Kansas State University host to Kansas American Planning Association Symposium
Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015
MANHATTAN — Kansas State University's landscape architecture and regional & community planning department will be host to, in association with the Kansas chapter of the American Planning Association, or APA-KS, a regional symposium from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, March 6, in Manhattan.
The symposium will showcase local efforts to address issues related to the "Three E's of Sustainability," which are environment, economy and equity. More directly, the themed topics are focused around how green infrastructure, food systems and urban water relate to regional and community planning.
Attendees will tour projects spearheaded by landscape architecture and regional & community planning faculty and students, including the Seaton Hall green roofs, the Meadow and the Center for Childhood Development's permeable parking lot and combined urban stormwater management systems at the university, and Sunset Zoo's bio-retention project.
After lunch at Sunset Zoo's Educational Center, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in three presentations. The presentations will include information about the Urban Water Institute, food systems and community planning, along with a Flint Hills ATA Bus lesson.
It is estimated that about 45 professionals and students from around the region will attend. This is the first year the symposium will be in Manhattan. The 2014 symposium was in Lawrence and the host was the University of Kansas.
"Last year's symposium was an effort to bring back a spring APA-KS event, to complement the annual fall conference," said Huston Gibson, assistant professor of landscape architecture and regional & community planning. Gibson also is an at-large executive board member of the Kansas chapter and 2015 symposium organizer.
"A symposium is more concise and focused, and it is our hope that this symposium may rotate around the state each spring on an annual basis, showcasing different sites of specific interest to our field," he said. "Planning for sustainability requires understanding of site specific solutions. Attendees at this year's symposium will learn about a broad range of sites demonstrating best practices in sustainable planning and design."
The symposium is open to the public and deadline to register is March 2. For questions or information on how to register contact Erin Ollig at 913-961-1952 or erin@shockeyconsulting.com.
