Former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Christine Todd Whitman to Speak Today about Largest Private RE Venture in History DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The topic of "Instant Cities" will be addressed by Former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman today at the influential Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat 2008 World Congress in Dubai. Mrs. Whitman will be speaking before more than 750 delegates from 37 countries about "Instant Cities: Korea," a reference to the largest private real estate venture in history, the $30 billion, 1,500 acre Songdo International Business District in Incheon, South Korea. The conference, "Tall and Green: Typology for a Sustainable Urban Future," features many of the world's thought leaders on sustainability and urban planning. Songdo International Business District will be home to the tallest building in Korea, the Northeast Asia Trade Tower (NEATT). NEATT is being constructed on sustainability principles and is seeking LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Songdo IBD will be 40 percent green space and the city's long-term sustainability and minimization of its carbon footprint have been considered in every design and engineering decision. Indeed, Songdo IBD was recently named a "green urbanism" pilot project by the USGBC, the first in Asia. Also addressing the conference on Songdo IBD is James von Klemperer, a principal of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, the master plan architect of this new city.
