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Conference Sessions Throughout the initiative the project team will be participating in a number of planning- and brownfields-related conferences. Our goal in attending these events to expand our knowledge about brownfields, community engagement and sustainable redevelopment. Conferences also provide a great opportunity to share information about Creating Community-Based Brownfields Redevelopment Strategies with a variety of stakeholders. APA Audio Conference On May 21, 2008, the project team will participate in the APA's Advanced Intensive audio conference series with a program titled Community Based Brownfields Redevelopment. The Advanced Intensive Series is a simple and effective way for professional planners to stay abreast of new developments in the field and best practices. Click here for a program description.
Community Engagement and Brownfields Redevelopment (S502) took place April 16, 2007, during the APA National Planning Conference in Philadelphia. This session explored what it takes to create and maintain a collaborative brownfields redevelopment process. The purpose of the session was to highlight the challenges, opportunities, and best practices for involving community in brownfields redevelopment. The session was moderated by APA's Lynn Ross, AICP, who provided opening remarks about the project and framed the discussion. Jill Gaito of the Pennsylvania Department of Environment followed with a presentation highlighting her state's program. Gaito also addressed how local level planners can tap state resources to encourage engagement. Margot Prado, AICP, City of Oakland, discussed a number of projects in which community engagement was critical, and she challenged planners to think outside the box in terms of outreach. The session concluded with a presentation by Bethel's Steven McCullough. McCullough discussed Bethel's experience with brownfields redevelopment highlighting the role of residents in the process
The project team hosted a facilitated discussion at the Brownfields 2006 conference held November 13-15, 2006, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The purpose of the session was two-fold: (1) to obtain additional feedback on the proposed workbook outline and (2) to build general interest about the project. The session was facilitated by APA's Lynn Ross, AICP, and Bethel's Mary Nelson. Following a brief presentation overviewing the project and session purpose, participants were divided into small groups. Although each group received a set of guiding questions, open discussion of project was strongly encouraged. Overall, the participants felt that a workbook based on current outline would be extremely useful and fill a knowledge gap not only for community groups but also for others working with community groups. Participants felt that the workbook and training program should be written and designed in a way to help community groups understand their power and that they have say in how their community is developed.
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