KKB’s 5th Annual Sustainability Summit: Reimagining the Asphalt Jungle

Thank you to everyone who attended KKB’s 5th Annual Sustainability Summit!

Have you ever noticed that cities sometimes have more asphalt roads than green spaces? Have you ever decided not to walk from one store to another because you would cross a huge parking lot, so driving is just easier? Why do we have all this asphalt, how is it keeping us apart, and what can we do about it?

Our 5th Annual Summit was held on Friday, November 3, 2023. We featured speakers from all over the Southeast to talk about innovative solutions to many of these issues facing Knoxville and the whole US.

To learn more about the Reimagining the Asphalt Jungle, you can read the blog post here or click on the videos below.

Check back in Fall 2024 for information about the 6th Annual Sustainability Summit!

A Brief Overview of KKB’s Previous Summits

In 1982, the Greater Knoxville Beautification Board (as KKB was known then) hosted Knoxville 2000: A Vision of the Future. This symposium allowed Knoxvillians to imagine what their city might be like in 20 years. In 2019, in honor of KKB’s 40th anniversary, the Sustainability Summit was born as a reimagined Knoxville 2000. With the KKB Sustainability Summit, we hope to inspire Knox County residents to also dream about the future while drawing on inspiration from other cities. Check out previous years’ topics below!

2022

Theme: Urban Reconnection to Nature

Speakers: Mayor Knox White (Mayor of Greenville, SC), Cathy Sloss Jones (Chair of Urban Land Institute, Alabama Chapter), Ryan Alson (Communications and Outreach Manager, Baltimore Tree Trust)

2021

Theme: Cleaner, Greener, Connected

Speakers: Ellen Zavisca (Principal Planner, Knoxville Regional Transportation Organization), Drew Frye (Senior Power Utilization Engineer, Tennessee Valley Authority), Chasity Hobby (Environmental Stewardship Lead, Knoxville Utility Board), Si McMurray (Director of Procurement and Project Manger, Knoxville Area Transit)

2020

Theme: Environmental Stewardship

Speakers: Melissa Hinten (UTK’s Office of Sustainability), Harley Bryant (KUB), Ashlee Mays (UTK)

 2019

Theme: Shaping a Resilient Knoxville

Speakers: Pete Crowley (Discovery, Inc.), Melissa Eads (Kroger), Brad Collett (TN River Line)