The 2017 Louisiana Smart Growth Summit is underway in downtown Baton Rouge.
The two-day summit, taking place at the Manship Theatre in the Shaw Center for Arts, kicked off shortly after 8:30 a.m. with a welcome from Center for Planning Excellence Executive Director Elizabeth “Boo” Thomas and CPEX board chairman Cordell Haymon. Mayor Sharon Weston Broome delivered the opening remarks.
This year’s summit focuses on technology and data trends that are being used in cities across the country to address blight, transportation and other issues.
Today’s summit events, which wrap up at 5 p.m., include panel discussions on how development practices change after disasters, mitigating risk for coastal communities, public-private partnerships and building healthy hometowns. Carol Coletta, a senior fellow at The Kresge Foundation’s American Cities Practice, will deliver today’s luncheon keynote address.
The summit’s second day features a “Smart Cities” track—a series of rapid fire sessions focusing on applications that help cities improve safety and efficiency. Sessions include panels on making cities smarter, and complex issues surrounding zoning, property transactions and urban mobility, among others. Andy Berke, mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee, will deliver the luncheon keynote address on Wednesday.
See the full schedule of summit events, and read Daily Report PM for additional coverage.
