Parks & Greenspace Conference

The conference program, consisting of tours and lectures led by both local and national experts, will explore the relationship between parks and nature through discussions pertaining to:

• Breakout sessions are 60 minutes in length and can be lecture-style presentations, panel discussions, or hands-on workshops.
• Panel discussions should include no more than two or three panelists plus a moderator.
• Presenters are encouraged to budget at least 10 minutes for questions and answers with participants.

Please note: Approximately 8-12 proposals will be accepted for the breakout session presentations. Similar or complementary presentations may be combined into panels for a more diverse dialogue.

For pre-conference events, the format, time, and location should be proposed by the applicant. Park Pride and the conference committee will offer assistance in planning and advertising if the proposed pre-conference event/tour is selected.

Park Pride’s annual conference attracts approximately 500 attendees comprised of community leaders, park professionals, park advocates, landscape architects, nature center administrators, urban designers, developers, real estate professionals, planners, policymakers, and elected officials from the southeast.

Diverse organizations are represented, including the Georgia Recreation and Park Association, the American Planning Association, the Urban Land Institute, Congress for New Urbanism, the American Society of Landscape Architects, city departments, and federal agencies.

Consider the following three audience types when developing presentations and proposals:

• Park Advocates/Community Member
• Policy Makers/Municipality Officials
• Design Professionals/Planners

Sessions and tours may focus on one or more of the following areas including, but not limited to:

Parks and Health

How do parks impact our health, physically, emotionally, and socially? How can programming and partnerships encourage the use of parks to achieve healthier, safer communities? Can dollars invested in parks relieve the burden of sedentary lifestyles, screen time, and social isolation on healthcare costs? How are organizations/community partners investing in the health of residents via parks in new and exciting ways?

Access to Nature

Where do you go for nature? How far do you go for nature? How do we (or should we) define “nature,” and how much nature is enough? Where does having access to nature intersect with health? Are you involved in an innovative project to increase access to nature for groups that have historically had little?

Parks as Natural Infrastructure

What are the opportunities and challenges presented between built vs. natural infrastructure? What are examples of anticipated or unanticipated costs/benefits to engineering nature, and what considerations should be made before undertaking such projects? How can park design embrace nature and the infrastructure services it provides?

Parks as Habitats

Why is it important to maintain, preserve, and enhance native habitats in urban environments? How can park design support urban wildlife? What are the implications of incorporating native landscapes into park designs? What are the advantages of natural spaces vs. highly manicured public spaces? How do parks fit into and support the “people habitat”?

Parks as Reflections of a City’s Character

Parks often highlight the character— or ‘nature’— of communities. How do parks serve as places to celebrate history and culture, commemorate memories, and nurture traditions? As neighborhoods diversify and cities and regions grow, how can parks continue to reflect the unique character of the communities that surround them? In what ways can nature and parks define our city?

Submissions are due Friday, November 22, 2019 by 5:00 p.m. EST

All accepted presenters receive one complimentary ticket to the 19th Annual Parks and Greenspace Conference.

Submission of a session represents an agreement to attend and present the proposed session if it is accepted. Any changes to speakers or content requires permission from the Park Pride staff and could jeopardize the selected presenter’s status in the conference.

Submissions are reviewed and selected by Park Pride’s Parks and Greenspace Conference Committee. Submitters may be asked for further clarification and details on their proposal.

Presentations should not have a commercial message for an organization or business, or be perceived as a “sales pitch.” Park Pride reserves the right to reject proposals. Park Pride reserves the right to change and/or edit session titles and descriptions.

We use the following criteria for evaluating proposals:

• Appropriateness of the proposal to the conference theme and across topics of interest
• Contribution to knowledge of the session topic
• Interest, applicability and innovation
• Diversity of groups/organizations represented on panel and breadth of presentation appeal

SUBMIT A PRESENTATION

For questions pertaining to the conference or your proposal submission, please contact Park Pride at conference@parkpride.org.