Calling all planners…help us plot out the future for an exciting piece of Norfolk’s historic waterfront. Spend your Sunday afternoon walking the shores of Norfolk’s Elizabeth River and participating in a design charrette to determine the best possible future for the waterfront. This effort will be led by co-founder and principal emeritus of Urban Design Associates, Raymond L. Gindroz, FAIA, and the principals of WPA Architects, Thom White and Mel Price and associate Peter Johnson.
Beginning at 12:30 in the conference hotel lobby, be prepared to walk the urban waterfront, from the Sheraton, past Harbor Park, and ending at the new (air conditioned!) Amtrak station where we will hold a design charrette, wrapping up by 5 p.m. All areas of expertise are a welcome addition to the team to analyze this valuable and underutilized asset. And hopefully you will return to your home communities with a new or enhanced skill set.
Crystal City is one of Arlington, Virginia's "urban villages" located near the Pentagon. Recent Federal actions have resulted in a significant loss of jobs and high vacancy rates, leaving Crystal City in an ideal position for redevelopment. Arlington adopted a Sector Plan to reposition the future of Crystal City and its transportation network. Crystal City is transforming from an area of one-way streets and highways to a place with complete streets with a bidirectional urban street grid, high-capacity transit and a network of bicycle facilities and accessible sidewalks.
A tax increment financing district (TIF) was created to pay for the transportation infrastructure envisioned by the Sector Plan. A Complete Streets Program was created by County Staff using funding from the TIF to implement the infrastructure improvements in a phased schedule. A multidisciplinary team of Arlington County staff was formed to complete tasks associated with the program including preliminary engineering design, right of way acquisition and construction management. Session attendees will learn how to deal with the challenges of formulating an area-wide transportation improvement program, how to translate a visioning concept to a practical engineering design and successful construction completion in an area with significant sub-surface structures and adjacent dense redevelopment.
What's better than getting together for a bite to eat? Getting a bite to eat while you enhance your job prospects! The Young Planners Group (YPG) invites you to a special break on Monday moring, during the conference. During this hosted-break, resources will be on hand, providing feedback on resumes, connecting folks with a mentors, and helping you find professional development opportunities. What better way to literally stand out in a crowd!
If your goal is to become one of Virginia's finest planning practitioners, you need to be in the exhibitor's area on Monday July 20th, from 10:45-11:30am. We look forward to seeing you there!
The Resume Clinic is open to all members of the Chapter who have interest in developing or improving their resume. The purpose of the Resume Clinic is not to re-write (or write) a resume at the Conference, but to provide general guidance on how to best tailor a participants skills and education to their desired professional goals through a resume. Participants are asked to come prepared with at least two (2) hard copies of their resume and sit one-on-one with a seasoned planning professional for 25 minutes to discuss resume writing tips. The Resume Clinic runs daily. Each resume consultation will last approximately 25 minutes and there will be eight (8) slots available per session. Resume reviewers will include Planning Directors and seasoned professional planners. Spots are limited so those interested in having their resume reviewed should sign-up in advance through the Chapter Membership Director, M. Tyler Klein, AICP at membership.apavirginia@gmail.com.
YPG, ECDC and the Planning Directors Committee welcomes all members and interested conference attendees to join us at a local bar (TBD) on Monday at 7:30 PM. Meet other planning professionals from across the state and relax after a long day of stimulating sessions.
We are pleased to announce that our Keynote Address on Tuesday will be the distinguished Deputy Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Mr. Nick Donohue. As Deputy Secretary, Mr. Donohue also serves as the Director of the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment, which encourages the coordination of multimodal and intermodal planning across the various transportation modes within the Commonwealth. Currently, the OIPI leads the development of VTrans2040, the Commonwealth’s long-range multimodal transportation plan.
Mr. Donohue served previously as Policy and Legislative Director for Transportation for America, an alliance of private and public sector leaders dedicated to promoting local transportation solutions. Before that he served as Assistant Secretary of Transportation and Special Assistant to the Secretary of Transportation in the administration of Governor Tim Kaine. In this role, Mr. Donohue was responsible for legislative and regulatory affairs for the seven agencies in the Transportation Secretariat. He also directed the implementation of the transportation and land-use program for the Secretariat. Mr. Donohue holds a BS in Urban Studies and Geography from Virginia Commonwealth University.
We look forward to benefiting from the wealth of experience and expertise Mr. Donohue can bring to our discussion of Transportation, one of the four major issues we will explore at Norfolk 2015.
Are you interested in a once in a lifetime tour of 90K tons of United States diplomacy? Ever wonder why the Navy engages with local planning staff and what resources/tools are available for local communities? Well, you can’t find either one in your planning office or cubicle, so take a break from the conference and sign up now for a free tour of an active United States Navy aircraft carrier on the largest Navy base in the world. Join the Navy’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Community Planning Liaison Officers (RCPLOs) for a tour of the Norfolk Naval Base and find out how the Navy is engaging with local communities and see what most people will never see in a lifetime. There is a limited bus capacity (35) so sign up today. Go Navy!
This one-hour walking tour will take attendees on a tour of downtown Norfolk, showcasing well-known city landmarks with respect to civil rights in the African-American and LGBT communities. The first segment of the tour includes the part of the city formerly infamous for its red light district and bars subjected to pre-Stonewall police raids, the law firm that helped the LGBT community, and the site of famous protests. The tour also includes a discussion of famous members of the Norfolk community and their achievements and back stories not easily found in the history books.
The second segment of the tour focuses on sites of African-American history, including the courthouse that heard the case dealing with school desegregation in Virginia, the site of "the last lynching in Norfolk;" and a site that was once the site of a slave auction, then later became the site of African American business. The tour will conclude with a viewing of various civil rights monuments in the City. This is a tour not to be missed.
Sponsored by the Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Committee.
Reception on the 20th floor of the Wells Fargo Tower allowing a full 360-degree panoramic view of Norfolk. Reception will be hosted by O’Connor Brewing, a Norfolk craft brewer located in Ghent