Friday, April 25, 2008

Grow Smart RI does a lot of good work in helping to preserve the best of the state's distinctive character, so Scott Wolf and his crew want you to know about the group's May 2 Power of Place Summit, for which registration closes next Tuesday, April 29, at noon.

Our inaugural Power of Place Summit in 2006 drew nearly 500 opinion leaders, state and local officials, academics, development professionals, investors, journalists and citizen activists for the launch of Rhode Island’s new smart growth oriented state land-use plan. There are now encouraging examples all across our state of how some of the plan’s long-term strategies and recommendations are being embraced and implemented to the benefit of our communities and future generations. Yet other key objectives - such as reducing our state’s over-reliance on the local property tax, better integrating our transportation system with desired development goals and targeting more of our state investment dollars to energy efficient urban, town and village centers - remain daunting challenges that keep us from reaching our potential.

This upcoming Summit will take a closer look at how the growth and development choices we make today will impact our economy, quality places, public health, environment, the efficiency of state and local government and the taxes we pay. We’ll look at what’s working and what needs to be improved to grow our innovation economy, revitalize our walkable centers, ensure agricultural viability, promote healthy community design and reduce global warming pollution, among other key goals for a prosperous and sustainable future.

Click HERE for the Detailed Program

Highlights:

• Morning Keynote Speaker: Bruce Katz, Founder and Director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution "The Blueprint for American Prosperity" 
  
  
• Panel Response from Governor Carcieri (invited), Mayor Cicilline, Economist Richard Seline and Grow Smart Executive Director Scott Wolf
  
  
• Lunchtime Keynote Address: Patrick MacRoy, Executive Director, Alliance for Healthy Homes, Washington, DC - "The Connection between Public Health & the Built Environment"
  
  
• A total of 24 workshop on everything from Smart Economic Development, Place-Making and Renewable Energy to Low Impact Development, Tax Increment Financing and LEED-ND