NPSG13-01B

WORKSHOP: Partnering with Industrial Neighbors to Create Healthy, Sustainable, and Prosperous Communities

Speakers: Deidre Sanders, Bill Gallegos, Michelle Garakian, Stephanie Hall, Hilton Kelley

This session highlights successful partnerships among community groups, local governments and industry representatives to develop shared visions for their communities, build healthier neighborhoods, and create opportunities for residents and strong local economies.

MP3

$10.00

$10.00

NPSG13-202

Innovative Municipal approaches to Equitable Reinvestment and Revitalization

Speakers: Jeff Hebert, Executive Director, New Orleans Redevelopment Authority; Michael Braverman, JD, Deputy Commissioner, Housing Authority of Baltimore City, MD. Moderator: Nicole Heyman, JD, LLM, Vice President and Director of New Orleans Vacant Properties Initiative, Center for Community Progress.

Code enforcement, nuisance abatement and the legal systems they work within directly impact the quality of life, reinvestment opportunities and long-term sustainability and affordability of neighborhoods. At its core, the goal of a code enforcement program is to encourage responsible property ownership. Code enforcement is property regulatory system and that helps prevent vacancy, abandonment and disinvestment. As communities seek to protect neighborhoods and individuals from the negative impacts of substandard or vacant properties and negligent landowners and landlords – problems often disproportionately affecting communities of color and low-income residents – it’s more important than ever to create strategic approaches and partnerships to achieve positive and equitable outcomes. This interactive discussion among some of the country’s most thoughtful and innovative problem-solvers explores how code enforcement departments, the courts and redevelopment authorities are working together to hold negligent property owners accountable, eliminate blight, and drive development opportunities in disinvested neighborhoods.

MP3

$10.00

$10.00

NPSG13-117

Are States Losing Ground? Solutions from Heartland Communities for a New Generation

Speakers: Andre LeRoux, Executive Director, Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance; Bridget Jones, Executive Director, Cumberland Regional Tomorrow; Charles Pattison, Executive Director, 1000 Friends of Florida; Senator Marci Francisco, Kansas State Senate, District 2. Moderator: Julia Seward, Principal, Julia W. Seward Consulting

Mired in stagnant budgets and escalating politics, are states a growing battle ground for sustainability policies? Or do they remain a center of innovation and practical solutions? Hear a panel of recognized advocacy leaders as they explore current political dynamics, strategies that are working, and critical future game plans. This session focuses on the lessons from several key state policy losses, strategies that are achieving results with limited budget impact, and trends that are key to future state sustainability policies across the country. Following opening presentations, panelists open a conversation about what is happening at the state policy level, implications for smart-growth practitioners everywhere, and how we grow an new generation of smart-growth state advocacy.

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.

MP3

$10.00

$10.00

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

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

NPSG13-113

Living in a Sustainable Community Can Lengthen Your Life!

Speakers: Dan Burden, Executive Director, Walkable and Livable Communities Institute; Joel Spoonheim, President, Spoonheim Group; Laura Jackson, Executive Vice President, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield; Kent Sovern, Iowa State Director, AARP. Moderator: Amy Levner, Manager, Livable Communities, AARP

Can a community transform itself in two years to reverse negative health outcomes, by changing city policies and budgets, restaurant menus, worksite wellness practices, schools, and even individuals’ sense of purpose and social circles? Yes! Already seven communities across the United States are implementing the Blue Zones Project by Healthways. In a matter of months, not years, thousands of citizens and leaders across all sectors get involved making healthy choices easy choices. This approach is based on the lessons of the longest living communities in the world, called Blue Zones areas. Ten well-coordinated and research-backed strategies can lead to measurable improvements in wellbeing and longevity. The recommended practices include adopting Complete Streets policies and projects, creating safe routes to schools and walking schools buses, and other efforts to change the environment. The work started in 2009 with the AARP/Blue Zones Project and now is scaling to serve communities across the U.S.

MP3

$10.00

$10.00

NPSG13-110

Intercity Passenger Rail in America: Creating Regional Centers

Speakers: Wayne Aldrich, Development Director, Town of Normal, IL; Brian Harner, Architect, Union Station Redevelopment Corporation; Wilma Quan, Urban Planning Specialist, City of Fresno, CA

As the nation considers building new high-speed rail connections and strengthening existing intercity passenger rail networks, communities large and small are thinking about leveraging rail assets in new ways. Many metropolitan areas have plans to revitalize historic stations into multimodal and economic centers, while smaller communities reassess how to leverage intercity rail stations into a regional economic development strategy. This session will address such questions as: How can stations catalyze TOD-like development patterns and help curb sprawl? How can high-speed rail stations become regional growth centers? How can good station area planning concentrate jobs and growth? Speakers offer case studies from a metropolitan area focusing on economic development and multimodal connectivity at Washington, DC, Union Station; planning for a new High Speed Rail station in Fresno, CA, to refocus economic growth and jobs downtown; and revitalization of a small-town Main Street centered on rehabilitation of an historic train depot.

MP3

$10.00

$10.00

NPSG13-242

Building New Community Partnerships to Achieve Sustainable Communities

2 hour session.

MP3

$20.00

$20.00

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.

MP3

$10.00

$10.00

NPSG13-245

High Impact Regional Strategies to Implement Smart Growth

2 hour session.

MP3

$15.00

$15.00

NPSG13-133

Infrastructure Finance; Innovative Tools for Challenging Times

Speakers: Matthew Lesh, Transportation Program Specialist, U.S. Department of Transportation; John Williams, Chairman and CEO, Impact Infrastructure, LLC. Moderator: Lee Sobel, Real Estate Development and Finance Analyst, Office of Sustainable Communities, U.S. EPA.

This session provides an overview of the types of infrastructure needs typically associated with infill and transit-oriented development, the challenges involved in paying for this infrastructure, key infrastructure finance terms and tools, and the process of formulating a successful infrastructure funding and financing strategy. Infrastructure and community facilities often need to be in place before new private development can occur – either because additional infrastructure is required to support new uses or, in a place with a weak real estate market, to make a location more attractive for developers, new residents and employers. Although communities often struggle to pay for such infrastructure, the long-term economic benefits are too great to pass up. Listen and learn about how communities are thinking outside the box when it comes to new infrastructure finance methods.

MP3

$10.00

$10.00

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.

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.

MP3

$10.00

$10.00

NPSG13-211

Working Waterfronts & Waterways Toolkit: Resources for Community-Based Working Waterfront Preservation

MP3

$10.00

$10.00

Subtotal

$180.00