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February 7-9, 2008
The 2008 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in Washington, DC, hosted attendance of more than 1300 people from across the country for three full days of presentations, discussions, and information sharing.
The conference was produced by the Local Government Commission (LGC), with support from a very impressive and multi-disciplinary group of partners and sponsoring organizations, agencies and companies. Without their collective support, this dynamic event would not have been possible. For a complete list of sponsors and cosponsors, visit www.newpartners.org/sponsors.html.
The conference program is reproduced below and PowerPoint presentations have been made available courtesy of the presenters and the LGC, as PDF files. Presentations from each day may be viewed by selecting the appropriate link. Please note: while nearly all the PowerPoint presentations given at the conference were collected and are posted here, there were several speakers who did not use PowerPoint as part of their presentation.
Audio recordings of the conference are also available. Nearly all of the conference sessions, plenaries, breakouts and workshops were audio recorded. To purchase recordings and download them yourself, visit Hungry Mind Recordings or download the order form (PDF).
Please note: Some presentation files are large and may take time to download. Number of pages and file size information are provided next to the presentation link.
Thursday, February 7 | Friday, February 8 | Saturday, February 9
Click session titles to reveal or hide their descriptions.
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Day-long Training/Workshop
8:30am-4:30pm
Promoting Healthy Eating and Active Living through Improvements in the Built Environment; What Health Professionals Need to Know and What They Can Do
This session will explore the role of health professionals in influencing community design to help create health-promoting live, work, and play environments in local communities. The session will focus on preparing participants with practical skills and knowledge to contribute to environmental and policy changes. The connections between the built environment and health will be reviewed. This is a unique opportunity to interact with physicians, planners, local government officials, and other partners to uncover effective ways to collaborate around creating communities with increased physical activity opportunities and access to healthy food. Lunch is included with this workshop.
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Loel Solomon, Director, Community Health Initiatives and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente |
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Andrew Dannenberg, Medical Epidemiologist, NCEH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
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Larry Cohen, Executive Director, Prevention Institute |
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Douglas Van Zoeren, Physician Director, District of Columbia Medical Centers, Kaiser Permanente |
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Philip Wu, MD, Clinical Pediatric Lead, CMI Weight Management Initiative, Kaiser Permanente Northwest |
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Deb Hubsmith, Director, Safe Routes to School National Partnership |
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Jeff Hobson, Policy Director, Transportation and Land Use Coalition |
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Robert Ogilvie, Program Director, Planning for Healthy Places, Public Health Law & Policy |
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Dan Burden, Partner & Senior Urban Planner, Glatting Jackson; Executive Director, Walkable Communities, Inc. |
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Heather Wooten, Associate, Planning and Policy, Public Health Law & Policy |
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Judy Corbett, Executive Director, Local Government Commission |
View Cohen PDF (67 pages, 3.5mb)
View Van Zoeren PDF (12 pages, 0.3mb)
View Wu PDF (26 pages, 1.1mb)
View Ogilvie PDF (13 pages, 0.8mb)
View Wooten PDF (33 pages, 1.8mb)
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Early Morning Breakout Sessions
9:00-10:30am
Smart Growth, Capital Style: the Washington, DC Region
From the countryside to the core, the Washington, DC region is determining how and where to grow. At a time when the revitalized downtown draws residents and businesses back to the city, suburban areas are continuing to grow, raising home prices and average commute times and creating development and transportation debates on the region's edge. Planning across three states and numerous local jurisdictions amid a powerful federal presence further complicates the ability to collaborate on critical growth issues. Meanwhile, smart growth success stories abound, including the revitalization of the District of Columbia; world class transit-oriented development in Arlington County, Virginia, and Montgomery County, Maryland; progressive affordable housing policies adopted throughout the region; extensive conservation of rural lands; and creative placemaking by architects and developers. Join representatives of the region's leading smart growth group, a County Supervisor from the county that received the first EPA Smart Growth award and an architect committed to TOD and mixed-use projects as they highlight these smart growth successes. Our speakers will explore the collaboration between government, advocacy organizations and the private sector that is essential for realizing the smart growth and sustainability vision for our nation's capital.
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Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth |
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Chris Zimmerman, Board Member, Arlington County, VA |
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Sam Black, Chair, Washington Smart Growth Alliance |
View Schwartz PDF (95 pages, 7.4mb)
View Zimmerman PDF (102 pages, 5.7mb)
View Black PDF (14 pages, 0.8mb)
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Schools and Local Governments: Partnering for the Community's Future
Local governments and school districts often find themselves out of sync or working at cross-purposes when it comes to planning for growth and trying to ensure that schools achieve the goals of providing a good education and helping to anchor communities. Whether it's an older metropolitan area in the midst of revitalization or a fast-growing suburb, schools can play a vital role in ensuring a high quality of life, yet the regulatory processes and funding systems that drive decisions about development and school siting rarely coalesce. But rising rates of childhood obesity, growing public pressure to put schools at the center of communities, and other factors are leading cities, counties, and school systems to work more closely. This panel will focus on how local governments and school districts can partner to make schools part of a broad community investment strategy and a force for pedestrian-friendly design. Hear how speakers from diverse communities are addressing the challenges in the effort to align the goals of local governments and schools.
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Meghan Sharp, Assistant Project Manager, Livable Communities, ICMA |
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Ed Fendley, School Board Member, Arlington County, VA |
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Tom Forslund, City Manager, City of Casper, WY |
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Wes Hare, City Manager, City of Albany, NY |
View Sharp PDF (11 pages, 0.2mb)
View Fendley PDF (16 pages, 0.9mb)
View Forslund PDF (12 pages, 0.2mb)
View Hare PDF (7 pages, 0.2mb)
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Building Great Communities Through Collaborative Problem Solving
Understanding social diversity and responding to social change are keys to effective physical planning. A community's sense of a place comes from its past, present and future. In this session, leading architects, urban designers, and developers will share successful processes to leverage better community outcomes through partnerships that address equity and inclusion from the jumpstart of the development process rather than as an afterthought. Attendees will learn how to manage the balancing act of respecting the past while building for the future.
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William Ngutter, Founder & Partner, MAKAU |
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Jair Lynch, Founder, Jair Lynch Companies |
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Sanford Garner, Chief Operating Officer, A2SO4 |
View Lynch PDF (20 pages, 1.7mb)
View Garner PDF (43 pages, 5.0mb)
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Surviving a Tsunami: Boomers and the Age Wave in Select Suburban Communities
We have all heard the term “Age Wave” to describe the maturing of the baby boom generation. But some suburban communities are facing an Age Tsunami. This session will look who will be hit hardest by the unequal distribution of aging boomers and how some of those communities in the 'break zone' are using smart growth to prepare for the crush.
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Brett Van Akkeren, Policy Analyst, U.S. EPA |
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Harrison Bright Rue, Executive Director, Thomas Jefferson Planning Commission |
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Kathryn Lawler, Consultant, Atlanta Regional Commission |
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Dr. Arthur "Chris" Nelson, Director, Metropolitan Institute, Virginia Tech |
View Van Akkeren PDF (7 pages, 0.6mb)
View Rue PDF (138 pages, 12.2mb)
View Lawler PDF (24 pages, 0.4mb)
View Nelson PDF (28 pages, 0.8mb)
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Using Public Private Partnerships to Implement Smart Growth at the Local Level
For many local governments smart growth sounds like it could be a solution to many pressing issues: the need for more public transit, affordable housing, boosting the tax base and improving quality of life. But how can local governments make smart growth a reality? Many municipalities are now turning to private sector partners, from both the building industry and the non-profit sector, for assistance in taking their ideas from concept to reality. In this session, you will hear from Cascade Land Conservancy (CLC), who has launched the Cascade Agenda City Program in western Washington State. CLC partners with cities to help city leaders – and their citizens – understand their options and make smart choices for future growth. CLC provides best practices, technical assistance and public outreach to enable cities to improve the livability of their communities. You will also hear the story of the Windsor Town Green, the mixed-use heart of Town of Windsor, in California's Sonoma County. Windsor (pop 26,000) successfully partnered with the private sector to create a vibrant mixed-use downtown. This session gives you the answers to who, what, when, where, as well as lessons learned for how to use partnerships to implement smart growth in your city or town.
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Alison Van Gorp, Manager, Cascade Agenda City Program, Cascade Land Conservancy |
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Peter Chamberlin, Planning Director, Town of Windsor, CA |
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Kevin Thompson, Senior Planner, Town of Windsor, CA |
View Van Gorp PDF (33 pages, 2.2mb)
View Chamberlin/Thompson PDF (21 pages, 1.6mb)
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The Landscape for Preserving Affordable Rental Housing: Lessons from Recent Case Studies
A recent report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies shows that approximately 1.2 million rental housing units left the affordable housing stock between 1993 and 2003. Subsequently, a HUD report to Congress showed that the number of rental households with worse case housing needs rose by more than 800,000 households between 2003 and 2005. While building new affordable units often receives considerable attention, one of the most important policy approaches in addressing this problem is “preserving” the affordable rental housing stock that already exists in our communities. The discussion in this session will address how local communities can identify and assess their affordable housing stocks and work with local stakeholders to preserve them.
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Danilo Pelletiere, Research Director, National Low Income Housing Coalition |
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Keith Wardrip, Research Analyst, National Low Income Housing Coalition |
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Todd Nedwick, Assistant Director, National Preservation Initiative, National Housing Trust |
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Peter Tatian, Senior Research Associate, The Urban Institute |
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Michael O'Neal, Coordinator, Housing Option, O&S, Livable Communities, AARP |
View Wardrip PDF (8 pages, 0.1mb)
View Nedwick PDF (15 pages, 0.6mb)
View Tatian PDF (12 pages, 0.4mb)
View O'Neal PDF (37 pages, 0.5mb)
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Using Green Infrastructure and Land Banking to Right Size America's Shrinking Cities
Communities large and small are grappling with shrinking populations and surplus of vacant and abandoned properties. Without a conscious “right-sizing” policy or plan to readjust a shrinking city's physical and built environment to, surpluses of infrastructure and vacant properties are likely to persist for years to come, thereby perpetuating a dysfunctional economic market. This session examines how green infrastructure initiatives, in combination with land banking and innovative design, can together form the nucleus of any effort to right-size a shrinking city. Panelists will draw on their experience to explore the outer limits of planning policy – how to right-size America's shrinking cities. Moderator Joe Schilling will use examples from his report, Blueprint Buffalo, a regional plan that calls for right-sizing through green infrastructure. Blaine Bonham (PHS) the Architect of Philly Green, the city's nationally acclaimed urban greening program, will discuss the power of urban greening as an essential element in the recovery of shrinking neighborhoods. Dan Kildee, Chairman of the County Land Bank Authority will speak about land banking and their experience in Flint Michigan to acquire and control vacant and abandoned properties. Terry Schwartz with the Urban Design Center of Northeast Ohio will share her design ideas for a new Transect for Shrinking Cities.
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Joseph Schilling, Professor in Practice, Metropolitan Institute, Virginia Tech |
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J. Blaine Bonham, Jr., Executive Vice President, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society |
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Terry Schwarz, Senior Planner, Urban Design Center of Northeast Ohio |
View Schilling PDF (15 pages, 0.6mb)
View Bonham PDF (87 pages, 9.9mb)
View Schwarz PDF (23 pages, 2.8mb)
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Urban Forests and Local Mitigation Measures: Essential Tools in Climate Change Strategies
Recent studies indicate that local mitigation measures must play a critical role in climate change strategies. This session will introduce participants to 1) climate change resources for local governments, and 2) a range of climate change activities taking place across the country at the local level, and 3) an in-depth example of planning and climate change activities at work. The session will emphasize the climate change benefits of sustainable urban forest management strategies. Participants will also receive a detailed look at a cutting-edge urban project designed to improve air and environmental quality, receive SIP credit, reduce stormwater runoff, and increase urban livability through a sustainable tree canopy management and enhancement program.
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Mark Sendzik, Ph.D., Environmental Protection Specialist, U.S. EPA |
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Kim Lundgren, Regional Director, Northeast, ICLEI U.S.A. Northeast Regional Capacity Center |
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Michael. F. Galvin, Supervisor, Urban & Community Forestry, Maryland Department of Natural Resources |
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David J. Nowak, Ph.D., Project Leader, USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station |
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Catherine M. Miller, Principal Planner-Sustainability, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission |
View Galvin PDF (20 pages, 0.5mb)
View Nowak PDF (25 pages, 1.3mb)
View Miller PDF (25 pages, 1.9mb)
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Making Smart Growth a Reality: A Public-Private Partnership in the Nation‘s Capital
Discuss a unique partnership among the U.S. government, the District of Columbia government and Forest City Enterprises that is transforming an underutilized 42 acres of waterfront land into a sustainable smart growth neighborhood. This session will explore key policy goals for the transformation and will focus on constraints and innovative solutions as the three partners pursue the redevelopment of the Southeast Federal Center – currently under construction – into a 5.5-million sq. ft., mixed-use, mixed-income waterfront neighborhood, combining the adaptive re-use of historic buildings with a waterfront park and a mix of transportation modalities.
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Katherine Aguilar Perez, Vice President, Development, Forest City |
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Harriet Tregoning, Director, Office of Planning, District of Columbia |
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Patricia Daniels, Senior Project Manager, General Services Administration |
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Ramsey Meiser, Senior Vice President, Forest City Washington |
View Perez PDF (10 pages, 0.6mb)
View Daniels/Tregoning/Meiser PDF (38 pages, 2.8mb)
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Late Morning Breakout Sessions
11:00am-12:30pm
Making the Connection Between Land Use Decisions and Water
The way our communities grow impacts the quality of local water resources, the demand for water, and the cost of water infrastructure. This 90-minute session will cover the basic linkages between water and land use planning decisions and illustrate the benefits to water resources that accrue from smart growth development practices. Speakers will discuss a broad set of issues and benefits including flooding and stormwater management, floodplain management, source protection, reduced in water demand, infrastructure requirements, wastewater management, and more. The session will clearly link the basic relationships that bind water resources and land use decisions, to highlight the wide range of water management goals that are supported with smart growth development. Speakers will provide case studies and examples of policy tools that can be used to coordinate water and land use so they complement rather than conflict with each other.
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Clark Anderson, Project Manager, Local Government Commission |
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Caryn Ernst, Associate Director of Conservation Vision Services, Trust for Public Land |
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Lynn Richards, Senior Policy Analyst, U.S. EPA |
View Anderson PDF (63 pages, 5.8mb)
View Ernst PDF (21 pages, 0.5mb)
View Richards PDF (46 pages, 2.5mb)
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Do Boilerplate Fire Codes Stand in the Way of Smart Growth Developments?
This session will explore the myth and reality of narrow streets, fire codes, and broad public safety issues. The Smart Growth community has as many stories of bad experiences with fire codes as it does good examples of communities with narrow streets. This year's workshop is structured differently from past sessions. It will focus on facts, case studies, and practical materials to take home and help inform your community. It will examine questions like: Is there evidence that wide streets are dangerous? Are fire departments really responding to fewer and fewer fire calls each year? Are medical calls to automobile accidents soaring in their place? What design solutions in a narrow street environment can provide access and setup room for fire departments? Do "model" fire codes really prevent local officials from approving narrow streets? Hear the results of recent research and experience from planning, street design, development, and fire officials.
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Steve Tracy, Senior Research Analyst, Local Government Commission |
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Dan Burden, Partner & Senior Urban Planner, Glatting Jackson; Executive Director, Walkable Communities, Inc. |
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Steve Marrs, Deputy Fire Marshal, South Adams County Fire District |
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Tony Bologna, FAIA, Principal, Bologna Consultants, LLC |
View Tracy PDF (50 pages, 5.5mb)
View Burden PDF (108 pages, 14.9mb)
View Marrs PDF (16 pages, 1.6mb)
View Bologna PDF (35 pages, 3.0mb)
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Identifying the Model Smart Growth Code
Through working with communities to remove barriers to smart growth, it became clear to the EPA's Smart Growth Program that a need exists for a consensus smart growth model code — a resource by which local governments can compare their own regulations to the model smart growth code. As a result, creating one specific code is an ideal way to provide clear, concise and uniform information to communities so local decision makers understand all of the components and sections that comprise a smart growth code. This session will reveal the chosen model smart growth code and the process by which the EPA Smart Growth Program selected the code through a facilitated discussion of national codes experts representing a variety of codes-related interests and philosophies.
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Kevin Nelson, Senior Policy Analyst, US EPA |
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Jim Charlier, AICP, President, Charlier Associates |
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Christopher J. Duerkson, Principal, Clarion Associates |
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Doug Farr, Principal, Farr Associates Architecture & Urban Design |
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Margaret Flippen, Senior Project Director, Dover Kohl and Partners |
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Will Schroeer, Vice President, ICF International |
View Nelson PDF (21 pages, 2.1mb)
View Charlier PDF (25 pages, 0.8mb)
View Duerkson PDF (10 pages, 0.8mb)
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Bus-Rapid Transit: The Misunderstood Transit Mode
A growing number of communities across the United States, and around the globe, are pursuing investments in new, high-quality transit corridors. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is emerging as a favorite transit mode for those seeking to achieve higher ridership, better transit service, and even potential development benefits at a reduced cost from other transit modes such as Light Rail, which typically cost more to construct. Eugene, Oregon is among the most recent American cities to begin BRT service. Other communities, such as Houston, TX are developing potential BRT corridors as placeholders for future light rail corridors. Learn more about the technical, development, and service characteristics of BRT. Participants will share recent national and international experiences with BRT projects to help uncover answers to common questions, and myths about BRT. When is BRT an appropriate mode choice for communities? What elements are necessary to achieve promised ridership or development benefits from BRT? Can transit investments be staged to transit from BRT to light rail? What are common mistakes or overpromises of BRT, or of other modes that could be better served through a potential BRT investment?
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Mariia Zimmerman, Vice President for Policy, Reconnecting America and the Center for Transit-Oriented |
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Dick Fleming, National Technical Executive, Transit Planning, Parsons Brinckerhoff |
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David Taylor, Director, National Transportation Sustainability Program, HDR, Inc. |
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Mary Archer, Transit Development Planner, Lane Transit District, Eugene, OR |
View Zimmerman PDF (6 pages, 0.3mb)
View Fleming PDF (23 pages, 1.6mb)
View Taylor PDF (31 pages, 2.2mb)
View Archer PDF (29 pages, 2.0mb)
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Recognition for Livable Communities: Experience & Outcomes for an Awards Program
In December 2007, AARP and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) jointly announced the winners of their first annual Livable Community Awards. Winners include at least one remodeler, builder, and developer who demonstrated innovative yet practical ways to create a product that embraces livability for a range of consumer needs. This session will address the experience of AARP and NAHB in creating these awards, including the development of judging criteria and harnessing the power of media for recognition of the winners and their methods.
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Warren Burris, Manager, Housing and Livable Communities, AARP |
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Blake Smith, Director, Land Use Communications, National Association of Home Builders |
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Eric Pinckney, VP of Operations, Development Division/Planned Communities, The Integral Group |
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Richard Duncan, Executive Director, Housing Works |
View Burris PDF (8 pages, 0.2mb)
View Smith PDF (12 pages, 1.0mb)
View Pinckney PDF (12 pages, 0.8mb)
View Duncan PDF (23 pages, 1.3mb)
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Integrating Sustainability and New Urbanism: The Light Imprint Initiative
Light Imprint New Urbanism (LINU) is a planning and development strategy that emphasizes sustainability, pedestrian–oriented design and increased environmental and infrastructural efficiency while reducing a communities' anticipated construction expenses. The Light Imprint New Urbanism Initiative establishes transect-based environmental performance metrics, something LEED-ND and the Smart Code lacks. This session will present an overview of the Initiative, show how the Light Imprint transect-based matrix organizes the data in a useful form, and introduce the LINU Handbook which provides detailed information on how to easily use over 60 tools and resources calibrated on the transect and includes data-based case studies organized around the transect. Attendees will gain an understanding of the Light Imprint Overlay strategy and the tactics to apply the LINU approach on your next land development project.
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Thomas E. Low, AIA, CNU, LEED, Director of the Charlotte Office, Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company |
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Guy Pearlman, Project Manager, Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company |
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Patrick Kelly, Designer, Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company |
No Presentations available from this event.
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Smart Growth 101
This session is geared towards first-time attendees to the conference or for participants who are new to the practice of implementing smart growth solutions. The session will cover general topics, such as the ten principles of smart growth, the process of how land development typically occurs, and the basics of planning and zoning for smart growth. The goal of the session is to provide a good working background on smart growth and prepare participants for more in-depth sessions during the main conference.
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Paul Zykofsky, AICP, Director, Transportation and Land Use Programs, Local Government Commission |
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John Frece, Associate Director, National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education |
View Frece PDF (182 pages, 20mb)
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LEED for Neighborhood Development: Pilot and Policy Tool
The LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism, and green building into the first national standard for neighborhood design. It is now being pilot tested with 240 projects. The session will include a brief overview of the program, and case studies of pilot projects will be incorporated to provide real-life context. The discussion will then shift to an analysis of how LEED for Neighborhood Development could be used as a tool by local governments to help address their sustainability goals. Speakers will examine several potential uses, including using it as an evaluative tool, or the basis for structural and financial incentives. Eliot Allen will also present an example land analysis methodology created by Criterion Planners using the rating system to identify sites eligible for certification. Significant time will be designated for Q&A.
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Jennifer Henry, Director, U.S. Green Building Council |
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Jason Hartke, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, U.S. Green Building Council |
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Elizabeth Schilling, Principal, Urban Associates |
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Eliot Allen, Principal, Criterion Planners, Inc. |
View Henry/Hartke PDF (37 pages, 5.0mb)
View Allen PDF (15 pages, 4.4mb)
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Low Carbon Sustainable Future (LCSF) -- Making the Leap from High Level Vision to Implementable Strategies
Over the past few years, hundreds of communities have signed onto the Kyoto Protocol and agreed to establish their carbon footprints. With these baselines in place, the next logical steps involve the formulation of visions and sustainability plans that identify specific commitments to action and full implementation. Smart Communities know that they need to carefully select the projects that go into their portfolios of sustainable initiatives. This panel will focus on the creation of baselines, collaborative efforts aimed at screening projects, and strategies that can lead to successful partnerships between communities and the private sector. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how they can help in planning portfolios of projects that match the "right shade of green" given their community goals and resources.
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John Williams, National Consulting & Programs Management Director, HDR, Inc. |
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Allison Hannon, Corporate Engagement Manager, The Climate Group USA |
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Kim Lundgren, Regional Director, Northeast, ICLEI U.S.A. Northeast Regional Capacity Center |
View PDF (55 pages, 1.6mb)
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Afternoon Workshop Sessions
1:00-3:30pm
Protecting Natural Resources with Land Use Decision Support Tools
Local government decision makers and planners are constantly challenged with maintaining a balance between economic and environmental considerations. This session will highlight two recent projects that are putting GIS data and tools into the hands of local planners and elected officials in order to help them shape development patterns with the least harm to water supplies, wetlands, prime habitat and other areas that supply vital community services. An interactive demonstration of mapping services provided through The Southeast Watershed Forum and its partners will be profiled and local government participants will demonstrate the environmental benefits of bringing innovative science based decision support tools into decision making processes.
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Christine Olsenius, Executive Director, Southeast Watershed Forum |
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James Davenport, Project Manager, National Association of Counties |
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Mary Searing, P.E., Watershed Management Program Manager, Office of Environmental and Cultural Resources, Anne Arundel County, MD |
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Andrew Carroll, Adjunct Professor, Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga |
View Olsenius PDF (6 pages, 0.2mb)
View Davenport PDF (7 pages, 0.3mb)
View Searing PDF (26 pages, 4.8mb)
View Carroll PDF (22 pages, 2.0mb)
View Community Resource Mapper PDF (29 pages, 5.3mb)
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Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change
In this session, a team of leading urban planning researchers conclude that urban development is both a key contributor to climate change and an essential factor in combating it. Meeting the growing demand for conveniently located homes in walkable neighborhoods could significantly reduce the growth in the number of miles Americans drive, shrinking the nation's carbon footprint while giving people more housing choices. "Growing Cooler" reviews a wide range of studies and offers smart growth policy options that reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Three of the study's authors will discuss the findings of the report and offer ideas for moving forward with climate-friendly growth.
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Reid Ewing, Associate and Research Professor, National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, University of Maryland |
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David Goldberg, Communications Director, Smart Growth America |
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Steve Winkelman, Manager of Transportation, Center for Clean Air Policy |
View Ewing/Winkelman PDF (61 pages, 1.0mb)
View Goldberg PDF (32 pages, 1.2mb)
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Regional Greenprinting and Other Collaborative Planning Processes for Achieving Smart Growth
As communities find ways of adapting and implementing smart growth measures, they realize that they must work closely with surrounding communities to have a greater chance of being successful. This session will address how communities across the country are coming together to address park and open space priorities, water quality and land conservation as part of their overall planning efforts. Three case studies will be discussed: 1) The Livable Communities, 2) Vision North Texas, and 3) Falls Lake/Upper Neuse.
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Jim Durrett, Executive Director, Livable Communities Coalition |
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Caryn Ernst, Trust for Public Land, Conservation Vision Associate Director |
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John Promise, P.E., Director of Environment & Development, North Central Texas Council of Governments |
View Durrett PDF (45 pages, 3.8mb)
View Ernst PDF (20 pages, 0.9mb)
View Promise PDF (47 pages, 2.7mb)
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Eco-City Action Planning: Linking Smart Growth, Climate Change, and Sustainability
An explosion in public awareness of climate change is driving a quest for new public policies, but the challenge for policymakers and practitioners is how to integrate climate change, smart growth and sustainability into integrated and achievable policy frameworks. This interactive session will walk participants through a series of strategic planning steps and introduce them to several innovative policy frameworks. Professor Joe Schilling, Metropolitan Institute, will facilitate and frame this workshop by defining the principles of an ecological city and highlighting the Eco-City Project with representatives from Alexandria, VA. The workshop will discuss how communities can development a comprehensive community energy strategy and also the benefits of having a accurate measures of sustainability progress and performance. The session will conclude with examples from local governments in Wisconsin that have infused their comprehensive plans with the Natural Step framework.
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Joseph Schilling, Professor in Practice, Metropolitan Institute, Virginia Tech |
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Kathryn McCarty, International Organizational Effectiveness Consultant/Trainer |
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Kevin A. Fletcher, Executive Director, Audubon International |
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Lisa MacKinnon, Policy Director, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin |
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John Randolph, Professor of Urban Affairs & Planning, Director, School of Public & International Affairs, Virginia Tech |
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Councilmember, K. Rob Krupicka, City of Alexandria, VA |
View Schilling/McCarty PDF (15 pages, 1.0mb)
View Fletcher PDF (38 pages, 1.2mb)
View MacKinnon PDF (22 pages, 1.5mb)
View Randolph PDF (47 pages, 6.6mb)
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Smart Growth Technical Assistance Session
Back by popular demand, this session will highlight the EPA smart growth technical assistance program, and feature information about other assistance programs. Local, regional and state leaders should attend to learn about successful projects making smart growth happen across the country, and about best practices to advance smart growth policies. Representatives from some of the assistance recipients will participate in the session to discuss their successes, challenges, and insights into making smart growth happen. State agencies and communities interested in applying for technical assistance, or regions interested in creating new technical assistance programs, are encouraged to attend.
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Ilana Preuss, Policy Analyst, U.S EPA |
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Mayor Yvonne Johnson, City of Greensboro, NC |
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Councilmember Jeanne Robb, City of Denver, CO |
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Councilmember Robert Catlin, City of College Park, MD |
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Councilmember Dr. Mark Rinne, City of Cheyenne, WY |
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Jeff Hobson, Policy Director, Transportation and Land Use Coalition |
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Conan Smith, Executive Director, Michigan Suburbs Alliance |
View Preuss PDF (17 pages, 0.5mb)
View Johnson PDF (25 pages, 1.5mb)
View Robb PDF (25 pages, 1.4mb)
View Rinne PDF (20 pages, 1.9mb)
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Can Metrics Bring Smart Growth to Life?
To make smart growth work, states and municipalities need to set goals and develop metrics to measure whether those goals are being achieved. Three states — New Jersey, Maryland and Oregon — are taking different approaches to this task. PlanSmart NJ's new planning metrics project translates goals from adopted policy and connects them to local land-use decisions on issues such as jobs and housing. Maryland is developing a new set of metrics (Smart Growth Stat) to carefully track implementation activities. Oregon has adopted sustainability goals that are being translated at the transportation project level for implementation.
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John Frece, Associate Director, National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education |
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Dianne Brake, President, PlanSmart NJ |
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Richard E. Hall, Secretary, Maryland Department of Planning |
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John MacArthur, Context Sensitive and Sustainable Solutions (CS3) Program Manager, Oregon Bridge Delivery Partners / HDR Inc. |
View Frece PDF (12 pages, 0.4mb)
View Brake PDF (25 pages, 0.2mb)
View Hall PDF (33 pages, 2.9mb)
View MacArthur PDF (33 pages, 0.9mb)
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Afternoon Training Sessions
1:00-4:30pm
Transit-Oriented Development Decision-Making: One Size Does Not Fit All
Cities, transit agencies, and communities often struggle with making decisions about station development, access, development, and planning outcomes. In large systems, this decision-making process becomes complex and fragmented due to the diverse nature of transit corridors, modes, and local and regional land use context. Typologies have the potential to simplify complicated decisions about transit and land use planning and communicate them to a wide audience by identifying the key decision points and relating them to both idealized scenarios and real-life places at the same time. Speakers will discuss their approaches to transit-oriented development typologies and prior applications, including setting BART policy objectives in the San Francisco Bay Area, crafting a strategic vision for TOD implementation in Denver, Colorado, and guiding the development of 64 station area plans simultaneously in Charlotte, North Carolina. This panel will also offer potential applications for the future and an approach to transit-oriented development land use and access planning that can be used across the country.
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Sam Zimmerman-Bergman, Project Director, Reconnecting America/CTOD |
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Trent Lethco, AICP, Associate Principa, Arup |
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Troy Russ, AICP, Principal, Senior Urban Designer, Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin, Inc. |
View Zimmerman-Bergman PDF (34 pages, 2.7mb)
View Lethco PDF (47 pages, 1.9mb)
View Russ PDF (91 pages, 7.1mb)
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The Emerging Thresholds of Sustainable Urbanism
For too long the design parameters of the human and natural systems that support sustainable human settlements have been obscured or ignored resulting in places that do not work. Even among development professionals there is an illiteracy regarding the basics. Examples of this include the development density and configuration required to support public transit, the number of dwellings required to support walk-to retail or the land area required to reinfiltrate stormwater. For the first time these parameters have been compiled into a single source: the emerging thresholds from the book: Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature. This session will include an introduction to sustainable urbanism, an international design movement, and teach relevant thresholds from the book.
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Doug Farr, Principal, Farr Associates Architecture & Urban Design |
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Lynn Richards, Senior Policy Analyst, U.S. EPA |
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Kaid Benfield, Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council |
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Dan Burden, Partner & Senior Urban Planner, Glatting Jackson; Executive Director, Walkable Communities, Inc. |
No Presentations available from this event.
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Evening Plenaries
6:30-8:45pm
Conference Welcome & Acknowledgements
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Mayor Jake Mackenzie, City of Rohnert Park, CA; LGC Board Member |
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Councilmember Thomas Butt, City of Richmond, CA; LGC Board Chair |
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Charles Kent, Office Director, Office of Business and Community Innovation, U.S. EPA |
No Presentations available from this event.
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New Partners for Smart Growth Lifetime Achievement Award
Presentation of the New Partners for Smart Growth Lifetime Achievement Award to Richard Jackson, MD, MPH, Director, Graham Environmental Sustainability, Institute, University of Michigan.
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Judy Corbett, Executive Director, Local Government Commission |
No Presentations available from this event.
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Getting to Smart Growth: Local and Federal Collaboration
Local governments around the country develop and enact innovative strategies for implementing smart growth. These solutions are usually the result of creative and effective decision-makers understanding the local landscape and applying the appropriate methods. Local jurisdictions have also learned that the Federal Government can provide additional insight and resources to assist in their smart growth goals and objectives. District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty will discuss the things local governments need to pursue relative to smart growth and what these jurisdictions need in their collaboration with the federal government to create more livable communities.
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Mayor Adrian Fenty, District of Columbia |
No Presentations available from this event.
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Taking Action to Preserve the Environment
Environmental protection begins with action. EPA is a committed steward of policies that protect our natural resources while encouraging economic growth. Global attention to climate change requires a national strategic plan for accelerating the pace of environmental protection. EPA Administrator Steve Johnson will outline the Agency's tools and resources for achieving this goal through focusing on the following themes: clean air and affordable energy, clean and safe water, healthy communities and ecosystems, and the global environment.
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Susan Parker Bodine, Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, U.S. EPA |
No Presentations available from this event.
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Smart Growth on Capitol Hill
Congress has taken a leading role in addressing issues that matter to preserving the environment and creating more livable communities. Spurred by the Senate's Smart Growth Task Force and the House Livable Communities Task Force, a forum exists for best practices and innovative solutions to be heard and discussed on the legislative floors. These ideas come in the form of hearings, committee reports and legislation on topics such as climate change, energy independence, affordable housing, transportation reauthorization, community reinvestment, preservation of natural resources, and investment in infrastructure. Smart growth advocates from the House and Senate will share their accomplishments and outline their vision for the future.
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Facilitator: Neal Peirce, Chairman, The Citistates Group |
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Honorable Mary Landrieu, United States Senate, Louisiana |
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Honorable Earl Blumenauer, United States Congress, Oregon |
No Presentations available from this event.
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Morning Plenaries
8:30-10:00am
Morning Welcome
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Mayor Jake Mackenzie, City of Rohnert Park, CA; LGC Board Member |
No Presentations available from this event.
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Let's Change the Climate: Leadership for Achieving a Better Environment
The discussion about climate change has reached a tipping point across the country. It is being discussed throughout Congress and into the heartland. Inspiration comes from reducing dependence on oil to using more efficient appliances. No matter the cause and effect, it is clear that the built environment impacts the natural environment. Specifically, smart growth can contribute to achieving greenhouse gas reductions. This plenary will focus on the elements of smart growth that can contribute to this reduction and help minimize the impact upon our environment. Using that framework as a foundation, a dialogue of several groundbreaking leaders will share their insight on their policies for accomplishing these changes.
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Facilitator: Barbara McCann, Coordinator, National Complete Streets Coalition |
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Steve Winkelman, Transportation Program Director, Center for Clean Air Policy |
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Judy Corbett, Executive Director, Local Government Commission |
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Jemae Hoffman, Sustainable Transportation and Climate Change Lead, Seattle Department of Transportation |
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James Goldstene, Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board |
No Presentations available from this event.
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Morning Breakout Sessions
10:15-11:30pm
Making the Connections: Climate Change, Public Health & Smart Growth
Global warming is thought by some to be potentially the biggest threat to public health that we have yet to encounter. The highly respected Dr. Richard Jackson will explain why, and a discussion will follow to discuss how to meet this enormous challenge.
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Paul Zykofsky, AICP, Director, Transportation and Land Use Programs, Local Government Commission |
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Richard Jackson, MD, MPH, Director, Graham Environmental Sustainability, Institute, University of Michigan |
View Jackson PDF (105 pages, 7.2mb)
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Opening the Farm Gate to Local Food Systems
A rising consumer movement is asking for food with the farmer's face on it, from nearby farms they know, at fair prices. Local foods can spark economic development, foster health, sustain community values, address food insecurity, and reduce food miles — but can local food systems work if we don't plan for the long-term needs of farmers and the lands they work? American Farmland Trust will share examples of their values-based approach to growth management and local food system planning, adopted by two Pennsylvania counties. Results showing the economic viability of agriculture on the urban edge will also be highlighted, drawn from recent research. Ken Meter's assessments of local farm and food economies in 27 regions across the country will surprise you — along with the emergence of the flourishing local food movements that address smart growth goals. Finally, Erika Lesser, Executive Director of Slow Food USA will discuss how Slow Food USA works to build food communities and more on a local level.
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Julia Freedgood, Director, Technical Assistance Services, American Farmland Trust |
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Anita Zurbrugg, Assistant Director, Center for Agriculture in the Environment, American Farmland Trust |
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Erika Lesser, Executive Director, Slow Food USA |
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Ken Meter, President, Cross Roads Resource Center |
View Freedgood PDF (21 pages, 0.5mb)
View Zurbrugg PDF (20 pages, 0.2mb)
View Lesser PDF (15 pages, 1.0mb)
View Meter PDF (53 pages, 2.7mb)
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Transit Oriented Development Districts: The Reality of Design, Planning and Construction
Transit-oriented developments, or “TODs”, contribute to the built environment by connecting higher-density development to local transportation lines. They aim to reduce automobile reliance, encourage pedestrian-friendly pathways and communities, and improve access to neighborhood services. Station Park Green is a 12-acre Transit-Oriented Mixed-Use Development in San Mateo, California. The project includes 599 residential units, office facilities, and carefully-crafted community-serving retail and restaurants. The future neighborhood of Station Park Green has been accepted into the ULI's Neighborhood Development Pilot Program, making it one of 200 projects worldwide selected to participate in best practices consortiums and development intensives en route to LEED certification. This session will provide a case study of the Station Park Green project with panelists from both the public and private sector discussing their involvement.
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Edward B. Lipkin, President. EBL&S Development LLC |
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Alan Talansky, Vice President of Development, EBL&S Development LLC |
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Jared Eigerman, JD, MCP, Attorney/City Planner, Goulston & Storrs |
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Brian Fitzpatrick, Real Estate Manager, SAMTRANS |
View Talansky PDF (43 pages, 3.9mb)
View Eigerman PDF (5 pages, 0.2mb)
View Fitzpatrick PDF (67 pages, 4.5mb)
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Health Equity, Environmental Justice and the Built Environment
Where we live and the condition of our communities can be a major factor on how we feel and act. Life becomes a daily challenge for communities facing the overwhelming burdens of economic, racial and social inequality. The results increasing health and safety risks, health disparities, air and water pollution, poor quality housing, unstable neighborhoods, unsustainable ecosystems, and poor quality of life. The issues of health equity, and environmental justice have been largely ignored when exploring the links between health and the built environment--housing. Existing health disparities should be a key consideration when creating and sustaining healthy living environments and good quality of life. During this interactive session, the presenter(s) will focus will be on a range of planning and public health interventions or environmental standards that may help to eliminate disparities. The presenter(s) will also provide a case example and engage attendees/participants to develop practical solutions to address concerns.
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Robert Glandon, Ph.D., NACCHO Community Design Partnership Workgroup |
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Valerie Rogers, National Association of County and City Health Officials |
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Ngozi T. Oleru, Ph.D., Division Director, Environmental Public Health Division, Public Health Seattle & King County |
View Glandon PDF (12 pages, 0.1mb)
View Oleru PDF (17 pages, 0.4mb)
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Maintaining the Rural Character in Communities and the Landscape
Rural communities constitute a critical component of the American landscape, and continually exploring new and innovative conservation and development ideas will keep these areas ecologically healthy, socially vibrant, and economically viable. Defining and preserving “rural character” within communities and their surroundings is a challenge that calls researchers, planners, and citizens to action. This session will explore our understanding of rural communities, their place in the whole landscape, and how to keep them going in a changing world.
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Dana Coelho, Presidential Management Fellow, U.S. Forest Service, Cooperative Forestry — Urban & Community Forestry |
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Dennis Propst, Professor of Forestry, Michigan State University |
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Michelle Connor, Vice President, Cascade Agenda |
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David P. Robertson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Natural Resources, Virginia Tech |
View Propst PDF (43 pages, 2.5mb)
View Connor PDF (32 pages, 2.3mb)
View Robertson PDF (11 pages, 0.7mb)
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Making the Military's Mission Work for You
The Department of Defense (DoD) manages nearly 30 million acres of land in the U.S., most of which are used for training and testing ranges to prepare troops for their mission. As the Department works to maintain the viability of its land and mission, it is increasingly looking beyond its boundaries to promote compatible land use and to partner with those interested in smart growth, land preservation, and sound planning. Learn from DoD and non-DoD experts and practitioners about these initiatives as well as the opportunities and challenges involved in working with the military. The session will encourage open discussion, and the yielding of lessons that can also be potentially applied to other innovative partnerships and outreach efforts.
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Christina Gray, Principal Planner, Director of Planning Services, Dewberry |
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Janice Larkin, OSD Range Sustainment Outreach, Coordinator, U.S. Department of Defense |
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Stephen Bonner, Speical Assistant for Compatible Land Use, Office of the Secretary of Defense |
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Larry Mitchell, City Manager, City of Lawton, OK |
View Bonner PDF (24 pages, 1.5mb)
View Mitchell PDF (16 pages, 1.5mb)
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Integrating Affordable Housing into the Regional Smart Growth Agenda
From roots in land conservation and environmental protection, the smart growth movement is building strong alliances with affordable housing, transportation equity and economic revitalization partners. This panel explores the contributions smart growth advocates can make toward equitable, transit-oriented development in a metropolitan region.
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Melissa Bondi, Housing Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth: Arlington Housing Commission Chair |
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Kalima Rose, Senior Director, PolicyLink |
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Amanda Brown-Stevens, Field Director, Greenbelt Alliance |
View Bondi PDF (14 pages, 1.1mb)
View Brown-Stevens PDF (20 pages, 1.5mb)
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Making it Green Where You Find It: Residential Rehabs that are Green and Energy Efficient
With most attention given to building environmentally sensitive new housing, little focus has been placed on the greening of existing housing so that it reduces our carbon footprint, conserves energy, and promotes healthy lifestyles. Join us in this interactive conversation to learn more about how practitioners from around the country are tackling the greening of existing housing — single family, multi-family, market rate, and affordable. Panelists will share skills and best practices that are now being used to correct past construction practices and refurbish units so to add to the quality of life for residents and their neighborhoods.
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Mary Burkholder, Senior Vice President for Housing and Economic Development, LISC |
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Karl Bren, President, Green Visions Consulting |
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Robert Zdenek, Acting Director, National Housing Institute |
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Emily Mitchell, Program Director, Green Communities, Enterprise Community Partners |
View Bren PDF (37 pages, 2.7mb)
View Zdenek PDF (13 pages, 0.1mb)
View Mitchell PDF (10 pages, 0.2mb)
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Accommodating Growth While Protecting Water Resources
Growth and development pressures are impacting water quality, wetlands and water supplies, yet many communities are not integrating or coordinating water supply and quality in their local land use decisions. This panel will identify what land use planners and decision makers should know about water availability, variability and sustainability, and how they can collect and organize that information to support land use decisions. Specific community case studies will showcase County Master Plans that have protected reservoirs for Maryland's largest water system (serving 1.8 million people in six counties), through land preservation, the use of urban growth boundaries, resource conservation zoning, and subdivision/development regulations. Another case study will showcase Conservation Preservation zoning ordinances and Comprehensive Water Resource Protection ordinances for protecting wetlands and water resources in coastal communities facing the highest rates of development. Join us to learn about what information and techniques helped these communities successfully overcome challenges and proactively protect their water resources.
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Christine Olsenius, Executive Director, Southeast Watershed Forum |
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Donald Outen, AICP, Natural Resources Manager, Baltimore County Dept. of Environmental Protection and Resource Management |
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David R. Wunsch, Ph.D., P.G., State Geologist and Director, New Hampshire Geological Survey, Department of Environmental Services |
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Mayor Kelly Spratt, City of Darien, GA |
View Outen PDF (30 pages, 4.8mb)
View Wunsch PDF (35 pages, 8.5mb)
View Spratt PDF (19 pages, 2.0mb)
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Long Strides in Smart Growth Coding in a Short Time
Smart growth isn't just for progressive municipalities on the coasts. Nor is it simply for quaint hamlets nestled in natural resources. Communities across the country are finding that coding for smart growth is possible in a relatively short period of time given the right mixture of political will and community advocacy techniques. This session reveals how two communities — one in the Deep South, the other from the Midwest — successfully fostered smart growth development through the adoption of the SmartCode and a Traditional Neighborhood Development ordinance, respectively.
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Nathan Norris, Director of Implementation Advisory, PlaceMakers, L.L.C. |
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Chad Emerson, Assistant Professor, Jones School of Law, Faulkner University |
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Robert Thompson, Executive Director, Porter County, IN |
View Thompson PDF (26 pages, 2.2mb)
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Satisfying Streets
Moving people, carrying freight, creating urbanism, managing stormwater, greening the city, stimulating revitalization... the list goes on and on. Designing, building and managing streets to satisfy an expanding set of demands is a great city building challenge. This session presents concepts, examples and strategies for urban streets that satisfy mobility requirements, the sustainability agenda, the preferences of homebuyers, and the evolving requirements of municipal authorities.
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