Smart Growth Summit set

August 9- (The Daily World) LAFAYETTE — Community planners, architects and officials from across Louisiana are gearing up for the fifth annual Louisiana Smart Growth Summit, scheduled for Aug. 18-20 in Baton Rouge.

Hosted by the Center for Planning Excellence, the summit will examine the status of Louisiana communities five years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as the BP oil spill. Other topics will include transit, roads, land banks and trusts, coastal protection, transforming abandoned buildings, financing opportunities, alternative energy, and sustainability.

Registration is still open to anyone who wishes to attend.

Scheduled speakers include Chris Leinberger, visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution; Doug Duncan, vice president and chief economist with Fannie Mae; former Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy; and John Gordon, director of marketing management with IBM's Smarter Cities.

This year's summit also will feature the first Great Places in Louisiana Awards ceremony. Sponsored by CPEX, AARP and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, these awards will recognize communities and developments that excel in areas of transportation, housing and access to services.

"Each year, participation from our speakers and attendees gets better," CPEX President and CEO Elizabeth "Boo" Thomas said in a statement. "That shows us that Louisiana is stepping it up and taking charge of the future. We are setting visions for growth and learning how to achieve them."

The summit is free for students, educators and members of the media.

The above article appeared in the Daily World on August 9, 2010.  The original article can be found here.
For more information on the summit click here.