NPSG13-107

Building Community While Greening the City: The Parklet Revolution

Speakers: Ariel Ben-Amos, Senior Planner/Analyst, Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities, Philadelphia, PA; Alexis Smith, Planner / Urban Designer, City of San Francisco, CA; John Bela, Principal, Rebar. Moderator: Judy Corbett, Executive Director, Local Government Commission

The elements of a parklet – a parking spot transformed into a tiny public relaxation area – can vary, from a patch of grass-like turf and plants to an outdoor patio with seating. At a time when city budgets are severely constrained, parklets have become a popular way for residents and businesses to green their neighborhoods. Parklets got a start in 2005 in San Francisco, when staff of a design firm fed a parking meter with coins, covered the asphalt with sod, and added a potted tree. Their experiment spread like wildfire. The City responded by making parklets legal and setting up an approval process. Today parklets can be seen in neighborhoods throughout the City. The parklet concept has spread beyond SF, with different versions evolving for different climates. This session features a professional from the San Francisco Parks Department, a staff member from the Mayor’s Office in the City of Philadelphia, and a representative of Rebar, the design firm that initiated the parklet revolution.

MP3

$10.00

$10.00

NPSG13-139

Communications as a Campaign: Better Planning to Achieve Real Results

Speakers: Jason Barron, Public Affairs Director, Office of Mayor Mark Mallory, Cincinnati, OH; Dani Simons, Principal, Sustainable Streets Marketing and Communications. Moderator: Elisa Ortiz, Deputy Director of Government Affairs and Outreach, Smart Growth America

(3.5 hour session) Good planning is NOT the most important part of creating successful sustainability projects. Excellent public communication is one of the most important tools you have in building long-lasting sustainability in your community and region (and in keeping your plan off the proverbial shelf). But if you're running around without any sort of communications strategy - or campaign plan - you're wasting your time. Listen as communications and campaign experts as well as local practitioners share their experiences in planning for, sometimes stumbling through, and ultimately succeeding in their communications efforts. Be guided through a basic campaign planning process and learn how to build the bones of your own strategic communications plan.

Audio CDs: 3

Audio CD

$36.00

$36.00

NPSG13-118

Success with Schools: New Tools for Your Community

Speakers: Candi Beaudry, AICP, Director, City of Billings, MT; Sharon Thomas, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Las Cruces, NM; Leslie Meehan, AICP, Director of Healthy Communities, Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. Moderator: Renee Kuhlman, Director of Special Projects-Government Relations and Policy, National Trust for Historic Preservation

Where to locate schools is a complex and often contentious question. Three communities are working to ensure that the health and sustainability of their community are part of the decision-making process. With help from EPA, Billings, Montana is developing a new cost calculator (with transportation, health, and environmental considerations) and conducting a thorough policy audit. Las Cruces, New Mexico has set up a joint city-county school district working group and will share how they are planning concurrently for the future. In Nashville, Tennessee, a new mixed-use development with a commuter train station is being built and planners have used a health impact assessment to help the community make a fair and equitable decision about the location of a new school facility. Attendees also share their own challenges so panelists can describe how the new tools can be used or modified in different situations.

MP3

$10.00

$10.00

NPSG13-304

Food Access Equity: From Policy to Action

2 hour session.

Audio CDs: 2

Audio CD

$30.00

$30.00

NPSG13-308

Closed School, Old School, New School: Repurposing, Siting, and Valuing Schools

2 hour session.

Audio CDs: 2

Audio CD

$30.00

$30.00

NPSG13-112

Greening Rural Communities: Smart Growth, Sustainability & Small to Mid-sized Town Neighborhood Development in North Carolina

Speakers: Frank Wilson, Mayor, City of Bolton, NC; Terry Bellamy, Mayor, City of Ashville, NC. Moderator: Deeohn Ferris, President, Sustainable Community Development Group, Inc.

The challenges of transitioning to the new more energy-efficient economy and achieving smart growth and sustainable development take on different dimensions in rural and small municipalities due to smaller economies. Transitioning to a green economy is complicated by the challenges of attracting and retaining employers, the tax base, and the scale of rural unemployment. Mayors are the front-line policy decision-makers at the local level who are responsible for ensuring that all citizens benefit from the tools and resources of the emerging green economy while addressing key issues that principally affect distressed neighborhoods. In this session, rural and small to mid-sized town mayors discuss ways that their development strategies have addressed equity issues in North Carolina communities. The audience is encouraged to share rural and small to mid-sized town initiatives that have worked in other states, challenges, best practices and lessons learned.

Audio CDs: 1

Audio CD

$15.00

$15.00

NPSG13-324

Freight Rail: On the Right Track to Sustainability

Audio CDs: 1

Audio CD

$15.00

$15.00

NPSG13-134

Preparing for the Boomers and Beyond: Strategies for Creating Communities for All Ages

Speakers: Sandy Markwood, Chief Executive Officer, N4A; Rodney Harrell, Strategic Policy Advisor, Public Policy Institute, AARP; Jana Lynott, Strategic Policy Advisor, Public Policy Institute, AARP; Laura Keyes, Community Development Manager, Atlanta Regional Commission. Kathy Sykes, Aging Initiative Senior Advisor, U.S. EPA

Many communities are facing aging of their populations. How do communities ensure that all residents, regardless of age, ethnicity, income or physical ability are able to benefit from livability improvements? The leading edge of the Baby Boom generation began turning 65 years old in 2011. By 2030, the Census Bureau projects that over 72 million people and 19% of the population will be in that age group. However, as communities age along with their populations, many are not prepared to deal with the challenges that their residents will face. Experts on creating healthy, sustainable communities for older adults and people of all ages discuss the challenges facing communities and solutions that states and communities are using to address these challenges. Research and examples of successful efforts at the national, state and local levels are highlighted.

Audio CDs: 1

Audio CD

$15.00

$15.00

NPSG13-108

Partnerships that Deliver Thriving Communities

Speakers: Ben Bakkenta, AICP, Program Manager, Puget Sound Regional Council; Rebecca Saldana, Community Benefits and Development Program Director, Puget Sound Stage; Nathaniel Smith, Founder, Partnership for Southern Equity; Shelly Griswold, Planner, City of Freeport, IL; Evelyn Curry, Neighborhood Leader, Stephenson County Health Department, IL. Moderator: Sarita Turner, Sustainable Communities Fellow, PolicyLink

Smart, sustainable planning incorporates equity principles from concept to implementation. Increasingly, governments are recognizing the value non-traditional partnerships bring to planning processes. Planning that is informed and guided by the wisdom and experiences of communities, coupled with equity-focused smart growth strategies, is winning sustainability in developments of all types. Hear how metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) and cities are working in partnership with community to bring new vision, energy and approaches to traditional planning processes. In the Puget Sound, the MPO is working in lock-step with the Puget Sound Regional Equity Network to plan equitable transit oriented development; in the Atlanta region, in collaboration with the Partnership for Southern Equity, the MPO has formalized an equity committee within its structure and developed an Equitable Target Areas Index; in Freeport, IL, the city is working hand in hand with resident leadership to redevelop a brownfield in a African-American neighborhood.

MP3

$10.00

$10.00

Subtotal

$171.00