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

NPSG13-119

Born in a Small Town: Transportation Success Stories from Rural America

Speakers: Sarah Kline, Policy Director, Reconnecting America; Terry Supahan, President, Supuhan Consulting Group; Lisa Ballard, PE, President, Current Transportation Solutions. Moderator: Roger Millar, PE, AICP, Vice President, Smart Growth America

When you hear the words “public transportation,” what image comes to mind? For many Americans, the words conjure up pictures of crowded subway cars and diesel buses crawling through traffic – in short, scenes of urban mass transit. Small city and rural America has public transportation needs that are just as compelling as those in big cities. Aging populations, young people, disabled citizens, working families and other people who want transportation choices are working together as never before to make public transportation happen. Federal and state government resources have become available for small-town and rural transit, and communities are leveraging this investment to great success. Panelists discuss small city and rural transit success stories from around the country, with an emphasis on why and how success happened so that the lessons learned can be applied in other communities.

Audio CDs: 1

Audio CD

$15.00

$15.00

Subtotal

$25.00