Proposals for session presentations are now due by January 12 for three-day Silver Spring conference that will focus on healthy, smart, inclusive and competitive communities
Silver Spring, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, has extended the deadline for presentation proposals for its Makeover Montgomery 4 (MM4) Conference, which will be held from May 9 through May 11, 2018 in College Park and Silver Spring, MD. Proposals are now due by January 12, 2018. The event is being co-sponsored by the Planning Department and University of Maryland’s National Center for Smart Growth.
Session Proposals Due on January 12
Conference presentation proposals are now being sought. Participants should base their presentations on four themes: Healthy, Smart, Inclusive and Competitive Communities. The deadline for submitting presentation proposals online is January 12, 2018 at 5 p.m. The selected presenters will take part in sessions to be held at the Silver Spring Civic Building (1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD) on May 10 and 11, 2018. Assistance with travel-related expenses may be available for out-of-town speakers.
Submit a presentation to the MM4 Conference
Presentations should focus on innovative planning and policy tools, and strategies that can help transform our suburbs into exciting, attractive and sustainable communities. Multiple session tracks will attract a diverse audience that includes practitioners, academics and interested community members from the DC area and across the nation. Conference themes and suggested topics include the following:
Healthy Communities
What can suburban communities do to encourage active lifestyles for their residents This track will identify ways to create energized and engaging public spaces for healthier communities and look at ways of advancing state-of-the-art approaches to increase walkability, reducing the stress of cycling and enhancing recreation opportunities. Additional track topics could include access to healthy food and innovative concepts like park prescriptions, which partner parks departments with health insurers and medical doctors to encourage healthy living through exercise and outdoor activities.
Smart Communities
How will advancements in technology improve public services, change how our communities function and impact growth patterns? This track will address the planning-related impacts of big data and crowd-sourcing analytics, implementation of data sensors and smart technologies, and increased use of drones. Additional topics include the integration of autonomous vehicles and the role of technology incubators.
Inclusive Communities
How can our increasingly diverse suburban communities promote equity for all? This track highlights efforts to inspire and educate community leaders to tackle issues of environmental justice, advance opportunities for affordable housing and uphold tenant rights.
Competitive Communities
How must American suburbs change to be competitive in tomorrow’s economy? This track will tackle issues related to developing a diverse, educated and sustainable workforce, as well as other strategies for economic development and job growth. Topics include workplace innovations, mixed-use strategies and building the creative culture necessary to succeed in emerging markets.
Keynote Speaker Peter Leyden
The conference will begin with a presentation by Leyden, who will discuss the societal and economic trends shaping the future of our communities. This keynote address will take place at the University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation on May 9 at 7 p.m.
Leyden, a dynamic speaker, is the founder and CEO of San Francisco-based Reinvent, a network of innovators using the new medium of group video to brainstorm ideas about how to change America. He is an innovator and entrepreneur who has worked for a series of pioneering organizations, including Wired magazine, the Global Business Network and New Politics Institute.
View the recap video from the 2016 Makeover Montgomery event.
Please visit https://montgomeryplanning.org/event/makeover-montgomery-4/ for more information.
Questions? Please contact Jason Sartori at Jason.Sartori@montgomeryplanning.org.