The 2017 New Partners Conference is heading back to the Midwest Feb. 2-4, 2017, to the gateway to smart growth – St. Louis, MO. Its iconic Gateway Arch honors the 19th-century explorations of Lewis and Clark and America’s westward expansion, and today is a beacon for the region’s 21st-century innovations in technology and sustainability.
The nation’s largest smart growth and sustainability event, the theme for the 2017 conference is “Practical Tools and Innovative Strategies for Creating Great Communities,” underscoring a stronger emphasis on implementation tools and strategies, and new technologies that will help communities NOW! The program will span three full days with post-conference events scheduled for Sunday, February 5. The main program will kick off on Thursday morning, February 2, with a plenary starting at 10:00 am, and continue through Saturday afternoon, closing at 4:00 pm. The schedule includes a dynamic mix of plenaries, breakouts, implementation workshops, focused training sessions, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and coordinated networking activities. It will also feature exciting tours of local model projects in and around the greater St. Louis region.
“CMT is excited to be a part of this conference and serve on the local Steering Committee. We have a lot to talk about in St. Louis, and I am hoping many local stakeholders will take advantage of this opportunity to attend since the event will be right here in their backyards,” said Kim Cella, CMT Executive Director.
There will be something for everybody, from veteran experts to smart-growth novices, with over 75 sessions and workshops to choose from. Learn from hundreds of speakers who cross disciplines to share insights, valuable tools and strategies for making smart growth a success in your community. The program will be infused with sessions and case studies focusing on important social equity and environmental justice issues.