Sustainability

AI . Crossroads or Crisis?

In a recent conversation on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart sat down with Tristan Harris, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, to discuss the profound implications of artificial intelligence on our human society. Their discussion was not merely about

admin October 9, 2025October 9, 2025

Remembering Dr. Jane Goodall

Yesterday, October 1, 2025, the world lost one of its most extraordinary voices for creation. Dr. Jane Morris Goodall, died at the age of 91. Her journey from curious child to pioneering primatologist, conservationist, and global humanitarian is a reminder

admin October 2, 2025October 2, 2025

Call for Papers . “Religion & the Cities We Need”

My good friends, colleagues, and fellow labors for a better urban future for all and everything at Faith for Cities have issued a call for papers for a conference in this November in Indonesia. The theme is: “Religion & the

admin September 17, 2025September 18, 2025

Vital Conversation for Our Future Together

The IDG Summit website states: Today’s world is dividing socially and politically, environmentally and technologically. Leading to ever-growing tensions, conflicts and even war. As a consequence, we find ourselves pulled between opposing stories, values and worldviews. Making it harder to

admin September 4, 2025September 4, 2025

“For God so Loves the World…”

The “Metacrisis” as Daniel Schmachtenberger and others describe it, is the future of “Christian Mission.” This is a much watch! Peace, dwight

admin June 7, 2025June 6, 2025

WUF12 Begins in Just a Few Days

Well, I’m very excited that UN-Habitat’s 12th convening of the World Urban Forum is just a few days away. WUF is the world’s premier conference on sustainable urbanization. This year – for the first time – there is a Faith

Dwight J. Friesen November 1, 2024November 1, 2024

(Re)Imagination Resource

Design Guidance for Green & Thriving Public Spaces C40 Cities . Desgin Principles How Public Spaces Can Function How Public Spaces Can Be Built What Public Spaces Can Promote

Dwight J. Friesen May 17, 2024May 17, 2024

What a Beautiful Place to Call Home

Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen April 22, 2024April 22, 2024

Inner Development Goals

If you follow my blog at all, then you know that I am passionate about helping realize the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I often say that the 17 SDGs are as audacious as they are beautiful and are a

Dwight J. Friesen March 18, 2024May 7, 2024

Faith For Cities

I’m joining Chris Elisara and the folks at Faith for Cities seeking to harness multi-faith insights and actions in the face of an unparalleled era of urbanization. As we know more than eight out of people people on the planet

Dwight J. Friesen February 7, 2024February 7, 2024

Multi-Faith Side Events . COP28

Speakers: James Bhagwan, Julia Rensburg, Tara van Ryneveld. Remove: Episcopal Nana Firman & Meryne Warah, H.E. President Wavel Ramkalawa Islamic Dev Bank/Islamic Solidarity Fund, Phoebe Chatfield Faiths for a Just Transition: Bottom up & Systemic Approaches from Affected Communities 🌍

Dwight J. Friesen January 31, 2024January 31, 2024

Multi-Faith Presence @ COP28

While I wasn’t able to attend COP28 in person, it’s been so great to the reports from my multi-faith colleagues about the remarkable advancement in the active participation of world’s faiths, religions, and spiritualities in the conversation. 84-85% of the

Dwight J. Friesen January 30, 2024January 30, 2024

Bellevue Comprehensive Plan 2044

Bellevue’s Comprehensive Plan is updated about every 10 years. The 2024 update, to guide Bellevue’s development through 2044, is now underway. The update includes an environmental impact statement as a requirement of the State Environmental Policy Act. The EIS includes

Dwight J. Friesen January 24, 2024January 22, 2024

SDGs & Religion . Free eBook

On the Significance of Religion for the SDGs: An Introduction, by Dr Christine Schliesser, is part of Routledge’s “Religion Matters” series. And it is available for free as an eBook on Amazon. I’m not sure whether this is permanently free

Dwight J. Friesen January 20, 2024January 20, 2024

Urban October 2023

For a number of years now, UN-Habitat has been earmarking the month of October as “Urban October.” Our goal is to draw humanity’s attention our cities in order foster conversation, engagement, and movement toward a better urban future for all

Dwight J. Friesen October 1, 2023October 14, 2023

Urban Economy Forum 4, Roundtable

The fourth convening of the Urban Economy Forum is less than two weeks away. You still have time to register! I will be participating in a roundtable exploring urban policy and public services, our theme is, “Inclusive Urban Finance.” You

Dwight J. Friesen September 19, 2022September 26, 2022

Off to Poland

This Friday I am on my way to Katowice Poland to participate in the United Nations Habitat’s eleventh convening of the World Urban Forum. So I thought I’d offer a bit of an explanation of what I will be doing…

Dwight J. Friesen June 22, 2022September 26, 2022

Wednesday is “World Oceans Day”

Recovering or relearning how to live in harmony with creation is vital to our survival. I call on all people of faith to search their sacred texts for examples of, teachings about, or practices for living in harmony with the

Dwight J. Friesen June 6, 2022December 16, 2022

A Vital Resource for Church & City

Since its creation, United Nations Habitat has been striving to put practical tools in the hands of local people and communities to equip them with the needed information, inspiration, and ideas to mobilize grassroots people to bring about real change

Dwight J. Friesen May 11, 2022December 19, 2022

UN-Habitat “Urban October”

We have one month to get ready for the UN-Habitat’s Urban October. UN-Habitat is engaging people and groups from all over the world to think about where they live and how they live where they live, with an eye to

Dwight J. Friesen September 1, 2021September 26, 2022

2021 Climate Change Report

Earlier this week the sixth assessment report (AR6) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It is a well researched and carefully documented report coming in at nearly 4,000 pages. While I haven’t finished reading the full report yet,

Dwight J. Friesen August 14, 2021September 26, 2022

Planning for our Mega Cities

I invite you to watch the above video with an open heart. Attend to your own curiosity as you watch it. Every one of us come to data dumps like this with our uniqueness and particular hermeneutics. This is is

Dwight J. Friesen May 18, 2021September 26, 2022

Sustainable Bellevue

Here is the City of Bellevue’s recently approved (December 14th, 2020) plan for learning to live in relationship with creation. I wish it had a more clearly linked connection to the UN’s 17’s “Sustainable Development Goals” especially given the relative

Dwight J. Friesen January 1, 2021November 2, 2022

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

A few months ago – September 25, 2015 to be exact – the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Development Agenda titled “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” I can only imagine the

Dwight J. Friesen February 2, 2016February 26, 2024

Urbanization & the Future of Cities

Check out this helpful, TED Educational Talk exploring “Urbanization and the future of cities” by Vance Kite. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen September 25, 2013May 10, 2022

transforming space into place

You’ve got to check out this great video highlighting Portland’s “intersection repair” project.  This is such a cool example of neighbors, literally, taking back the the streets such that the individuals, community and the built environment are transformed. This is

Dwight J. Friesen May 12, 2010June 10, 2022

Parish Collective

Parish Collective is getting ready to host three gatherings of in the Pacific Northwest (Vancouver BC, Seattle, Portland).  The gatherings are designed to draw communities of faith who are deeply committed to embodying the gospel in the radical particularity of

Dwight J. Friesen April 26, 2010May 13, 2022