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SALISBURY, MD---¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s Department of Geography and Geosciences in the Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology holds “Smart Growth Day,” a one-day conference on Wednesday, April 28. 

The event is a forum to engage communities, organizations, elected officials, environmentalists, planners, consulting firms and developers in constructive discussions about Maryland’s future growth.

Keynote speakers are Richard Hall, Maryland secretary of planning; Dr. Gerrit Knaap, director of the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education; and John Frece, director of the Smart Growth Program for the U.S.  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The first afternoon concurrent sessions feature topics including “What a Renewed Federal Commitment to the Chesapeake Means for Smart Growth,” “Growing Smart: Small Towns Making a Big Difference” and “Water Resources Element for Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties.”

Topics for the second afternoon concurrent sessions include “Best Practices in Land Preservation,” “Foreclosures and their Effects on Neighborhoods” and “Best Practices in Sustainable Design.”

Among the moderators and panelists are representatives from the EPA, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, Maryland Environmental Trust, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, architecture firms, neighborhood associations and county offices statewide.

“SU’s Department of Geography and Geosciences has a long established commitment to educating the next generation of planners about smart growth and sustainability principles,” said Dr. Amal Ali.  “We also have state-of-the-art tools to examine the land-use problems of today and tomorrow.”

The conference will celebrate the state’s existing smart growth initiatives and engage stakeholders and members of communities in conversations about the future.

The conference is free, but pre-registration is required by Monday, April 5.  The day of the conference, check-in begins at 8:45 a.m. in the Teacher Education and Technology Center colonnade and the last session is at 4:30 p.m.  Coffee and lunch will be provided to attendees.  To register, contact Ali at 410-543-6457 or akali@salisbury.edu.