Agenda - Day 1 (Copy)
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 | Agenda
Click here for Speaker Bios.
8:00-8:30 am
Registration, breakfast, & networking
8:30-9:45 am
Welcome & keynote address
Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, Principal, McAdams
The Honorable John Bel Edwards, Governor, State of Louisiana
Camille Manning-Broome, President & CEO, Center for Planning Excellence
Mitchell Silver, renowned for his transformative planning work and his public service as Chief Planning and Development Officer for Raleigh, North Carolina and Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, will talk about the evolution of planning and the urgent need for planning and allied fields to make transformational shifts to address climate change impacts, adaptation and mitigation needs, and build resilience centered on equity. Governor John Bel Edwards will follow with remarks highlighting critical needs, next steps, and opportunities for Louisiana to leverage our position on the front lines of climate change to lead the nation in adaptation and mitigation efforts.
10:00-11:30 am
Making Strides while facing tides: current climate data and louisiana’s path forward
Don Bain, P.E., Senior Advisor, Climate Central
Joyce Coffee, President, Climate Resilience Consulting
Andreanecia Morris, Executive Director, HousingNOLA
Christopher J. Tyson, President, National Community Stabilization Trust [Moderator]
Climate Central’s Senior Advisor Don Bain will share an overview of updated climate data and analyses as presented in their recently-released Sinking Tax Base: Land & Property at Risk from Rising Seas. A panel of federal- and state-level experts on climate-resilient housing, financing, and aid programs will follow, discussing what this means for Louisiana’s people, communities, and economy – and how we can work together across sectors to protect assets, preserve culture, create opportunity, and elevate community wellbeing.
12:00-12:45 pm
Recharge with Smart Growth America’s Beth Osborne
Beth Osborne, Vice President for Transportation and Thriving Communities, Smart Growth America
JR Ball, Executive Editor, Greater Baton Rouge Business Report
As former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy at USDOT, Smart Growth America’s Beth Osborne understands the challenges towns and cities across the country are facing as they struggle to meet transportation needs amidst climate change, worsening congestion, widening disparities, and overwhelming infrastructure costs – she knows what works and what doesn’t and won’t mince words saying which is which. JR Ball, Executive Editor of the Baton Rouge Business Report, keeps readers on their toes by asking tough questions about transportation and development in Baton Rouge. A lunch interview between these two dynamic provocateurs will focus on the realities of Baton Rouge’s transportation challenges, options for future mobility and congestion management, and opportunities for transformative investment presented by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
1:00-2:15 pm
Concurrent Sessions
Catalyzing Mode Shift: Getting Smart(er) about Land Use And Transportation Infrastructure
Fred Neal Jr., AICP, Director of Planning, Villavaso and Associates; Commissioner, New Orleans Regional Transit Authority
Beth Osborne, Vice President for Transportation & Thriving Communities, Smart Growth America
Sam Zimbabwe, Practice Builder, Kimley-Horn
John Spain, Executive Vice President, Baton Rouge Area Foundation [Moderator]
As the COVID-19 pandemic is winding down in many places throughout the U.S., people are back to daily commutes, running errands, and leisure travel – and we’re still having goods and services shipped and delivered more frequently than pre-pandemic – so it’s no surprise that traffic congestion and daunting infrastructure needs are once again top of mind. Panelists in this session will discuss how mode shift from single-occupant vehicles to transit and other more efficient options can lead to a more financially and environmentally sustainable transportation network. Panelists will also discuss strategies and success stories for catalyzing this notoriously difficult shift in Southern towns and cities that are also on the front lines of climate change.
Supporting Our Places and People as Climate Impacts Drive Population Movement: An Interactive Session on Climate Migration
Robert Habans, PhD, Economist, The Data Center
Camille Manning-Broome, President & CEO, Center for Planning Excellence
Elder Chief Shirell Parfait-Dardar, Environmental and Human Rights Advocate and Cultural Preservationist, Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw
Ashley Shelton, President/CEO, The Power Coalition; Board Member, Center for Planning Excellence
Pamela Jenkins, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, The University of New Orleans [Moderator]
Human populations have always been on the move, seeking ideal conditions for the wellbeing of their communities. Today many communities are facing repetitive flooding, land loss, and increasing exposure to catastrophic storms, forcing them to question whether it is feasible to remain in the places they and generations before them have called home. Panelists in this session will help elucidate the complexities of climate-driven migration and impacts on vulnerable communities; opportunities for investing in receiving communities; and lessons learned and resources available to support culturally-sensitive managed retreat for those who choose to move.
2:30-3:45 pm
Concurrent Sessions
Healthy Community Planning and Design: Putting Knowledge into Practice
Jessica McKelvie Kemp, Ph.D., Vice President, Center for Planning Excellence
Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, Principal, McAdams
Jamila Freightman, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention High Obesity Program Program Manager, Louisiana State University AgCenter
Michael Tipton, President, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation [Moderator]
Our collective understanding of social determinants of health, how they are embedded in our built environment, and the many ways in which transportation and land use planning, along with community design, impact human health has grown considerably over the last decade. This session will focus on how we can put this knowledge into practice at the community level. Featured speaker Mitchell Silver will highlight best practices and success stories gleaned from his career which has been largely rooted in the intersections of planning, public health and equity. Our local experts will speak to projects and progress throughout the state, and CPEX will introduce a new resource for healthy community planning and design in Louisiana.
Building on What You Have: Planning Around Existing Resources in Smaller Communities
Erin Z. Bass, Executive Director, The TECHE Project
The Honorable Freddie DeCourt, Mayor, City of New Iberia
The Honorable Eugene P. Foulcard, Mayor, City of Franklin
Joni Hammons, Design & Implementation Manager, Center for Planning Excellence [Moderator]
Big things are happening on Bayou Teche! Our panelists are helping realize a renaissance along the bayou and celebrating the natural, cultural, and historic assets that make this area so unique. They are centering planning activities on the recreational, social, and economic potential of this natural resource and pursuing a vision for reconnecting bayou communities to this historically vital corridor. This session will feature a range of perspectives that demonstrate how elected officials, non-profit organizations, and community members can rally around community assets and drive positive change.
4:00-5:00 pm
Weaving It All Together: Key Takeaways From the First Day
Brace B. “Trey” Godfrey, III, Senior Vice President of Policy, Baton Rouge Area Chamber
Melissa S. Lee, Director of Planning and Community Engagement, Concordia
Elizabeth “Boo” Thomas, Founder & President Emerita, Center for Planning Excellence
Cordell Haymon, CEO (Retired), Petroleum Service Corporation; Immediate Past-Chair/Board Member, Center for Planning Excellence [Moderator]
We’ll end the first day with fast-paced insights and key takeaways from experienced local leaders who will provide context and inspiration to transform lessons learned into tangible progress for Louisiana.
Performance by lost bayou Ramblers Louis Michot
Louis Michot, Director, Nouveau Electric Records; Fiddle and Vocals, Lost Bayou Ramblers
5:00-6:30 pm
Reception
Join us and celebrate being back in-person as we extend the conversations and connections made at the first day of the Summit. Enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres while meeting others seeking to inspire action and ignite change.
6:30-7:30 pm
Pecha Kucha
Allison Haertling, Planning Associate, The Water Institute
Sherreta R. Harrison, Sustainability Catalyst, MetroMorphosis
Jenny Netherton, Program Manager, Southeastern Wind Coalition
Brian Nunes, Transportation Alternatives Program Manager, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
Jenn Ocken, Owner & Lead Photographer, Jenn Ocken Photography
Devon Parfait, Chief, Grand Caillou/Dulac band of Biloxi Chitimacha Choctaw
Brandon Surtain, Architectural Designer, SO Studio Architecture
Mike Weary, Live Artist
David Whitley, Planning & Urban Design Manager, Center for Planning Excellence
Ann Vail, Executive Director & Clean Cities Director, Louisiana Clean Fuels
Join us for this high-energy event featuring dynamic individuals who are making a difference in their communities as they quickly and creatively share their big ideas on climate, health, equity, and resilience. PechaKucha Night was started in Tokyo in 2003 and translates from Japanese to mean “chit-chat.” Now in over 1,200 cities around the world, PechaKucha made its way to Baton Rouge in 2016. The format is simple: 20 slides for 20 seconds each. Tonight’s presenters will have exactly 400 seconds to inform, inspire, and entertain you.