APA Florida Conference Is Here

[tufsu1]

That's right....the the time has finally come.

Next week, 700+ urban planners from around the Florida will converge in downtown Jacksonville for their annual conference.  Here's some quick info. on the conference 

The First Coast Section of APA Florida will be the Host for the 2009 APA Florida Annual Conference to be held September 15-18 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront. 

This year’s conference theme, Bridging the Past to Tomorrow, says it all.  Primary focus areas for the conference include historic preservation and revitalization, economic development and stimulus, infrastructure, water resources, and professional development.  In total, there will be over 55 sessions spanning 6 conference tracks.
In addition, eight mobile workshops are planned, highlighting the historic cities of St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach, the St. Johns River, preservation and revitalization efforts in the urban core and beach communities, and economic development issues involving the Port of Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport.

Keynote speakers are Neal Peirce, a nationally-syndicated columnist and foremost writer on metropolitan regions; Mariia Zimmerman, Vice President For Policy of Reconnecting America and the Center for Transit-Oriented Development; and Paul Farmer, FAICP, Executive Director and CEO of National APA. 

Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, the Honorary Conference Chair will open the conference with an update on planning and development in northeast Florida that will also include Ron Barton of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission (JEDC) and Brian Teeple, AICP of the Northeast Florida Regional Council. 

The closing session of the conference will feature an expert panel discussing water supply issues such as conservation, reuse, identifying new sources.  The session will include a discussion on the Apalachicola River tri-state water rights issue between Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.

And...as an added bonus, MetroJacksonville.com will be recognized (along with other award winners) at Friday's closing brunch...the group has been selected as the APA Florida Public Interest Group of the Year!

[thelakelander]

I'm looking forward to attending a few sessions next week.

[FayeforCure]

Should be interesting,........... looking at one of the speakers background:

Mariia Zimmerman
Vice President For Policy
Mariia Zimmerman is vice president for policy and heads up Reconnecting America’s Washington D.C. office. Previously she served as chief of staff for Congressman Earl Blumenauer, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, serving as his point person on transportation. She has worked extensively on transportation, land use and livable community issues and has authored numerous publications on transportation policy. She serves on the Transit Advisory Board for Arlington County, Virginia. She was a Presidential Management Fellow at the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), where she worked with the Environmental Protection Agency and FTA’s Region 9 office.

http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/public/staff

[BridgeTroll]

Next week, 700+ urban planners from around the Florida will converge in downtown Jacksonville for their annual conference.

I hope they use downtown Jax as a template for idea exchanges or an example of what could or should be done.

[fsujax]

I can't wait to go. Make sure you make your neighborhood lookS especially clean, since they will be having guided tours!

[BridgeTroll]

Any idea if any of the esteemed city leadership might attend???

[reednavy]

Can the public attend? If so, is there a cost?

[heights unknown]

I guess they've been to Jacksonville before; hope they don't get bored and hope that our City Leaders show them the right way things are done in Jax vice the wrong ways that they normally do things.

Heights Unknown

[fsujax]

Click this link for more information on the conference.

http://www.floridaplanning.org/conference/index.asp

[tufsu1]

Any idea if any of the esteemed city leadership might attend???

quite a good many of them....the Mayor and Ron Barton will be speaking at the opening session...about 40 people from the Planning Dept. will be attending portions of the copnference....and there are several folks from the City, JTA, JEA, etc. presenting in breakout sessions and as part of the mobile workshops.

[tufsu1]

Can the public attend? If so, is there a cost?

anyone may attend...walk up (late) registration for non-members is around $500 for the whole conference...a single day can be had for around $200