April 25, 2008

Media Advisory: Reconfiguring the Suburbs for Survival

Planners Assess the Value of Breathing New Life into the Conventional Suburb or Allowing Its Potential Demise

WASHINGTON, DC — The physically disconnected, car-dependent, non-diverse, and unsustainable suburbs can only survive by adapting to a changing future — by reconfiguring  the structure, form, and systems that support generations of lives and places "worth caring about."

Join Stephen Coyle and Dena Belzer direct from APA's National Planning Conference where they will present  the critical metrics (The Five R's) used to assess the health of these communities born during the age of cheap oil, and the strategies necessary to "reset" their "bones" and systems for generations to come:

• Re-compact – Can a seven-year-old navigate the suburb by foot or bike?
• Re-connect – Can the infrastructure be reconnected either by roads or pathways?
• Recode – Can the development standards be updated to allow for mixed use?
• Redesign – Are government officials willing to invest in and address design qualities?
• Recolor – As simple as green and blue.

WHO  

Stephen Coyle, Principal, Town Green
Town Green is a group of dedicated "green urbanists" who offer a comprehensive approach to sustainable community planning and urban design.

Dena Belzer, President, Strategic Economics
Belzer specializes in connecting regional economic and demographic growth trends to real estate development activity and local policy initiatives. 

CALL IN NUMBER

U.S./Canada Dial-in: 800-482-8912
Conference ID: 45219375

WHEN

Monday, April 28, 2008
12:30 Pacific/1:30 Mountain/2:30 Central/ 3:30 Eastern
The call will last 30 minutes – 10 to 15 minutes for remarks then Q&A

CONTACT

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