March 31, 2008

Keeping Open Space Open

Speakers to discuss tool for mapping open space

CHICAGO — The challenge was to identify and protect existing open space and natural resources before being consumed by development and growth. The solution is a Green Infrastructure Mapping tool from Openlands and the Center for Neighborhood Technology.

Learn about the Green Infrastructure Mapping tool at the next American Planning Association's Tuesdays at APA forum on April 8, 2008. The discussion begins at 5 p.m. at APA's 122 S. Michigan Ave. conference center. The event is free and open to the public.

The public-accessible tool, (www.greenmapping.org), enables the user to create natural resource maps. The user can select specific geographic regions and data such as publicly owned lands, existing and proposed greenways, waterways and trails to generate the desired map. The tool covers a geographic region spanning 19 counties in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

The speakers are Lenore Beyer-Clow, policy director at Openlands, and Peter M. Haas, manager of the Geographic Research and Information Department for the Center for Neighborhood Technology.

Tuesdays at APA is a monthly after-work lecture and discussion series. Each month, practicing planners and researchers discuss the latest ideas, concepts and research in the planning field. For more information and upcoming events, visit www.planning.org/tuesdaysatapa or call 312-431-9100. Podcasts of previous events are available through iTunes.

Contact  
Roberta Rewers, APA, 312-786-6395; rrewers@planning.org