Proposals are due by January 8 from speakers on topics related to the sharing economy, social equity and transforming communities without transit
Silver Spring, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, invites proposals for presentations at its conference, Makeover Montgomery 3: Balancing Change in America’s Suburbs, to be held May 4-6, 2016 in College Park and Silver Spring, Md.
Interested planners, architects, developers, real estate professionals, economists, social scientists, ecologists and others can submit proposals online through Friday, January 8, 2016 at 5 p.m. The selected speakers will present at the Silver Spring Civic Building (1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD) on May 5 and 6. Assistance with travel-related expenses may be available for out-of-town speakers.
Makeover Montgomery 3 is being organized through a partnership between the Montgomery County Planning Department and National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education at the University of Maryland. The 2016 event follows similar conferences held in 2011 and 2014 by the Planning Department and University of Maryland.
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.
Proposals should reflect one of three conference themes:
Beyond Transit-Oriented Development
- Transforming communities without transit into walkable, better connected places.
- Promoting multi-modal, “complete” street designs.
- Developing land use strategies to promote pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use districts.
- Creating thriving communities all around metropolitan areas.
The Sharing Economy
- Facilitating co-housing to provide affordable housing and housing for seniors.
- Establishing community gardens and urban/suburban agriculture in public spaces.
- Using ride-sharing and Uber to solve transportation challenges.
- Co-locating public facilities to share resources and amenities.
- Creating worker-owned cooperatives or shared work spaces.
Equity and Opportunity in the Suburbs
- Striking the balance between redevelopment and displacement.
- Determining how the physical environment affects social and economic well-being.
- Weighing the effects of new development on schools and infrastructure.
- Achieving affordable housing in gentrifying areas.
- Maintaining locally owned and community centered businesses.
View the recap of the 2014 Makeover Montgomery event.
Please visit www.makeovermontgomery3.com for more information. Questions? Please contact Jason Sartori at jason@ipcllc.net.