April 1, 2008

Learning from the Desert

APA's 100th National Planning Conference, Las Vegas, April 27–May 1

CHICAGO — Can desert communities be examples of sustainable living? See how planners are incorporating sustainable and green planning throughout the Southern Nevada region during the American Planning Association's 100th National Planning Conference, April 27-May 1.

The five-day conference addresses challenges communities face and issues that concern residents — sustainability, congestion, water supplies, climate change, downtown redevelopment, and others. The conference provides information and resources for planning practitioners, educators, citizens, business leaders and elected officials.

"Communities often turn to planning when faced with seemingly intractable problems. Desert communities, for example, are innovative leaders in creating more sustainable environments. During the conference, we will see first-hand how communities in the Las Vegas region are addressing a variety of challenges and how those lessons are transferable," said Paul Farmer, FAICP, Executive Director and CEO of the American Planning Association.

Local highlights during the conference include the third-largest solar generation facility in the world; a state-of-the-art environmentally friendly transit alternative; a wetlands park for conservation, flood control, and recreation; and a public-private partnership to address homelessness.

Keynote speakers at the conference include:

• Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) addresses the real possibility of a National Infrastructure Investment Commission to align our economic development needs with the nation's resources.
• Jack Dangermond, president of ESRI, explores the need for spatial thinking in planning and public policy;
• Members of the Global Planners Network address how global partnerships can assist planners at home during the World Planning Keynote; and
• Paul Goldberger, architectural critic from The New Yorker, talks about lessons that can be learned from Las Vegas.

In addition to more than 300 sessions, the conference offers more than 60 mobile workshops that take attendees into neighborhoods throughout the Southern Nevada region to explore planning in action.

During the conference, residents of West Las Vegas and conference attendees will work together to create a plan to spur redevelopment and revitalize the struggling community on Sunday, April 27. The workshop is sponsored by APA's professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners.

APA's annual National Planning Conference attracts more than 5,000 planners and officials and is the world's largest annual planning and public policy conference of its kind. Conference sessions will be held at the Bally's and Paris Hotels. Entire conference and two-day registration rates are available.

View the conference preliminary program at: www.planning.org/nationalconference.

For media credentials to attend the conference, please contact Roberta Rewers at rrewers@planning.org.

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