This year, the 6th annual New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities conference is coming to Los Angeles, February 8-10, 2007. The Southern California region offers an excellent laboratory for a close examination of both the impacts and long-term implications of sprawl, as well as some of the most innovative policies and successful case studies and projects that are addressing the significant growth and development challenges this region is facing. While many sessions will explore new trends and technical details, there are also sessions for those who are new to smart growth and livable communities. Plan now to attend this exciting conference.

The 2007 event agenda is our largest ever, with over 95 diverse sessions spanning three full days. In addition to the dynamic plenaries, breakouts and workshops, the program also includes 15 optional mobile tours taking place on both Thursday and Sunday.

This year's program features some new topics such as the ways in which health professionals and planners are now working together to support the health of their residents through smart growth development patterns. We'll also, for the first time, focus on the relationship between smart growth and global warming and will hear the ways that city officials are taking leadership in this issue.

We will also update participants on continuing, key issues and efforts including planning for water sustainability, making development "equitable" in the face of gentrification, and linking smart growth and schools. 

During a series of sessions on form-based codes, we will hear from communities that now have extended experience in using this important and rapidly expanding new planning tool.

Updates on transit oriented development are back on the agenda, as is retrofitting strip development. Participants will also be able to learn ways to provide for the car in a smart growth setting through sessions that examine parking, street design, and emergency response.

Our friends from Gulf Coast Communities will share their progress and lessons learned in recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Participants can also hear an outline of funding opportunities available to communities through the new SAFETEA-LU legislation.

Local and state policy makers and advocacy groups will be interested in sessions that address how to communicate in a way that increases audience understanding and receptivity to smart growth and the latest in visioning tools and processes.

The registration deadline is January 26, 2007. Visit http://www.NewPartners.org for more details on the conference program, tours and on-line registration!