NPSG13-114

How Municipalities Can Avoid the 20 Most Common Place-Making Mistakes

Speakers: Chad Emerson, Director of Development, City of Montgomery, AL; Eliza Harris, Urban Planner, Canin & Associates; Amanda Thompson, Planning Director, City of Decatur, GA. Moderator: Nathan Norris, CEO, Downtown Development Authority, Lafayette, LA

In this “get real” session, you learn about the 20 most common placemaking mistakes that municipalities make, as well as the 10 most effective placemaking tools you should be using. The motivation for this session stems from the fact that many municipalities continue to make the same mistakes over and over — all the while hoping for a better result. Oftentimes, their major problem isn’t the execution of a specific tactic or tool, but the incorrect diagnosis of their challenges from the outset. This session arms you with the techniques and strategies you need to effectively advocate for meaningful improvements to your community.

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.

Audio CDs: 1

Audio CD

$15.00

$15.00

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.

Audio CDs: 1

Audio CD

$15.00

$15.00

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.

Audio CDs: 1

Audio CD

$15.00

$15.00

NPSG13-109

Cities and Regions in Transition: Accentuating Assets, and Repositioning Economies for a More Prosperous Future

Speakers: Dane Walling, Mayor, City of Flint, MI; Benjamin Kennedy, Community Development Program Officer, Kresge Foundation; India Lee Pierce, Program Director for Neighborhoods, Cleveland Foundation; Tamar Shapiro, Director of Urban and Regional Policy, German Marshall Fund

Older industrial cities, both small and large, have been particular hard-hit by the recession. Building on regional assets, public-private partnerships and new funding opportunities, several such cities are transforming their economies for a stronger future. Philanthropic institutions have played a significant role in the transformation of these cities. Cleveland’s University Circle and Detroit’s Midtown are leading examples of new economic opportunities built around anchor institutions that are replacing older industrial and manufacturing centers. Flint, MI, with strong support from the local philanthropic community, is updating its master plan and zoning code to reflect current realities and reposition itself for a better and more sustainable future. The speakers address such topics as the role of anchor institutions in reviving local economies, worker-owned cooperatives, and neighborhood-based strategies that address widespread vacancy and abandonment.

Audio CDs: 1

Audio CD

$15.00

$15.00

NPSG13-160

Kick-Off Plenary — The Arrival of the 21st Century American City

Speakers: Jake Mackenzie, Councilmember, City of Rohnert Park, CA; Local Government Commission Board Member; Mark Hague, Deputy Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA, Region 7; Sly James, Mayor, City of Kansas City, MO; Mark Mallory, Mayor, City of Cincinnati, OH

(90 minute session) Communities, encouraging economic growth and improving quality of life for residents. The plenary starts with dynamic local mayors from the Kansas City metro area sharing their forward-thinking perspectives on what “community” means to them as progressive Midwestern leaders. They explain how they’ve joined forces to improve the standard of life in the region and overcome common challenges faced by local governments. They arejoined on stage by another dynamic mayor from major urban city, who presents his bold vision for a new 21st-century American city, a blueprint already in use to spark a dramatic transformation in his community. Learn how political will and strong leadership are crucial to building sustainable communities – where people live near good jobs, schools, stores and recreational opportunities – and can take advantage of transportation that easily connects them – in a 21st-century American city.

MP3

$10.00

$10.00

NPSG13-160

Kick-Off Plenary — The Arrival of the 21st Century American City

Speakers: Jake Mackenzie, Councilmember, City of Rohnert Park, CA; Local Government Commission Board Member; Mark Hague, Deputy Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA, Region 7; Sly James, Mayor, City of Kansas City, MO; Mark Mallory, Mayor, City of Cincinnati, OH

(90 minute session) Communities, encouraging economic growth and improving quality of life for residents. The plenary starts with dynamic local mayors from the Kansas City metro area sharing their forward-thinking perspectives on what “community” means to them as progressive Midwestern leaders. They explain how they’ve joined forces to improve the standard of life in the region and overcome common challenges faced by local governments. They arejoined on stage by another dynamic mayor from major urban city, who presents his bold vision for a new 21st-century American city, a blueprint already in use to spark a dramatic transformation in his community. Learn how political will and strong leadership are crucial to building sustainable communities – where people live near good jobs, schools, stores and recreational opportunities – and can take advantage of transportation that easily connects them – in a 21st-century American city.

Audio CDs: 1

Audio CD

$15.00

$15.00

NPSG13-115

A Nation of Vibrant Communities: Through the Lens of Urban Trees

Speakers: Kate Corwin, Founder, Green Works Kansas City; Nancy Hughes, Executive Director, California Urban Forests Council; David Rouse, AICP, ASLA, PP, LEED AP, Principal, SRT | Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC. Moderator: Phillip Rodbell, Program Specialist, Urban and Community Forestry, USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area

It is our nature to want it all: healthy, attractive communities to live, work and play in, good jobs, more equitable distribution of resources, clean air and water. Should these be out of reach for us in our cities and towns? 25 diverse national leaders (from planning, water, forestry, local government and other sectors) didn’t think so when they converged in 2011 to create “Vibrant Cities: A Call to Action,” advocating for improved urban forests and green infrastructure to create more resilient and green communities. Building on their recommendations, the Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition, a multi-disciplinary network of green community advocates, is now coordinating its members, innovators and stakeholders to help drive change from the neighborhood up. This session showcases how non-traditional partners integrate urban trees into local, regional and national projects and campaigns. They showcase snapshots of their work in communities (all sizes), weaving in water quality, social equity and more.

Audio CDs: 1

Audio CD

$15.00

$15.00

Subtotal

$115.00