26 Apr GPA Spring 2023 Conference
Forward Together: Georgia Planning Association 2023 Spring Conference Recap
From living laboratories to addressing statewide housing pressures, planning professionals from across the state gathered to connect with each other and share inspiring work.
Several of our team members attended the Georgia Planning Association (GPA) Spring Conference that took place last Wednesday here in Atlanta.
There was a wide spectrum of sessions this year, some that our team chose were:
Visiting the Curiosity Lab in Peachtree Corners – publicly funded and owned, the living laboratory is part of the 500-acre Technology Park and is a key economic development initiative supporting the innovation of smart technologies by both start-ups and large private companies
Learning about innovative solutions for rural housing – lessons learned from case study work commissioned by the Maine Development Foundation
Riveting research conducted by current graduate planning students – these included a neighborhood-scale plan for industrial redevelopment in Smyrna (GA), strategies for more equitable outcomes for land use conflict in coastal Georgia’s sentinel landscape, using case studies from the Hispanic Monarchy to develop a more integrated model of placemaking, and using open data to map the commercial “missing middle” in Aurora (CO)
Last but not least, our President Geoff Koski co-presented on Georgia’s Housing Landscape with the Georgia Conservancy. Based on case studies, both urban and rural, this presentation aimed to inform the audience about the complexities and challenges faced by communities statewide.
A special thank you to Out of Hand Theater for hosting an Equitable Dinners At Work session during our scheduled lunch and to the Emerging Planners of Georgia for sponsoring the networking Happy Hour.
Project Location: Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center, Atlanta, GA