Kankakee, IL (April 13, 2011) - Thomas Kapusta, President of TKA + Partners, will speak on urban planning sustainability solutions at the Kankakee Public Library on April 26th, sponsored by the Kankakee Public Library and Kankakee Community College Council for Community Sustainability. Kapusta's presentation, "Urban Planning Using LEED-ND Standards," will give a vision for Midwest cities and towns striving to achieve sustainability and provide healthy, vibrant and economically thriving communities for citizens. LEED-ND is one of many emerging tools designed to assist communities cultivate a robust civic life, create a context for economic prosperity, and reflect an on-going commitment to environmental sustainability.

The presentation will include a visual prototype of "Lake Valley, USA." Lake Valley is a typical Midwest city with a struggling central business district, valuable natural resource, and highway connecting the city to larger nearby cities and university towns. Kapusta will demonstrate how Lake Valley can achieve cost-effective sustainability improvements following Urban Planning principles that utilize the U.S. Green Building Council LEED for Neighborhood Development model.

The event will be held at the Kankakee Public Library at 6:30pm on April 26th, as part of the KPL's Green Happenings series.