Sustainable and Inclusionary Planning: from Odysseus’ Island to Washington’s Ceded Territories.
Professor Zaferatos will discuss two of his most recent research endeavors. The first presents the culmination of a twelve-year global education summer program on the Island of Ithaca, Greece, promoting sustainable development in remote island communities. The two-week summer program adapted sustainability metrics based on the Living Community Challenge. The metrics emphasize promoting community wellbeing, resiliency, and preservation of architectural character, net positive water and energy development, sustainable tourism and fair-trade economies, and fostering positive human and natural systems.
The second research project focuses on the advocacy for tribal rights throughout Washington’s ceded areas and promotes the imperative for inclusionary planning under the Growth Management Act. The research, funded under a Bullitt Foundation grant, was presented to and endorsed by the Centennial Accord conference and provided the groundwork for the enactment of HB1717 that now encourages coordinated regional planning among local governments and Native American nations.
About the Speaker
Professor Zaferatos’ teaching emphasis in urban planning, sustainable development, Native American reservation planning and policy, complements his regional and international applied research interests. Zaferatos served as the first academic program director for WWU’s Urban Planning Program, one of only 16 PAB accredited undergraduate planning programs in the nation. Over the past two decades, Dr. Zaferatos has directed several service-learning programs regionally and internationally. His academic and professional practice spans over 45 years and includes positions as planning director, executive positions, and appointments on boards and commissions with local, tribal, and international organizations. His recent publications include Planning the Native American Reservation: From Theory to Empowerment (2017), Washington Indian Tribes and the Growth Management Act: Toward Inclusionary Regional Planning (2020), and Blueprint for a Living Village: Kioni, Ithaca, Greece (2025). He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Washington, an MA from WWU’s College of the Environment, and a BA from SUNY Buffalo.
Environmental Speaker Series
The Environmental Speaker Series is hosted by the College of the Environment at Western Washington University.
The Series is free and open to the public. Talks are held each Thursday at 4:30 pm in Academic Instructional Center West room 204 - AW-204. Parking is available in lot C.