Laurie Kaye Nijaki, Erb brown bag colloquium, Feb 6, 2012

Abstract:

This research examines the burgeoning “green economy” movement at the sub-national scale. Although there is an established literature around sustainability, there is little scholarship and actionable policies around the “green economy” despite a flurry of recent political rhetoric around symbiotic opportunities for economic growth and environmental preservation. This research seeks to begin to bridge this gap and to explain regional differences in the variation of “green economic” opportunities consisting of employment opportunities directly in environmentally preservative occupations and industries. Drawing from a predominately institutional perspective, mixed methods are employed to examine what institutional factors might account for differences in the amount and type of “green employment” activities within metropolitan areas. The research contributes to the theory of sustainable development, as well as provides rigor and depth to the practical application of “green economy” goals for cities and regions aiming to bolster “green employment” and currently faced with a dearth of methods and policies for quantifying “green employment,” identifying areas of opportunity, and developing effective policy mechanisms to bolster “green employment” within their jurisdictions.

 

Biography:

Laurie Kaye Nijaki is a Ph.D. Provost Fellow at the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California. Her research focuses on the nexus between economic development and environmental policy in the urban context.  Her most recent research has been published by the American Planning Association and is forthcoming by Oxford University Press, the International Journal of Public Sector Management, and Edward Elgar Publishers. Laurie additionally advises a range of local, regional, state, and national officials around sustainability policy and planning. In 2009, Laurie was appointed the State of California’s green economy advisor focused around the analysis and quantification of green economic opportunities statewide. Previously, Laurie worked as a policy analyst for Environmental Defense Fund focusing on urban environmental challenges. At EDF, she exclusively managed the implementation of a groundbreaking $500 million community benefits agreement related to the Los Angeles Airport Master Plan.

Laurie Kaye Nijaki holds a master’s degree in urban planning from UCLA and is currently completing a Ph.D. in Policy, Planning, and Development at USC. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University Los Angeles’ Early Entrance Program–where she began college as a full time student at the age of 14.