Robert Leaver
Username
Robert Leaver
Proposer First Name
Robert
Proposer Email
leaverrobert6@gmail.com
Proposer Last Name
Leaver
Proposer Company/Organization
New Commons
Proposer Phone
(401) 208-5588
Proposer Job Title
Founder
Boston 2023 Areas of Focus
Proposer Additional Info
Robert Leaver is a community psychologist. He has 45 years of experience in teaching and consulting. Robert has organized over 800 community-place based projects for clients, mostly locally and regionally. New Commons is in Providence, RI.
He is the founder and convener of New Commons – a whole new kind of think tank, founded in 1982. It is place-based with a place being a city, an island, village or an organization. New Commons goes beyond analysis and reporting. Our clients need tangible results, so we help them move from thought to action by helping them build a fresh network composed of the right capabilities, and then mobilize that network of know-how to get the job done. Think...Link...Do.
Robert’s project work, teaching and writing focuses on shaping what comes next with our culture and places, locally and regionally. The work uses a whole systems approach with the whole mattering more than the parts. This work integrates the past – especially soul -- with what comes next, which a constant, creative tension. His areas of focus are: business & ecology; change & what holds constant; city & soul; digital technology & culture; next economy & place; makers & movers; organizations & whole systems; teaching & learning; resilient & sustainable communities.
Robert is an eagle scout. He is the editor of City & Soul, Volume II of the Uniform Edition of James Hillman.
Proposed Session Description
Resilience in Action: A Facilitated Conversation on Resilience Applied to Climate Change.
The discussion will focus on:
1. Resilience has been a topic of past BuildingEnergy conferences sessions. What did we learn? Where has what we learned worked, and where hasn't it worked?
2. In applying resilience to climate change: What will work in cities? What will work in suburbs and rural areas?
Closing: What did we learn today? What do we want to learn next?
Learning Objectives
Learning how to extract knowledge and skills from conference sessions.
Getting people to understand the power of working together.
Inspiration to go beyond what you normally do.
Expect the unexpected and be comfortable with it.
Has this session been presented before?
No
Target Audiences Level of Expertise
Level 2 - Some prior knowledge helpful.
Session Format
Collaborative problem-solving session
Session Format Details
A short 10-minute presentation followed by some highly facilitated conversation.
Recommended Length
90-minute session
Strongest Content Connection - Boston 2023
Reviewer 1
Nielson, Christopher
Proposal #
226
Committee Decision
Rejected
Full Description
The notion of resilience has been a topic of past Conferences. It is important to build on past sessions and learn how people carry knowledge forward and apply it.