Upcoming Conference Highlights

Planning on the Edge conference logo

Planning on the Edge is the theme for the 2016 State Planning Conference to be held March 2-4 at the Courtyard Marriott in Houma.

Updated information is posted on the conference's webpage. - 1/27/2016

Conference Session Proposals - The request for session proposals was sent out chapter wide on Sept 15 and the deadline to submit entries is Oct 16. Instructions and the application form to submit entries are available by clicking the links.

Conference Registration - The registration form and website will be live sometime in early October. We would like for as many people to register as early as possible. This is a tremendous help for the conference organizers. Look for an email blast announcing that.

Awards - Be thinking about nominations for this year’s planning awards. Look for an email blast on this soon.

Mobile Workshops - There will be three mobile workshops. One on Wednesday afternoon that will highlight how Terrebonne Parish has been implementing the goals and strategies of its award winning master plan update Vision 2030. The other two workshops will be Thursday afternoon – one Up da Bayou and one Down da Bayou. Up da Bayou will focus on major growth corridors and expansion of zoning and infrastructure projects in order to accommodate the migration of many parish residents and businesses to higher ground and along the edge of the US Hwy 90/I-49 corridor. Down da Bayou will focus on the storm protection system – structural and non-structural measures as well as coastal restoration projects and how lower bayou communities are dealing with an ever changing edge which has led to some interesting challenges for planners particularly in how to maintain the sense of community and place. We are planning to submit all three workshops for CM credit approval.

Keynote Speakers - Parish officials and leaders will of course welcome all conference attendees. To kick things off on Wednesday’s luncheon, we will have Jeff Carney Associate Professor of Architecture and Director of LSU’s Coastal Sustainability Studio to speak on “The Great Boot Debate” which begins to tackle notions of mapping an ever changing coastline. On Thursday we will have an update from National along with the awards ceremony. To close the conference on Friday, we are pleased to have as our keynote speaker Congressman Garret Graves who serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. He is also Vice-Chairman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

Thanks,

Christopher M. Pulaski, RLA
Senior Planner and Zoning Administrator