Team
Scott T. Edmondson, AICP, ISSP-SA
Mr. Edmondson is the founding principal of Regenerative Sustainability 2030 (RS2030: sustainability2030.com) and a Sr. Planner-Economist in SF Planning’s Data & Analytics Group. At RS2030, he pursues his career-long interest in accurately understanding the challenge of sustainable development and requirements for an effective response, and now on advancing the emerging practice of regenerative systems sustainability policy and planning. At SF Planning, Scott supports complex strategic decision analysis of long-range growth and development issues and leads the modernization growth policy analysis.
The theme of Scott's 35-year career is complex strategic decision analysis of urban and regional growth and development issues with an emphasis on sustainability. Currently, he focuses on advancing and integrating the emerging practices of (1) regenerative systems sustainability planning and (2) digital urban & regional systems planning--both made possible by powerful geospatial urban simulation tools and data analytics, and for the purpose of accelerating progress towards sustainability success in time.
At SF Planning, Scott leads the modernization of growth policy analysis and planning using the new tools of 3D GIS urban simulation and geospatial data analytics. In doing so, he is simultaneously advancing the next-generation of integrative digital systems planning practice these tools enable. Past practice has involved innovative economic and public policy analysis & research in the practice areas of long-range land use planning, strategic sustainability planning and policy, CEQA/NEPA compliance, and strategic health care facilities planning.
At RS2030, his work advances the emerging practice of regenerative systems sustainability policy and planning. Part of this work is conceptual development (theory) and educational (training); while part integrates it as a core component of the next generation of integrative digital urban systems planning that 3D GIS urban simulation tools and geospatial data analytics enable. The work program is three-fold: (1) writing and book project; (2) developing a training curriculum and program in regenerative urbanism and systems sustainability; and (3) the regenerative region demonstration project. The book project will present the emerging field of regenerative systems sustainability planning. The training program will provide a systematic resource for communicating the key concepts, skills, and practices. The Regenerative Region San Francisco Demonstration Project (to begin in 2023) will illuminate the shortest path to regenerative sustainability success using achieving a sustainable SF Bay Area by 2030 (or ASAP thereafter) as the foil. It will provide access to the project’s lessons via a Global Regenerative Region Network of leading-edge sustainability practitioners.
Career highlights include being an advisor and economics section lead to the San Francisco Sustainability Plan (Introduction-Principles, Economics; 1996); a participant in the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development (BAASD) and member of its Indicators Work Group (1998-2001); one of the APA Sustainable Community Division’s founding members and one of the first cohort of its Sustainability Champions (2014); an APA California Northern Board Member where he founded and directed the Sustainability Planning Committee (2011-2014); and one of the founding Steering Committee members of the Biophilic Cities Network (2013). He has presented at annual conferences of the national American Planning Association (APA), the California APA Chapter, Biophilic Cities, and Esri's GeoDesign Summit, in webinars for the APA Sustainable Communities Division and the APA International Division, and to an international environmental management conference held in Hainan, China.
Recently, Scott co-authored a white paper for a session of the EcoCity World Summit 2022 entitled Regenerative Urbanism--A Synopsis: Inventing the Platform for Sustainability Success. It summarizes and synthesizes the results of his career-long research into forging an accurate understanding of the sustainability challenge and requirements for an effective response. It argues that shifting our current approach FROM designing parts sustainability TO systems sustainability is the only way to solve the accelerating twin climate and unsustainability crises simultaneously and in time, and only for the cost of climate change alone.
Scott has an Master of Arts degree in Architecture & Urban Planning from the University of California - Los Angeles with a focus on urban, regional, and international development planning; a Bachelor of Arts degree in Development Studies from the University of California - Berkeley; a year of course work in the Masters of Science program in public policy analysis at the University of Rochester; and PhD studies in urban and regional development at UCLA; and a Certificate in GIS from the San Francisco State University. He is an avid skier and climber and loves a good cappuccino.
Other Team Members forthcoming.
Partnerships
RS2030 works in partnerships with likeminded individuals and organizations when interests overlap, including the following individuals and organizations.
Green Urban Designs (GUD), Charles M. Kelley Jr., AIA, LEED BD+C, NCARB, founding Principal.
Charles and Scott met at an EcoCity Institute Training in 2014 at a reception that ZGF Architects hosted for the Training. ZGF was one of EcoCity’s founding partners and collaborators. Scott was impressed with Charles’ innovative practice that was simply normal for him. Scott invited Charles to show case his regenerative design “toolbox” to SF Planning, and they have been collaborating on presentations and projects since then. Charles’ launched Green Urban Design (GUD), to focus his practice on using integrated design and technology to leverage multiple planning and design objectives across mobility, watersheds, energy, water, land use, and open space systems to create regenerative neighborhoods. In so doing, marginalized and disinvested communities build their capacity to promote health and wellbeing by re-configuring their neighborhoods. With 37 years of experience in architecture, urban design, and master planning, Charles brings his award-winning experiences to every scale of planning and design in the making of institutional and municipal places in the US and across the Pacific Rim. As a former Principal at ZGF Architects, he continues to serve as a strategic advisor on design that incorporates community aspirations. Recent projects include:
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
With RS2030, collaborations have included Regenerative Design Tool Kit presentation to SF Planning, XXXXX, APA National Conference Presentation, Regenerative City Sustainability SF, presentation session on XXXX EcoCity Conference XXXX, Minneapolis, and the White Paper for the EcoCity2022 World Conference (xxxx). Current collaboration involves formulating and offering Regenerative Systems Sustainability Planning Advisory and Consulting Services.
Others Forthcoming.