Excellent idea!

keep up the ideas flowing

one word .. BRILLIANT.

Of that 50 % university graduation how many are actually working in their field? So many people graduate and do not have applicable experience to land them a job where their education and passion have taken them. University is great for theory but does very little to add real life application and the professionals in the work force are sometimes so disconnected from any new information of new ways of thinking. This is a perfect way to harness the vibrant minds and fresh ideas of future students and provide an avenue for change at the same time. Good luck.

Essential.

A wonderful idea; a great incentive to put young intelligent minds to work! An inter-institutional relationship will provide students a chance to put their studies to use and a fabulous opportunity for some of the local community to become involved with city/regional planning & development!

Drop the books and useless papers. Let the students go out in the real world and rock the field!

Too bad I'm about to graduate in 7 months...

Are there any precedents for this in other cities in the world? I heard there were but can't seem to find them.

Also, when I mentioned this idea to someone, they asked if the students would get paid. My assumption is they would, maybe similar to the kind of pay they're receive for a coop term - at least a livable wage. Any thoughts on this?

What is City University about? It is a vision for a new kind of relationship between higher education and the public world.

A City University would invite students from all post-secondary institutions to join together with instructors and the city to get their education by researching and solving the most challenging problems Vancouver needs to solve in order to become the Greenest City. Homelessness, carbon, waste, land use, food, alternative energy – these are some of our greatest challenges yet some of our brightest people don’t get to work on them until they leave university.

To reach our GC2020 goals, we will need to identify and solve problems with scope scale and speed. At the same time, students need opportunities to learn about the world through their chosen area of study, and they need opportunities to learn about things that the university hasn’t yet identified.

Canada is one of the most educated countries in the world with more than 50% of our working-age population possessing a college or university degree. At 50%, we have one of the highest rates of university graduates among the OECD countries.

Despite our success and emphasis on higher education in Canada, we rank virtually at the bottom of 30 OECD countries when it comes to environmental progress in this country. We are able to provide education to virtually anyone who wants it, but it’s clear that the environment is not getting better because of this success. Education is important, but what is education for if the environment is damaged in the process?

Students want a better world, but they have competing desires; on one hand they want to know how to find work that is rewarding and that matters; on the other hand they want to know how they can earn a living without damaging the planet.

Can we strengthen the relationship between universities and the public world? What would it be like if students could get their education, and maybe even their whole degree, while learning how to make a better world by working towards it?

great idea on the "green city university". perhaps it needs to be a university of applied science and applied environmental economics. there are enough academics and politicians who understand the theory but not not application.

Brilliant. So much energy quietly encased withing the confines of the ivory tower. Unleash the enthusiasm!! Why channel all this energy into papers nobody reads or into ideas that never get tested? Inquiring minds are maybe our biggest sustainable resource. City University all the way!!

Can someone propose entry requirements for this university?
What would make it different from UBC's SCARP?
Do you propose that marginals be allowed to conduct applied research with taxpayer dollars on public property?

...a beautiful idea... just... to be conscious that we can do the things we do everyday, the small ones, in a different way... smart use of water and more efficient recycling... pretty obvious, maybe, but a nice starting point... less gas, more hybrid cars? of course... just think what you can do and...just do it... easy, right?

let's act local, but always pay attention to what other people, all over the world is doing related to this topic, and how they feel about it...

and let's talk about this with those that will be adults in 2020, because this is all about future, but future already started...

let's compare and learn... let's invite them all and let's share...

exciting!!!

Electronic Road Pricing, fines for not abiding to Green Mark or LEED standards... I am for the view that punishment is necessary

crossing my fingers for you guys! so much local knowledge going to waste, i agree that institutional partnerships must be emphasized, but we should also take advantage of cultural diversity and practices!

I think this is a great idea, and I know people involved who are top notch.

I am about to graduate from a six year undergraduate experience and this makes me want to start all over again.

Here's the video for this idea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljb-uL7AMvg

And the photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vancouverdesignnerds/sets/72157624989276810/

This idea was developed within a breakout group on Sept 17, 2010 at the Design Nerd Jam 4.4 Greenest City event, hosted by the Vancouver Design Nerds, with food sponsored by the City of Vancouver.

More info on VDN: www.designnerds.ca

Students may be one of our greatest wasted resources. Mobilizing a generation to participate in a meaningful and mutually beneficial way toward reaching the very audacious 2020 goal is a truly fabulous idea. Let's get in gear to make this one happen!

This is a vision for a new relationship between higher education and the public world.

To reach our GC2020 goals, we will need to identify and solve problems with scope scale and speed. At the same time, students need opportunities to learn about the world through their chosen area of study, and they need opportunities to learn about things that the university hasn’t yet identified.

Canada is one of the most educated countries in the world with more than 50% of our working-age population possessing a college or university degree. At 50%, we have one of the highest rates of university graduates among the OECD countries.

Despite our success and emphasis on higher education in Canada, we rank virtually at the bottom of 30 OECD countries when it comes to environmental progress in this country. We are able to provide education to virtually anyone who wants it, but it’s clear that the environment is not getting better because of this success. Education is important, but what is education for if the environment is damaged in the process?

A City University would invite students from all post-secondary institutions to join together with instructors and the city to get their education by researching and solving the most challenging problems Vancouver needs to solve in order to become the Greenest City. Homelessness, carbon, waste, land use, food, alternative energy – these are some of our greatest challenges yet some of our brightest people don’t get to work on them until they leave university.

Students want a better world, but they have competing desires; on one hand they want to know how to find work that is rewarding and that matters; on the other hand they want to know how they can earn a living without damaging the planet.

Can we strengthen the relationship between universities and the public world? What would it be like if students could get their education, and maybe even their whole degree, while learning how to make a better world by working towards it?

What a fabulous idea. How do I get involved to make it happen??