October 3, 2011 – University and college professors who teach regional and urban planning across the country will see some of the best of their craft when they gather in Salt Lake City October 13 –16, 2011.
That is by design, says Stephen Goldsmith of the University of Utah’s College of Architecture + Planning (CA+P), which is host to the 52nd annual meeting of the American Collegiate Schools of Planning.
Salt Lake was chosen by the organizers in large part because of the unique and fast-growing city planning programs that are taking shape at the University of Utah (the U.).
“Our location at the intersection of smart growth—that which accommodates projected growth in the 21st century, yet preserves one of the most stunning natural landscapes in the nation—provides a living laboratory for faculty and students,” notes Goldsmith, associate professor of city and metropolitan planning at the U. “That, in turn, has attracted a group of experts to Utah who work together on the challenges of growth, and also train the next generation who will guide the evolution of healthy human settlements the world over.”
Organizers are expecting nearly 800 attendees from the United States as well as overseas, the largest advance registration for the annual conference.
“The theme of the conference, Envision, has been a hallmark of the planning process in Utah over the past decade,” says Goldsmith. “Utahns have worked deliberately at envisioning better futures for our communities, towns and cities, and it’s working. The positive results of tactics like scenario planning, collaborations among public entities — including our college — and broad community engagement will be on display when attendees see great examples of this style of quality growth.”
In addition to papers and presentations, mobile workshops are being offered during the meeting. Visitors will be able to see the transportation renaissance taking place on the Wasatch Front by riding Frontrunner to the transit-oriented development underway in Farmington, taking TRAX to the self-contained community of Daybreak, riding with Mayor Ralph Becker on the burgeoning complex of bike trails through Salt Lake, and visiting the ecological conservatory in Park City at the Swaner Eco Center.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGIATE SCHOOLS OF PLANNING
ACSP is a consortium of university-based programs offering credentials in urban and regional planning. It is committed to recognizing the diverse needs and interests in planning. It seeks to strengthen the role of planning education in colleges and universities through publications, conferences, and community engagement as well as through participation in the accreditation process. The ACSP believes that planning education should extend beyond the classroom and into the world of practice working closely with practicing professionals and communities.
ABOUT THE U’S COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE+PLANNING:
The College of Architecture + Planning (CA+P) at the University of Utah facilitates an educational community of students, faculty and staff with interests and expertise in creative design, building, planning, computer technology, issues of social and ecological responsibility, and the scholarly study of the history and theory of the built landscape. CA+P educates future professionals who are concerned with constructing and maintaining the highest quality in our built and natural environments.