Press Release

Groundbreaking developer Jonathan Rose to Speak at Naropa University

Lecture on February 22nd offers expertise and tools to entire Boulder community

BOULDER, Colo. (January 25, 2006)– On Wednesday, February 22, 2006, Naropa University will host groundbreaking real estate developer Jonathan Rose, who will speak to the Boulder community at large about solving land development and use issues in a sustainable and responsible manner., Rose will present "Repairing the Fabric of Communities: Creating a Mission-Based Real Estate Development Company," at 12:00 p.m. in Naropa University's Performing Arts Center, 2130 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is general admission, so the public is urged to arrive early in order to obtain a seat.

Rose is President of Jonathan Rose Companies LLC, a world-renowned development firm dedicated to repairing the fabric of communities by collaborating with cities, towns and not-for-profits to plan and develop diverse, vibrant and environmentally responsible projects. Rose is an innovator in bringing together solutions to planning, community development, finance, culture and land preservation issues. In 1980, he developed the first live/work community with internet access in every home. In 1984 he planned the country's first post-war green mixed income, mixed use large-scale transit-oriented development. Most recently, in 2005, he established the first environmentally and socially responsible national real estate acquisition fund. Since then, his projects have consistently modeled new solutions to development, environmental and community problems. Rose is a leading thinker in the Smart Growth and Green Building movements, and a frequent speaker on these subjects. By sharing his expertise with the Boulder community, he offers valuable tools for sustaining responsible growth in our unique area.

Rose has had a long informal connection with Naropa University. A longtime friend and acquaintance of many Naropa faculty, including Allen Ginsberg, Rose's work is in line with the university's mission of promoting contemplative and responsible practices. "In some measure," says Naropa University President Tom Coburn, "we have been moving in parallel tracks." Now is an auspicious time for Rose to visit Naropa. Coburn notes that Rose's lecture is a valuable event that will "help our students and the wider community broaden their horizons on how the contemplative life can be lived, including in the very material area of building design."

Rose's and Naropa's work are, as Coburn notes, "kindred spirits," and this event is an important milestone in working together to improve the community. "My hope," Coburn says, "is that Rose's work can help us understand just how possible it is to be engaged in the secular, mechanical world and bring to it a contemplative sensibility." This event is intended to be an instrumental tool in bringing that understanding to the entire Boulder community.

Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Naropa University is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian liberal arts institution dedicated to advancing contemplative education. This approach to learning integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational traditions, helping students know themselves more deeply and engage constructively with others. The university comprises a four-year undergraduate college and graduate programs in the arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology and religious studies. It offers BA, BFA, MA, MFA and MDiv degrees, as well as professional development training and classes for the community. In addition, the university runs study abroad programs in Sikkim, India and Prague, Czech Republic. For more information, visit www.naropa.edu.

Contact:

Jane Rubinstein
Director, Marketing & Communications
Naropa University
PH 303-245-4643
FAX 303-245-4676
Jrubinstein@naropa.edu
www.naropa.edu