Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute Director Leaves for "Greener Pastures"

James Van Hemert, AICP and sustainability advocate, has left the directorship of the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute to become the planning director of a small town in Vancouver, BC and an organic farmer.  This according to "DU Today," the news service of the University of Denver.  RMLUI has been associated with the University of Denver for almost 20 years, and it is a strong voice for smart growth in Colorado.  However, according to the article on DU Today, Van Hemert believes Denver's moves toward sustainability have been "tepid at best," and so he and his wife decided on this move to BC as an attempt to live a more sustainable lifestyle themselves.  Although we'll miss his presence in the academic realm, I'm sure this is not the last we'll hear from James.  We wish him well in his new endeavors.

Jamie Baker Roskie