Board member Parris N. Glendening, President of the Smart Growth Leadership Institute in Washington, DC and 59th Governor of the State of Maryland, was a leader in founding the Smart Growth field, and is often credited with coining the term— today he is on the forefront of Smart Growth issues. Smart Growth, a prominent field exemplified by the newly-formed HUD-DOT-EPA trifecta, came to form in the 1990s and is in short, a development model focused on the livable community: supporting growth of the pre-existing built environment through environmentally-sustainable methods.
This means, specifically, revitalizing central cities and older suburbs to unify housing and job growth, enhance walkability, efficient transportation, and preservation of open space. Glendening describes in a 2001 EPA published report, “[Smart Growth] is sensible growth that balances our need for jobs and economic development with our desire to save our natural environment.”
As President of the Smart Growth Leadership Institute, Mr. Glendening provides strategic assistance to communities seeking to address the challenges and opportunities presented by growth. The Institute “helps local governments develop smart growth implementation strategies and provide them with the necessary tools and technical assistance to help move their communities from visions, to plans, to execution.” Such relevant technical assistance helps communities nationwide “untangle the thicket of policies that get in the way of implementing smart growth strategies,” and is just one of many implementation tools found in the Leadership Institute’s Tool Kit.
A top source for urban planning and design, Planetizen profiles the upcoming 10th National New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in February 2011, to take place in Charlotte, NC. Plenaries at the Conference highlight key growth and economic development topics such as, “How can communities finance smart growth by leveraging federal investments and policies?” Former HUD secretary Henry Cisneros will lead a survey of all current federal investments and community assistance available to communities, and will discuss how to spur localized interest from the private sector to spearhead smart growth projects. Next, representatives from USDA and EPA will spearhead a plenary on smart growth in the rural landscape, with focus on transportation and revitalization of disadvantaged communities; a topic often left behind in an urban-centric debate.
Lastly, American Planning Association President Mitch Silver will end the discussion on local governments’ participation in Smart Growth planning, with a focus on the small, local community reigning competitively within the national and even global framework. Throughout the continued spotlight on the Smart Growth field, federal and local agencies turn to the field’s seasoned experts, those who were involved in its inception, to combat cities’ peak development plans for suburban sprawl.
Glendening is on the cusp of this continually growing and salient field: the development of smarter tactics for the continued growth of communities addressing environmental, fiscal, social, and health needs.
Beyond his continued leadership within the Smart Growth field, Parris Glendening continues on his speaking circuit. Last year, he gave international keynotes in Chengde, China; Istanbul, Turkey; and Mackay, Australia. Here in the U.S., Parris traveled to Houston, Texas to speak with a group of Chamber of Commerce Executives; met with several individuals in the energy field in New Orleans, Louisiana; and hosted a Sustainable Communities Summit in Golden, Colorado as President of the Governors’ Institute on Community Design. Additionally, Governor Glendening was a key speaker at Partners’ September forum Building Livable Communities: Creating a Common Agenda, with the topic of “Livability at a Crossroads.”
If that weren’t enough to keep him busy, as a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, Parris has served on a number of review panels. Last year he served on a Panel charged with reviewing the National Park Service and he most recently completed advising on the National Dialogue for the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative. Parris was granted honorary membership to the American Institute of Architects in 2010 and traveled to the AIA Annual Conference in Miami, Florida; before being officially presented the award at a luncheon with the local Chapter.
Parris continues to work as a tireless advocate for high speed rail and transit expansion through support of the National Administration and the Sustainable Communities Partnership. Partners for Livable Communities and Governor Glendening continue to collaborate around new efforts towards developing the livable community, and look towards the fast approaching Smart Growth Conference to engage with our leaders around this needed development model.