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.

• Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth
• Chris Zimmerman, Board Member, Arlington County, VA
• Sam Black, Chair, Washington Smart Growth Alliance

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.

• William Ngutter, Founder & Partner, MAKAU
• Jair Lynch, Founder, Jair Lynch Companies
• Sanford Garner, Chief Operating Officer, A2SO4

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.

• Danilo Pelletiere, Research Director, National Low Income Housing Coalition
• Keith Wardrip, Research Analyst, National Low Income Housing Coalition
• Todd Nedwick, Assistant Director, National Preservation Initiative, National Housing Trust
• Peter Tatian, Senior Research Associate, The Urban Institute

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.

• Joseph Schilling, Professor in Practice, Metropolitan Institute, Virginia Tech
• J. Blaine Bonham, Jr., Executive Vice President, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
• Terry Schwarz, Senior Planner, Urban Design Center of Northeast Ohio
• Daniel Kildee, Genesee County Treasurer, Michigan

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.

• Paul Zykofsky, AICP, Director, Transportation and Land Use Programs, Local Government Commission
• John Frece, Associate Director, National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education

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.

• Steve Tracy, Senior Research Analyst, Local Government Commission
• Dan Burden, Partner & Senior Urban Planner, Glatting Jackson; Executive Director, Walkable Communities, Inc.
• Steve Marrs, Deputy Fire Marshal, South Adams County Fire District
• Tony Bologna, FAIA, Principal, Bologna Consultants, LLC

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?

• Mariia Zimmerman, Vice President for Policy, Reconnecting America and the Center for Transit-Oriented
• Dick Fleming, National Technical Executive, Transit Planning, Parsons Brinckerhoff
• David Taylor, Director, National Transportation Sustainability Program, HDR, Inc.
• Mary Archer, Transit Development Planner, Lane Transit District, Eugene, OR

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.

• Thomas E. Low, AIA, CNU, LEED, Director of the Charlotte Office, Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company
• Guy Pearlman, Project Manager, Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company
• Patrick Kelly, Designer, Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company
• Georgio Tachiev, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Applied Research Center, Florida International University

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.

• Jennifer Henry, Director, U.S. Green Building Council
• Jason Hartke, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, U.S. Green Building Council
• Elizabeth Schilling, Urban Associates
• Eliot Allen, Principal, Criterion Planners, Inc.

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.

• Reid Ewing, Associate and Research Professor, National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, University of Maryland
• David Goldberg, Communications Director, Smart Growth America
• Steve Winkelman, Manager of Transportation, Center for Clean Air Policy

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.

• Joseph Schilling, Professor in Practice, Metropolitan Institute, Virginia Tech
• Kevin A. Fletcher, Executive Director, Audubon International
• Lisa MacKinnon, Policy Director, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin
• John Randolph, Professor of Urban Affairs & Planning, Director, School of Public & International Affairs, Virginia Tech
• Councilmember, K. Rob Krupicka, City of Alexandria, VA

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 called Smart Growth Stat to carefully track implementation activities. Oregon has recently adopted a series of sustainability goals that now are being translated at the transportation project level for implementation.

• John Frece, Associate Director, National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education
• Dianne Brake, President, PlanSmart NJ
• Richard E. Hall, Secretary, Maryland Department of Planning
• John MacArthur, Context Sensitive and Sustainable Solutions (CS3) Program Manager, Oregon Bridge Delivery Partners / HDR Inc.

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.

• Doug Farr, Principal, Farr Associates Architecture & Urban Design
• Jessica Millman, DC & Planning Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth
• Lynn Richards, Senior Policy Analyst, U.S. EPA
• Kaid Benfield, Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council (invited)
• Dan Burden, Partner & Senior Urban Planner, Glatting Jackson; Executive Director, Walkable Communities, Inc. (invited)

Presentation of the New Partners for Smart Growth Lifetime Achievement Award to Richard Jackson, MD, MPH, Director, Graham Environmental Sustainability, Institute, University of Michigan.

• Judy Corbett, Executive Director, Local Government Commission

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.

• Introduction: Scott Sherman, Associate Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, U.S. EPA
• Stephen Johnson, Administrator, U.S. EPA (invited)

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 green house gas reductions. This plenary will focus on the elements of smart growth that can contribute to this reduction and 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.

• Facilitator: Elizabeth Shogren, Reporter, National Public Radio (invited)
• Steve Winkelman, Transportation Program Director, Center for Clean Air Policy
• Judy Corbett, Executive Director, Local Government Commission
• Jemae Hoffman, Sustainable Transportation and Climate Change Lead, Seattle Department of Transportation (invited)
• Janette Sadik-Kahn, Commissioner, Department of Transportation, New York City (invited)
• James Goldstene, Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board (invited)

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.

• Paul Zykofsky, AICP, Director, Transportation and Land Use Programs, Local Government Commission
• Richard Jackson, MD, MPH, Director, Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute, University of Michigan

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.

• Edward B. Lipkin, President. EBL&S Development LLC
• Alan Talansky, Vice President of Development, EBL&S Development LLC
• Jared Eigerman, JD, MCP, Attorney/City Planner, Goulston & Storrs
• Brian Fitzpatrick, Real Estate Manager, SAMTRANS

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.

• Dana Coelho, Presidential Management Fellow, U.S. Forest Service, Cooperative Forestry - Urban & Community Forestry
• Dennis Propst, Professor of Forestry, Michigan State University
• Michelle Connor, Vice President, Cascade Agenda
• David P. Robertson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Natural Resources, Virginia Tech

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.

• Melissa Bondi, Housing Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth: Arlington Housing Commission Chair
• Kalima Rose, Senior Director, PolicyLink
• Amanda Brown Stevens, Field Director, Greenbelt Alliance

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.

• Christine Olsenius: co-moderator, speaker, Executive Director, Southeast Watershed Forum
• Donald Outen, AICP, Natural Resources Manager, Baltimore County Dept. of Environmental Protection and Resource Management
• David R. Wunsch, Ph.D., P.G., State Geologist and Director, New Hampshire Geological Survey, Department of Environmental Services
• Mayor Kelly Spratt, City of Darien, GA

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.

• Ellen Greenberg, AICP, Principal, Greenberg and Associates
• Tony Druett, Director, Development and Engineering, Canada Lands Company CLC Limited
• Hassan Karim, Civiltec Consulting
• Clark Wilson, Urban Designer, U.S. EPA

As diverse populations increasingly enrich American communities, a hailstorm of media attention surrounds the impact of immigration on our lifestyles, economies, physical capacity, and future growth. Moving beyond the politics and hype, there are interesting questions to be asked about what current immigration patterns mean for growth, planning, and vibrant communities. This panel will look at the impact of immigration on place and density. Join us to learn more about current trends, the opportunities created, the challenges of creating whole communities for all people, and places that are successfully working with increased immigrant populations.

• Julia Seward, Director of State Policy, Local Initiatives Support Corporation
• Audrey Singer, Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program, The Brookings Institution
• Bryce Maretzki, Policy Director, Department of Community & Economic Development, State of Pennsylvania
• Teresa Brice, Executive Director, LISC Phoenix

With a growing body of research and demanding professional schedules, it can be difficult to stay on top of the latest data. The goal of this session is to summarize and share the most recent and most useful data on the relationship between the built environment and public health. It will also provide an opportunity to hear about research in progress.

• Scott Clark, Project Manager, Local Government Commission
• Reid Ewing, Associate and Research Professor at the National Center for Smart Growth, University of Maryland
• Carolynn Voorhees, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Public and Community Health University of Maryland

As the "age boom" approaches, by 2020, one out of five Americans will be at least 65 years old. "Aging in place," is becoming a driving force in many community planning decisions. Learn about local efforts that tackle the growing needs of our aging population. A diverse group of expert panelists will share examples of common barriers, feedback on what has/hasn't worked, and opportunities to build on the progress of both the aging and the smart growth fields. You'll also hear from an award winner of EPA's new national recognition program, Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging, an award program that integrates smart growth principles with active aging practices.

• Kathy Sykes, Senior Advisor, Aging Initiative, U.S.EPA
• Sandy Markwood, Executive Director, National Association of Area, Agencies on Aging (n4a)
• Chuck Stephenson, P.E., Town Engineer/Director of Planning and Community Development, Town of Culpeper

As smart growth moves into its next stages of life, one continuing question is how we renew resources that propel sustainable communities forward. The good news is that smart growth has gained credibility in many sectors; the bad news is that we constantly look for new ways to feed a growing plate of initiatives. Join this facilitated discussion to get a behind-the-scenes perspective on how funders now view smart growth. Panelists will discuss how they sectors view sustainable communities and how practitioners can discern future opportunities.

• L. Benjamin Starrett, Executive Director, Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities
• Stephanie OKeefe, Director of Communications, LISC
• TBA
• TBA

Come to this session and discover why creating complete neighborhoods requires an understanding of the relationship between buildings, streets, and other public spaces. During this session you will explore the characteristics of complete neighborhoods and discover new form-based regulations that preserve and enhance neighborhood development by clearly defining buildings, streets, and open spaces. Additionally, you will learn the importance of creating active, walkable communities with a variety of housing, business, and transportation options or a complete neighborhood. Finally, you will examine building and open space regulations and how these are combined with the street type standards to create and enhance complete neighborhoods.

• Leslie Oberholtzer, Director of Planning, Farr Associates Architecture Planning Preservation
• Fred Dock, Executive Director, Department of Transportation, City of Pasadena, CA
• Marilyn Engwall, Project Manager, Department of Planning and Development, City of Chicago, IL

Come hear about a collaborative project called Planning for Urban and Community Forestry involving the American Planning Association, the International Society of Arboriculture, American Forests and the USDA Forest Service. This session will provide an in-depth discussion of best practices in urban forestry and how they can be used to advance larger smart growth goals of environmental quality, community welfare, and good urban design.

• Carrie Fesperman, Manager, Planning and Community Health Research Center, American Planning Association
• Donald Outen, AICP, Natural Resources Manager, Baltimore County Dept. of Environmental Protection and Resource Management
• James Schwab, AICP, Senior Research Associate, Co-Editor, Zoning Practice, American Planning Association
• Brian M. LeCouteur, Senior Environmental Planner / Urban Forester, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

California's Governor Schwarzenegger is achieving international attention for his efforts to address Global Warming. This panel will provide an overview of what's going on in the State to achieve the Governor's goals and offer conference participants a chance to interact with them. Included on the panel will be top level officials in the Governor's Administration, a representative of the California's Attorney General and a leading regional Air Pollution Control Officer.

• Panama Bartholomy, California Energy Commission, Advisor to Chairperson Pfannenstiel
• Terry Watt, Principal, Terrell Watt Planning Consultants
• James Goldstene, Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board
• Cynthia Bryant, Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (invited)
• Larry Greene, APCO, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District 
• Greg Albright, Deputy Director, Division of Transportation Planning, California Dept. of Transportation
• Commissioner Dian Grueneich, California Public Utilities Commission (invited)

Well-designed transportation projects demonstrate the potential to shape a community in ways that go far beyond the projects’ original purposes.  What makes good design? In the context of transportation projects, design is not simply a final product; it is also the process that lets the product take shape. By their very nature, transportation projects-from highways and rail lines to multi-modal corridors and intermodal transit facilities provide greater mobility and safety of movement.  But they also connect people and places, and communities - these projects often become destinations in their own right. American Institute of Architects will provide information in this workshop about how well designed transportation projects enhance communities in different ways – economic, health and the environment, visual identity and design, public participation, and public safety. Project design can determine whether the project’s impact goes well beyond its immediate footprint and creates opportunities to create a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts.

• Jody McCullough, Transportation Planner, Federal Highway Administration
• Lance Neckar, Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Minnesota
• Andrew Goldberg, Assoc. AIA, Senior Director, Federal Affairs, American Institute of Architects
• Christopher Zimmerman, Boardmember, Arlington County Board, VA

In this session, participants will learn how to engage in strategic conservation to achieve healthier, more sustainable communities.  In this session, Kris Hoellen of The Conservation Fund will discuss green infrastructure, a strategic watershed approach to prioritizing conservation areas.  Participants will also hear from CJ Lammers, Supervisor of Environmental Planning at Prince George’s County, Maryland.  Lammers will share how Prince George’s County implemented a County-wide green infrastructure plan and will discuss the hurdles and benefits of the County’s approach.  Nancy Ailes, Executive Director of the Cacapon and Lost Rivers Land Trust, will discuss her experience with green infrastructure and land conservation in communities in rural West Virginia, an area of the country that is facing rapid changes in development patterns.  Through this session, participants will learn how to use green infrastructure as a tool to inform land use decisions, build consensus among diverse interests, and meet local needs through a framework for conservation and development.

• Stephanie Bertaina, Presidential Management Fellow, U.S. Forest Service, Cooperative Forestry
• Kris Hoellen, Director, Conservation Leadership Network, The Conservation Fund
• CJ Lammers, CA, MURP, Supervisor, Environmental Planning Section, Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission
• Nancy Ailes, Executive Director, Cacapon and Lost Rivers Land Trust

Most communities across the U.S. already use GIS resources to support their operations and land use planning. Many are starting to also use GIS to document the impact of climate change in their communities, and to measure as well as reduce their carbon footprint. The session would address why geography/location is a consideration in understanding ones carbon footprint. The presentation will illustrate how GIS and other location-based tools can be used to help cities; counties and residents reduce their carbon footprint. The session will also outline steps local governments can take to apply GIS to meeting the climate change challenge in a manner that also promotes smart growth.

• Jon Harrison, Mayor, City of Redlands, CA
• Milton Ospina, Trust for Public Land, Western Conservation Services Director

School planning and funding help drive the unsustainable growth patterns in our communities and can adversely impact student behavior and academic performance. By physically integrating schools into our neighborhoods, towns, and cities and adjusting their scale and form to fit the urban to rural context, we can create systemic change in both the places and in the ways we educate our youth, teachers, and citizens. The session will identify barriers to improving school investment and siting strategies, and will explore effective strategies deployed by advocates at the local and state level to create systemic change.

• Tamar Shapiro, Director, Smart Growth Leadership Institute; Governors' Institute on Community Design
• Megan Desrosiers, Director of Conservation Programs, South Carolina Coastal Conservation League
• Maggie Drummond, Advocacy Director, Grow Smart Maine
• Steve Coyle, Principal, HDR | Community Planning & Urban Design

Greening communities is likely the most rapid "growth" dimension of the Smart Growth movement. Public agencies, non-profits and the private sector are innovating ways to facilitate progress toward sustainability. From local green business programs to city-wide sustainability action plans, communities, agencies and organizations are implementing measures to achieve outcomes that uphold the triple bottom line of social equity, economics, and the environment. Come hear from green leaders with proven track records and learn how to integrate green measures within your organization's policies and operations. Participants will leave the workshop with examples and ideas to take back to their own community to create a more sustainable city.

• TBA
• Kevin A. Fletcher, Ph.D., Executive Director, Audubon International
• Kim Lundgren, Regional Director, Northeast, ICLEI U.S.A. Northeast Regional Capacity Center
• Shannon Parry, Sustainable City Coordinator, Environmental Programs Division, City of Santa Monica, CA

There are so many ways to change development — tax codes, zoning regulations, infrastructure finance policies, environmental rules — it's not always obvious where the big opportunities are. This session will get back to basics, reviewing actions at the federal, state and local level that can have a big impact for a small investment.  Speakers will discuss those that are politically ripe for action and what you can do to take advantage of the opportunity.

• Doug Foy, President, DIF Enterprises
• Gene Krebs, State Director, Greater Ohio
• Chris Zimmerman, Boardmember, Arlington County Board, VA
• William A. Johnson, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Public Policy, Rochester Institute of Technology; Mayor, Rochester NY, 1994-2005
• Geoffrey Anderson, President and CEO, Smart Growth America

Transportation nodes, street design, safety, open space, and public plazas for community events and commerce – all planning issues that health impact assessments in two cities, Seattle and Boston, tried to address. Hear unique ways that both cities approached these issues and learn about where health impact assessments are heading from here.

• Carrie Fesperman, Manager, Planning and Community Health Research Center, American Planning Association
• Andrew Dannenberg, Medical Epidemiologist, NCEH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Ngozi T. Oleru, Ph.D., Division Director, Environmental Public Health Division, Public Health Seattle & King County
• Jalal Ghaemghami, Ph.D., Principal Toxicologist, Boston Public Health Commission

Again and again, public dialogue about community vision is derailed by an almost-obsessive focus on traffic delay. The result may be downsizing of project proposals, or upsizing of local streets and roads. Both can prevent implementation of smart growth solutions. This session features experts who approach the issue with creative approaches to both analysis and communication. Following opening presentations, participants will be invited to describe the related challenges they face, and to work with workshop leaders and colleagues in outlining strategies for “going beyond traffic” in public decision-making.

• Ellen Greenberg, AICP, Principal, Greenberg and Associates
• Jerry Walters, Principal, Fehr and Peers
• Jim Charlier, AICP, President, Charlier Associates, Inc.
• Gary Toth, Director of Transportation Initiatives, Project for Public Spaces

Projects that combine sustainable design, adaptive use, historic preservation and neighborhood revitalization are technically challenging and complex, but when successfully executed they have an incredibly powerful effect that extends well beyond the confines of a particular site. Neighborhoods integrating diverse uses and preserving the complex layering of architecture found in historic communities have a depth, vitality and positive influence that cannot be replicated with new developments.

• Tom Liebel, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Principal, Marks, Thomas Architects
• April D. Getchius, AICP, Community Development Director, City of Casper, WY
• Bob Kost, Urban Planner, S.E.H. Inc.
• Leah Reeb, MPO Planner, City of Casper, WY
• TBA

Communities typically prefer and support beautiful places with affordability over affordable projects. The neighbors and the occupants, our consumers, prefer and support people-friendly places that enhance both the private and public space. Investors, lenders, and developers usually prefer and support the greater and more enduring economic value of authentic places. This presentation is designed to assist communities with a strong demand for work force housing, yet seeking an alternative to conventional housing projects, through the creation of new neighborhoods and infill that provide housing choices, incorporate Smart Growth principles, and are developed through a public-private collaboration. This session will introduce the art and science of place-making for affordable housing using three case studies: Plaza Amistad, a 6-1/2 acre, 150 unit infill affordable housing place in Santa Paula, Meadowvale Row, a 2 acre 40 affordable unit and retail place in Santa Barbara County, Citrus Place, a 15 acre mixed-income, for and not for profit development in Ventura.

• Steve Coyle, Principal, HDR | Community Planning & Urban Design
• Joe Molinaro, AICP, Managing Director, Smart Growth & Housing Opportunity, National Association of REALTORS®

By reinvesting in the places people already live, smart growth practitioners aim for healthy, distinctive, and equitable communities. As urban affairs write Tony Proscio notes, "The alternative to sprawl is not stagnation, but a better, fuller use of already-developed spaces — especially those whose deterioration and neglect is now causing the flight that fuels sprawl in the first place." Through technical assistance throughout the country, the National Vacant Properties Campaign (NVPC) has collected real-world lessons on the critical tools and strategies cities and regions are using to create vibrant communities and accommodate growth without consuming the surrounding countryside. This session will highlight some of the strategies essential to true revitalization, including capacity-building and community empowerment, comprehensive real property information systems, and land acquisition and management.

• Jennifer Leonard, National Vacant Properties Campaign Director, Smart Growth America
• Michael Bainum, Assistant Commissioner for Land Resources, City of Baltimore, MD
• Victoria Wilson, Chief Operating Officer, Universal Companies
• Bill Ballard, Principal, Governmetrics

The European Union proposes a future in which regions with multiple centers organize into collaborative economic clusters that form sustainable networks of access, mobility, and green infrastructure. This view has propelled regions like the Randstadt in the Netherlands to the top economic ranks in Europe, while preserving green infrastructure and providing a very high quality of life. In the US, the idea of "megaregions" is becoming an organizing principle for improving transportation options and preserving greenspace, with America 2050 providing leadership for regions from coast to coast. Cities and towns in the Pacific Northwest are pioneering green infrastructure methods with remarkable success, crafting citizen-based, century-long views such as Open Space Seattle 2100 to shape green networks that will support a burgeoning urbanism. In this session, four speakers will present exemplary planning processes and outcomes in multi-scaled case studies ranging from regions to towns and villages, and engage participants in an exercise to move their own jurisdictions towards more sustainable futures.

• David Crossley, President, Gulf Coast Institute
• Petra Tordorovich, Director, America 2050
• Nancy Rottle, Associate Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Washington; Director, Green Futures Research and Design Lab
• Brice Maryman, ASLA, LEED AP, SvR Design Company
• Christopher L. Overdorf, ASLA, APA, Principal, Jones & Jones Architects and Landscape Architects Ltd.

Food systems have been defined by the American Planning Association as "the chain of activities beginning with the production of food and moving on to include the processing, distributing, wholesaling, retailing, and consumption of food, and eventually to the disposal of food waste." In this session, we will examine food systems in the broader context of land use and sustainable development. We will explore programmatic opportunities to strengthen local food systems, examine the role of farmers' markets and community gardens in creating local spaces that are supportive of social networks, improved nutrition, increased physical activity and overall community development.

• Jill S. Litt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Environmental Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Ken Meter, President, Cross Roads Resource Center
• Roni Neff, Ph.D., Research Director, Center for a Livable Future

Representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Trust for Public Land will describe the types of support and assistance available to aid smart growth proponents working on regional conservation plans.  Focus will be on refining and defining the state plans to meet local priorities, creating coalitions to coordinate conservation action, securing funding, and creating local acquisition programs. The presentation will include the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contribution toward advancing cooperative conservation concepts showcased in "Eco-Logical: An Ecosystem Approach to Developing Infrastructure Projects."Representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Trust for Public Land will describe the types of support and assistance available to aid smart growth proponents working on regional conservation plans.  Focus will be on refining and defining the state plans to meet local priorities, creating coalitions to coordinate conservation action, securing funding, and creating local acquisition programs. The presentation will include the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contribution toward advancing cooperative conservation concepts showcased in "Eco-Logical: An Ecosystem Approach to Developing Infrastructure Projects."

• Joseph A. Burns National Transportation Ecology Program Leader, U.S. Forest Service
• Nancy Lee, Chief, Branch of Conservation Planning, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Milton Ospina, Western Conservation Services Director, Trust for Public Land

Technical assistance, advocacy, and capacity building are a few of the tools that have been applied to improve quality of life within distressed communities. In this session, community development experts and public officials will elaborate on initiatives to revitalize communities while inspiring a renewed sense of public engagement, stewardship, and cooperation among residents and institutions. The audience will learn how neighborhoods in Newark, NJ, and Spartanburg, SC, are applying strategies to bridge the connections between smart growth and equitable development.

• Carlton Eley, Policy Analyst, U.S. EPA
• Karen McLane Torain, Director of Economic and Community Development, Housing Authority of Newark
• Representative Harold Mitchell, Jr, District 31, Spartanburg County, SC;  Executive  Director, ReGenesis,  Inc.

Come meet leaders from NGOs and state governments to hear about the latest state legislation and policies being proposed to implement smart growth. These speakers will present samples of legislation under debate from the northeast to the southwest.  See how smart growth is customized for each political environment. Discuss how to adapt these ideas to your state work and expand your state campaign for smart growth.

• Laurie Moskowitz, Partner, FieldWorks
• Heidi Green, President, 1000 Friends of Connecticut
• Tim Davis, Director, Montana Smart Growth Coalition, Sonoran Institute
• TBA

In 1998, the State of New Jersey adopted its innovative Rehabilitation Subcode, the nation's first building code designed specifically to manage suburban sprawl by encouraging the rehabilitation and adaptive use of existing buildings in older, more fully developed neighborhoods and communities. By allowing more predictability and flexibility in planning building rehabilitation work and in estimating costs, evidence has clearly shown that since the implementation of the New Jersey Rehabilitation Subcode, the average cost of reinvesting in existing buildings has been reduce from 25 to 40 percent in most cases. However, while several states such as New York, Minnesota and Rhode Island have followed New Jersey in revising their building codes, other states and communities in the last several years have implemented other "smart code" alternatives to the traditional building code, including phased compliance procedures, educational programs and performance-based building code systems.  So what is the state of art in "smart" building codes?  How can they promote revitalized downtown districts and neighborhoods as well as achieve community Smart Growth objectives in general? This breakout panel session will discuss how smart building rehabilitation codes can play key roles in achieving community reinvestment and development goals, the latest innovations in building codes as well as code alternatives, and strategies and advice for how states and local communities can revise their building codes so that communities can facilitate reinvestment and slow the spread of sprawl.

• Nicholas P. Kalogeresis, AICP, Program Officer, National Trust Main Street Center, National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Richard Kuchnicki, National Organizations Liaison, Government Relations Dept., International Code Council
• TBA
• TBA

Perhaps no local land use issue continues to generate so much controversy as eminent domain. Local governments see it as a critical land use planning tool; property rights advocates consider it an infringement on individual freedoms; advocates fiercely defend or attack the regulation; and policymakers often seek compromises from both sides. Join this session to get the 2008 update on the current state of eminent domain play. Panelists will participate in an interactive conversation about what is happening in the states, issues that dominate the discourse, and opportunities and challenges that are presented to state and local practitioners and policymakers alike. Participants will walk away from the session with fresh insights into what is happening with eminent domain and impact on the places we call home.

• Ford Weber, Executive Director, LISC/Richmond
• Robert McNamara, Policy Representative, National Association of REALTORS®
• David Goldberg, Communications Director, Smart Growth America
• Laura McClintock, Founder and President, McClintock Consulting

Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs) programs have recently become popular among communities working towards Smart Growth.  TDR programs appeal to landowners as, in theory, it will allow all the landowners to participate in the real estate market while allowing the community to build up density in appropriate areas. What are the components of successful TDR programs? What are the ingredients for failure? Should communities use TDRs to get to smart growth?

• Smart Growth Leadership Institute - TBA
• Susan Weaver, President and Founder, Weaver Consulting Group
• Bill Fulton, President, Solimar Research Group; Councilmember, City of Ventura, CA

The workshop will provide an overview of the collaborative process and examples of participatory research tools developed by researchers, community agencies and community groups to improve access to recreational physical activity, active travel, parks and trails in low-income and ethnically diverse urban areas. Participants will have an opportunity in small groups to develop plans and strategies for participatory research including developing research questions, plans for data gathering and a process for use of findings. Two collaborative efforts will be highlighted. The Office of Parks and Recreation (OPR) in Oakland, California in collaboration with the Division of Research (DOR), Kaiser Permanente conducted focus groups, community meetings and a survey of randomly selected neighborhood residents to determine barriers to neighborhood active travel, recreational physical activity and park use in low-income neighborhoods highly impacted by crime and issues related to traffic safety.  With support from Kaiser Permanente, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) completed an assessment to encourage trail use on the Metropolitan Branch Trail among residents in adjacent underserved neighborhoods in Washington, DC. Assessment included a literature review, physical assessment of the built environment and community meetings. The goal of the research activities was to identify a range of programs and infrastructure elements that will support community use and ownership of the parks and trail and to provide specific recommendations for local policy makers to encourage physical activity and promote healthier lifestyles.

• Annette Aalborg, DrPH, Research Scientist, Division of Research Kaiser Permanente
• Jeffrey Ciabotti,Vice President of Trail Development, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
• Kelly Pack, Coordinator of Trail Development and Outreach, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
• Kelly Cornell, Trails Information Coordinator, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

More and more communities are learning to Master Plan Traffic Calming in their communities. It's all part of a successful strategy to take back the streets, reclaiming pedestrian and economic life and bringing a new charm, dignity and vitality to city life. Hartford, Connecticut is one of the nation's poorest towns. By developing a master plan for the entire city, one neighborhood at a time, they have found it easy to tap into resurfacing and other dollars to bring significant changes to their community in just 2 years.  Already 13 streets have road diets, many rebuilt intersections and rebuilt streets are producing improved access and mobility. Crashes have been reduced 30 to 57% on treated streets, traffic flows more smoothly, pedestrians are coming back to the streets.

Honolulu, Hawaii; Stamford, Connecticut; and Columbus, Ohio are three other cities that will be featured in this session.

• Dan Burden, Partner & Senior Urban Planner, Glatting Jackson; Executive Director, Walkable Communities, Inc.
• Najib O. Habesch, Vice President, Urban Engineers, Inc.

Although relatively new Smart Growth Alliances have received comprehensive buy-in from broad constituencies: developers, environmentalists, governmental agencies and the business world. This allows them to bridge self-interests in the promotion of smart growth policies. This session will address cutting edge programs being developed by SGAs to expand their reach: pre-entitlement recognition and support, design assistance, collaborative juries, educational programs on the difficult topics, and proactive conservation methodologies. It will include the challenges, barriers, successes and opportunities as well as a realistic understanding of the process of setting up an SGA and creating vigorous engagement in the community from three founders of SGAs.

• Suzanne Cartwright, Director, Community Outreach and Land Policy, Urban Land Institute
• Sam Black, Senior Counsel, Squire Sanders and Dempsey, LLC
• Robin L. Murray, Principal, rlm architects
• John Promise, Director, Environment & Development, North Central Texas Council of Governments

Waterfront communities have historically been, and will remain, desirable places to live. Yet, in some communities, their waterfronts have been neglected, degraded, and underutilized. Transforming waterfronts poses unique opportunities — and challenges — to waterfront and coastal communities and their ecosystems. The issue facing these communities becomes one of balance: how to maximize the opportunities to a community and, at the same time, meet the often significant challenges to social, environmental, and regulatory systems posed by waterfront development. This session will explore how communities across the United States are meeting the challenges of development smart growth communities at the water's edge.

• Lynn Richards, Senior Policy Analyst, U.S. EPA
• Patty Daley, Director of Comprehensive Planning, Town of Barnstable, MA
• Jim Charlier, AICP, President, Charlier Associates, Inc.
• Thomas Deller, Director of Planning and Development, City of Providence, RI

Planning Commissioners Journal editor Wayne Senville took six weeks this past Summer to travel across America on U.S. Route 50, meeting with well over 100 planners, planning commissioners, citizens, and elected officials in cities and towns in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California. In this session, Senville reports on some of what he heard and learned. The presentation, which includes over 200 photos, focuses on a number of the challenging planning and development issues communities are facing, highlighting both obstacles and opportunities. The two broad areas Senville will cover are: (1) strategies communities — large and small — are using to strengthen downtowns and main streets; and (2) the importance of "quality of life" issues, from the growing significance of regional medical facilities, to coping with traffic congestion, to strengthening community identity. You're invited to relax and discover what Senville heard during his coast-to-coast planning conversations.

• Wayne M. Senville, Editor, Planning Commissioners Journal

The future of transportation is the need to enhance the opportunities for multi-modal options for movement. With New Starts, Road Diets, Safe Routes to School, and Hiker-Biker Trails each taking a priority place in the development of smart growth oriented transportation options, communities have more tools available to address their transportation needs. Yet even with the progress made since the last reauthorization, a critical need exists to enhance policies and legislation to enable the most effective array of options available for movement. Two national experts will break down the strategies for ensuring that the tools, funding and incentives are included in the next funding bill. Jim Charlier will discuss the importance of the reauthorization and what policy changes need to be made, while Shelly Poticha will review the mechanics and the infrastructure of getting it done.

• Mariia Zimmerman, Vice President for Policy, Reconnecting America and the Center for Transit-Oriented
• Jim Charlier, AICP, President, Charlier Associates, Inc.