Charles Marohn will be a keynote speaker at the 2016 TAPA (Tennessee Chapter of the American Planning Association) Conference, Taking it to the Streets: Design for all Ages.
Keynote Presentation (12:15pm-1:45pm)
Location: Summit Ballroom in the Crowne Plaza
In this presentation, Charles Marohn will explain the central principles of Strong Towns thinking and answer key questions such as:
- Why are our cities and towns so short of resources despite decades of robust growth?
- Why do we struggle at the local level just to maintain our basic infrastructure?
- What do we do now that the economy has changed so dramatically?
The answers lie in the way we have developed; the financial productivity of our places. This stunning presentation is a game-changer for communities looking to grow more resilient and obtain true prosperity during changing times. Topics covered include: America's Suburban Experiment; the Growth Ponzi Scheme; the illusion of wealth; mechanisms of growth; and incremental and traditional development models.
Even if you aren't attending the TAPA Conference, you are still welcome to attend this luncheon. The cost to attend the luncheon and keynote address is $25, and you must RSVP by September 14.
Breakout Session: Neighborhood First (2pm-3:30pm)
Risky, low returning projects too often become expensive boondoggles that haunt a community for decades. Public officials everywhere are desperately seeking an alternative. This talk will cover the "Neighborhoods First" approach to show how a community can grow stronger by making small, incremental investments over time. By observing how neighbors live their lives, by asking them where their daily struggles are, by getting out on the street and discovering what is actually going on, any local government can discern what their community’s pressing needs are. These projects are the high return investments and they are all around us.