Vermont Smart Growth Summit

Vermont Smart Growth Summit
Friday, June 16, 2017
8:30am – 12:30 pm
Champlain College, Burlington VT

8:30am – 9:00am l Registration and Networking Breakfast

9:00am – 9:15am l Welcome Remarks – Governor Phil Scott (invited)

9:15am – 10:00am l Taking Stock – Where We Have Been & Where We Are Going
Towns across Vermont are facing a wide range of intricate challenges and opportunities – from housing and transportation needs of a changing demographic to financing development while avoiding sprawl and valuing our natural resources. Presenters will frame Smart Growth principles and benefits, highlighting Vermont’s accomplishments, the changing rural economy and the new reality for development.
Presenters:
Kate McCarthy, Sustainable Communities Program Director, VNRC
Noelle MacKay, Director, Community & Economic Development Office, City of Burlington
Peter Nelson, Professor of Geography, Middlebury College

10:00am – 11:00am l Keynote – John Anderson from Incremental Development Alliance
IDA’s focus is on a real estate model where local people can invest in their own neighborhoods and in that process, create new life and value that benefits their communities. We need more neighborhood-based small developers creating buildings that can adapt in times of trouble. Scale makes all the difference, and Anderson will provide insights about how to make small scale development work.

Break

11:15am – 12:15pm l Small Group Discussions – Experts Explore Smart Growth Solutions
How do VT communities apply smart growth to meet their needs? Experts who have been involved with smart growth development in Vermont share the ‘why’ about being drawn downtown, and ‘how’ their vision has been executed. Each expert will address key smart growth issues like transportation, community support, zoning, business competition, public health, sprawl, and issues of equity.

12:15pm – 12:30pm I Closing Remarks – Envisioning Smart Growth in a New Way
Brian Shupe, VNRC