The Louisiana Smart Growth Summit added to its list of keynote speakers this morning, with organizers announcing that Gov. John Bel Edwards will address attendees about moving forward after the August flood on the closing day of the summit.
As people and businesses in greater Baton Rouge continue to rebuild from the unprecedented flood, resiliency will be a central theme at this year’s summit. Hosted by the Center for Planning Excellence, the two-day summit kicks off on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at the Manship Theatre in the Shaw Center of the Arts. Edwards will speak at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2.
The summit will close with a keynote address on community resiliency in the wake of disasters by Harriet Tregoning, principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Community Planning and Development at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
CPEX President and CEO Elizabeth “Boo” Thomas says the August flood made making resiliency an obvious theme for this year’s summit, now in its 11th year.
“All of the work that CPEX has done over the years is really related to resiliency,” Thomas says. “It’s about making the most of what you have and trying to protect it for the long term.”
Summit events will explore, among other topics, strategies for repurposing spaces that were left behind; designing to reduce flood risk; resilient home designs; planning in the age of climate change.
A session on Nov. 2 titled “Rebuilding Smarter” will feature an open discussion about the impact of the recent flood and how communities can recover more resiliently through innovative techniques in stormwater management, infill development and recovery planning.
Registration costs for the summit range from $125 for a single day of events to $175 for both days. Students and faculty can attend for $35, and the cost for attending continuing legal education events ranges from $175 (one day of events and a total of four CLE hours) to $225 (two days and upwards of nine CLE hours). Registration is open through Friday, Oct. 28. See the full lineup of summit events and register to attend.
