapter, the American Planning Association (APA) California Chapter-Northern Section, the Fairmont Hotel San Jose, the San Jose Repertory Theater and the San Jose State University Department of Urban and Regional Planning.

ABOUT THE SAN JOSE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS

The Office of Cultural Affairs is part of the City's Office of Economic Development. Together, they foster cultural and economic development as related strategies for building San Jose as the creative center of Silicon Valley. The Office of Cultural Affairs coordinates services for outdoor events and festivals, offers financial support for arts and culture providers, supports arts education, and leads the development of public art works throughout the city. For more information, please visit www.sanjoseculture.org

ABOUT THE CITY OF SAN JOSE

From its founding in 1777 as California's first city, San Jose has been a leader driven by its spirit of innovation. Today, San Jose stands as the largest city in Northern California and the Capital of Silicon Valley -- the world's leading center of innovation. The city, the 10th largest in the U.S., is committed to remaining a top-ranked place to do business, work, live, play and learn. For more information, visit www.sanjoseca.gov

ABOUT 1STACT SILICON VALLEY

1stACT Silicon Valley is a broad network of regional civic, cultural, and business leaders working to catalyze participation and investment at the intersection of art, creativity, and technology. 1stACT strives to create an authentic sense of place in Silicon Valley that fuels community pride, broad participation, and philanthropic investment. Please visit www.1stact.org

ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, bringing together its more than 18,000 members for over 400 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy. The Club has offices in San Francisco and San Jose, with regular events in both cities, as well as programs in the East and North Bay. Please visit, www.commonwealthclub.org

Contact
Steven Brewster
(415) 577-8851 mobile
San Jose Office of Economic Development
Email Contact

Brendan Rawson
1stACT Silicon Valley
(408) 200-2020 ext. 105
Email Contact

SOURCE: City of San Jose, California

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According to Coletta, cities that want to thrive in this economy need to excel in developing, maximizing and retaining talent, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship and linking people with ideas to talent, capital and markets, cities to regions and regions to the global world while capitalizing on local differences to build economic opportunity.

"Much of what we thought we knew about cities is wrong. The days of cheap land, cheap labor and cheap energy are long gone, and new assumptions are at play. We now live in a world where talent is the biggest predictor of economic success, sustainability is no longer an option and people can live wherever they want. Our strategies for addressing these new realities need to catch up to this new and very different world. Leaders who accept and adapt to these changes today are positioning their cities well for the future," said Coletta.

Based in Chicago, Coletta is president and CEO of CEOs for Cities and host and producer of the nationally syndicated public radio show "Smart City" (www.smartcityradio.com). Before moving to Chicago to head CEOs for Cities, she served as president of Coletta & Company in Memphis. In addition, she was executive director of the Mayors' Institute on City Design, a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Conference of Mayors and American Architectural Foundation. Since founding "Smart City" in February, 2001, she has interviewed almost 600 international urban leaders. Among her other accomplishments, Coletta created and hosted the Memphis Manifesto Summit with Richard Florida, the first gathering of the creative class to write their call to action for cities; with economist Joe Cortright she developed a series of papers on talent, where it moves and why; she conceived and wrote the Talent Magnet Report, the first city blueprint aimed at attracting and retaining the creative class; and she coauthored Cultural Development in Creative Communities for Americans for the Arts. Coletta was also a Knight Fellow in Community Building at the University of Miami School of Architecture.

Taking part in the discussion with Coletta is Kim Walesh, chief strategist, City of San Jose. Walesh oversees strategic planning, partnerships, and innovations for San Jose. She joined the City in 2003 to lead development of San Jose's first comprehensive economic strategy, and oversees implementation. Walesh leads strategic initiatives related to university collaboration, downtown regeneration, business engagement, cultural development and City identity. She assists the City's elected and executive leadership in understanding and addressing issues that affect the City's long-term success.

Produced by San Jose's Office of Cultural Affairs, 1stACT Silicon Valley and the Commonwealth Club of California, the Great Cities Speakers Series engages residents, and business and civic leaders as well as those who will be directly impacted by the evolution of the Envision San Jose General Plan 2040 -- the key planning document that will guide San Jose's growth, character, and service ambitions over the next 10-30 years. This series of monthly public lectures is designed to provoke thought, discussion and imagination about the city of the future and to bring important outside perspectives to local and regional efforts on civic planning, culture, art and design. The lectures are free.

The Great Cities Speaker Series is also supported by the American Institute of Architects-Santa Clara Valley Chapter, the American Planning Association (APA) California Chapter-Northern Section, the Fairmont Hotel San Jose, the San Jose Repertory Theater and the San Jose State University Department of Urban and Regional Planning.

ABOUT THE SAN JOSE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS

The Office of Cultural Affairs is part of the City's Office of Economic Development. Together, they foster cultural and economic development as related strategies for building San Jose as the creative center of Silicon Valley. The Office of Cultural Affairs coordinates services for outdoor events and festivals, offers financial support for arts and culture providers, supports arts education, and leads the development of public art works throughout the city. For more information, please visit www.sanjoseculture.org

ABOUT THE CITY OF SAN JOSE

From its founding in 1777 as California's first city, San Jose has been a leader, driven by its spirit of innovation. Today, San Jose stands as the largest city in Northern California and the Capital of Silicon Valley -- the world's leading center of innovation. The city, the 10th largest in the U.S., is committed to remaining a top-ranked place to do business, work, live, play and learn. For more information, visit www.sanjoseca.gov

ABOUT 1STACT SILICON VALLEY

1stACT Silicon Valley is a broad network of regional civic, cultural, and business leaders working to catalyze participation and investment at the intersection of art, creativity, and technology. 1stACT strives to create an authentic sense of place in Silicon Valley that fuels community pride, broad participation, and philanthropic investment. Please visit www.1stact.org

ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, bringing together its more than 18,000 members for over 400 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy. The Club has offices in San Francisco and San Jose, with regular events in both cities, as well as programs in the East and North Bay. Please visit www.commonwealthclub.org

Contact
Steven Brewster
(415) 577-8851 mobile
San Jose Office of Economic Development
Email Contact

Brendan Rawson
1stACT Silicon Valley
(408) 200-2020 ext. 105
Email Contact

SOURCE: City of San Jose, California

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According to Markusen, San Jose hosts the most diversified "left brain" high tech economy in the world, but its "right brain" labor force should be further developed to help the City maintain its own distinctive niche within the global market.

"Artists and designers are under-represented in San Jose for the size of its workforce, yet they contribute directly to the local economy through the self-employed income they earn and by providing area employers with the visual, performance and writing skills that make their products successful," Markusen said. "They also make cities more attractive places to live and work, helping to retain and attract other entrepreneurs and skilled workers. Savvy cities around the world are investing strategically in artist live/work and studio buildings, artist's centers, designated arts districts, smaller scale and neighborhood artistic spaces, festivals, grants and technical assistance program to shore up and diversify their arts and cultural talent pool."

Before joining the Humphrey Institute, Markusen was State of New Jersey professor of Urban Planning and Policy Development at Rutgers University. She has held faculty positions at Northwestern, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of Colorado. Markusen has been an economic policy fellow with the Brookings Institution. She was a Fulbright Lecturer in regional development economics in Brazil and has written on European, Korean, and Japanese regional economies as well as on North American cities and regions. Currently Markusen is serving as the Harvey Perloff Chair in the Urban Studies Department at UCLA and an A. D. White Professor-at-large at Cornell University.

John Loomis, director of the San Jose State School of Art and Design, will facilitate questions and answers following Markusen's talk. An architect, educator and author, he was director of development and communications for CyArk, which brings laser scanning and other advanced geospatial technologies to the preservation of world heritage sites. He holds a bachelor's in art history from Stanford University and a master's in architecture from Columbia University.

Produced by the San Jose's Office of Cultural Affairs, 1stACT Silicon Valley and the Commonwealth Club of California, the Great Cities Speakers Series engages residents, and business and civic leaders as well as those who will be directly impacted by the evolution of the Envision San Jose General Plan 2040 -- the key planning document that will guide San Jose's growth, character, and service ambitions over the next 10-30 years. This series of monthly public lectures is designed to provoke thought, discussion and imagination about the city of the future and to bring important outside perspectives to local and regional efforts on civic planning, culture, art and design. The lectures are free.

The Great Cities Speaker Series is also supported by the American Institute of Architects-Santa Clara Valley Chapter, the American Planning Association (APA) California Chapter -- Northern Section, the Fairmont Hotel San Jose, the San Jose Repertory Theater and the San Jose State University Department of Urban and Regional Planning.

ABOUT THE SAN JOSE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS

The Office of Cultural Affairs is part of the City's Office of Economic Development. Together, they foster cultural and economic development as related strategies for building San Jose as the creative center of Silicon Valley. The Office of Cultural Affairs coordinates services for outdoor events and festivals, offers financial support for arts and culture providers, supports arts education, and leads the development of public art works throughout the city. For more information, please visit www.sanjoseculture.org.

ABOUT THE CITY OF SAN JOSE

From its founding in 1777 as California's first city, San Jose has been a leader, driven by its spirit of innovation. Today, San Jose stands as the largest city in Northern California and the Capital of Silicon Valley -- the world's leading center of innovation. The city, the 10th largest in the U.S., is committed to remaining a top-ranked place to do business, work, live, play and learn. For more information, visit, www.sanjoseca.gov.

ABOUT 1STACT SILICON VALLEY

1stACT Silicon Valley is a broad network of regional civic, cultural, and business leaders working to catalyze participation and investment at the intersection of art, creativity, and technology. 1stACT strives to create an authentic sense of place in Silicon Valley that fuels community pride, broad participation, and philanthropic investment. Please visit, www.1stact.org.

ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum, bringing together its more than 18,000 members for over 400 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy. The Club has offices in San Francisco and San Jose, with regular events in both cities, as well as programs in the East and North Bay. Please visit, www.commonwealthclub.org.

Contact
Steven Brewster
(415) 577-8851
San Jose Office of Economic Development
Email Contact

Brendan Rawson
1stACT Silicon Valley
(408) 200-2020 ext. 105
Email Contact

SOURCE: City of San Jose, California

http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=D789C5CC2BA111E0
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