Neighborhoods for Life

Families with children not wanting to move to low-density suburbs need urban neighborhoods and an urban public realm designed to support culturally diverse, socially stimulating, healthy lifestyles.

Program

Growing IN Place addressed the need for planning and design policies that support these needs, especially for children. Young people need networks of attractive, walkable/bikeable routes connecting homes to schools, parks, community gardens, and cultural institutions – where they can engage with nature.

We addressed a regional audience (NC and adjacent states) consisting of the multiprofessional, interdisciplinary, public/private sector, professional landscape architects, architects, and planners (receiving CEUs); parks and recreation professionals; nonformal educators, and elected officials. The symposium offered an annual focus on urban community/neighborhood design for health, sustainability, and wellbeing of children and families in the 21st century.

Speakers

Urban Neighborhoods/Housing

Molly Simpson, B.A., Urban Land Institute (ULI), Terwilliger Center for Housing, development, and implementation of educational and research programs on housing policy and practice. Family-friendly, moderate-density housing. Responding to the market.

Food

Lucy Bradley, PhD. Department of Horticultural Sciences; Extension Specialist, NC State University; Director Urban Horticulture Program – consumer horticulture, community gardening, therapeutic horticulture, and Master Gardener Volunteer program. Gardening for fun: Engaging children, youth, and families year-round.* (lecture video not given for online use)

Schools

Noreen McDonald, PhD. Department of City and Regional Planning, UNC. An expert on active transportation between home and school. School location and non-motorized, independent mobility. Is there a way out of this conundrum?

Lois Brink, MLA. Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Colorado, Denver; Director, Learning Through Landscapes; community design of urban school grounds; post-renovation health impacts. School-ground renovation as a multi-benefit school/community enterprise – an international movement.

Parks

Mary Eysenbach, MS. Director of Conservatories, Chicago Park District; Founding Board Member, City Parks Alliance; Director, City Parks Forum, American Planning Association. City parks and families with children.

Nature

Robin Moore, Dipl.Arch, MCP. Department of Landscape Architecture, NC State University; Director, Natural Learning Initiative. Nature play and learning spaces –National design and management guidelines.

Allen Cooper, MPP, JD. Director, State, and Local Education Advocacy, National Wildlife Federation. Risk management of nature play and learning spaces.