PRESS RELEASE
Sustainability Experts Address Des Moines Region
March 19, 2012 – Des Moines, Iowa
The Tomorrow Plan speaker series will host experts in New Urbanism and Sustainability from around the country at two upcoming events. Both events are free and open to the public.
First Event: Peter Katz, a nationally-recognized leader of the New Urbanism movement, will speak at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center/Veterans Auditorium on Friday, March 30 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
New Urbanism was dubbed in The New York Times as “the most important phenomenon to emerge in American architecture in the post-Cold War era.” New Urbanism supports walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods that balance the need for jobs, diverse housing, healthy living, and engaging public spaces – all common themes for The Tomorrow Plan. Katz is the author of a seminal book on the subject – The New Urbanism: Toward an Architecture of Community – and the founding executive director of its leading organization, Congress for the New Urbanism. He will address why planning sustainably matters to everyone.
Immediately following the Katz presentation, The Tomorrow Plan and the Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC) will host discussions on local foods, housing, the arts, and waste management. This event is hosted by The Tomorrow Plan, the Center on Sustainable Communities (COSC), the Greater Des Moines Partnership, and Indigo Dawn. The event is part of the COSC Connects networking series and The Tomorrow Plan speaker series, and will serve as a kick-off of the Natural Living Expo to be held on Saturday, March 31, and Sunday, April 1 at Veterans Auditorium.
Second Event: A panel of representatives from Kansas City, Chicago, and Atlanta will discuss how they helped their communities create a regional plan for sustainability. The event is at Polk County River Place (2309 Euclid Avenue, Des Moines) on Thursday, April 5 from 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. The panelists – Bob Dean of the Chicago Metropolitan Planning Agency for Planning, Jared Lombard of the Atlanta Regional Commission, and Tom Gerend of Kansas City’s Mid-America Regional Council – will advise Greater Des Moines residents on how the use of “scenario planning” can help us ensure a vibrant and long-lasting Greater Des Moines.
The Tomorrow Plan brings together all 17 cities and four counties of the Greater Des Moines metro along with a number of other public and private entities to map the path to a sustainable future for our region. The Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization secured initial funding of $2 million for this effort through the federal Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program. Each and every citizen of the Greater Des Moines region should be involved in shaping the area’s future. Please join us on March 30 and April 5 to learn more and make your voice heard.
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For more information, please contact Bethany Wilcoxon (bwilcoxon@dmampo.org or 515.334.0075) at the Des Moines Area MPO.
