Creating Sustainable Communities For The 21st Century:
Asset Based Community Development
January 27-29, 2005 - Marriott Riverfront Hotel - Savannah, Georgia
Co-Sponsored by the Georgia Municipal Association  and the Kentucky League of Cities
 
Download Seminar Brochure pdf

Cities, towns and villages across the U.S. are struggling to make ends meet.  Municipal governments are being asked to provide more with either the same or falling revenues, even though the price of energy, health care, and basic services are rising.

A growing debate is moving across America about the future of our cities; how do we build sustainable communities and cities that thrive rather than just survive.  One argument states that thriving cities will be built around attracting and retaining a creative class of citizens to spark new ideas for innovation and economic opportunity.  Another espouses the need to go back to the basic roots of economic growth that encompasses traditional industrial models of the 20th century.

Creating the Sustainable Community:
Communities need strategies that are sustainable, strategies that will increase their capacity to continue to meet all their needs: economic security, social services, strengthened families, effective governance, and environmental health.

Sustainable Communities are based on an integrated system with economic, political-governmental, social, and ecological dimensions, all of which are interdependent.  A sustainable community is one that meets its needs and aspirations without reducing the ability of its future generations to meet their needs as well.

Asset Based Community Development: Building Strong Community Partnerships:
Community partnerships must be organized where people in everyday life are at the center of their community.  Servant institutions must be developed that are skilled at supporting community groups to get stronger.  Community inclusion strategies must be used to bring a growing circle of people into contribution to their community.  Learn how to get beyond agency services and involve the wider community; associations, congregations, residents, & local business.

Engaging Your Community ? A Partnership That Works:
Solving community problems and building a strong community require the assets of everyone.  City officials need to know how to build strong sustainable communities that incorporate citizens into finding the solutions.  Local city leaders need the tools that can help them accomplish what often seem like competing objectives.  Learn to rediscover and mobilize local assets to build more self-reliant communities.

Strengthening Families to Create Vibrant, Sustainable Communities:
Strong families and neighborhoods are the key to successful community-building ? just as important to healthy, vibrant cities as are the physical infrastructure of roads, sewers, and other investments in bricks and mortar.  How can you help strengthen the middle class while building pathways for more families to become middle class?  What are low-cost measures to provide high-yield returns for families, neighborhoods, and your local economy?  Local officials have critical leadership responsibilities to improve outcomes for local families through efforts to expand jobs with family supporting wages and benefits, help families develop assets, promote work supports, invest in children and youth, and strengthen neighborhood networks.

Join leading trainers and experts as they guide you through an engaging program that will have you explore and identify your own community?s strengths and challenges.  Learn effective strategies and engage in results-oriented problem solving to strengthen your work at home.  You and every citizen in your community not only have a stake in the community, but in its success.

Core Competency:
Collaborator/Catalyst? 8 Credits in the Certificate of Achievement in Leadership program

Creating Sustainable Communities For The 21st Century:
Asset Based Community Development
The preliminary schedule of events (subject to change):

Thursday, January 27th
    2:00 - 6:00 p.m. Registration

Friday, January 28th
               8:00 a.m.  Continental Breakfast
   8:30 -12:00 noon Opening Session
                                 Conference Moderator - Otis Johnson
                                 Advancing Sustainable Community Development - William Shutkin
                                 Creating the Intentional City - Sylvia Lovely
 12:00 -  1:30 p.m.  Lunch
   1:30 -  5:00 p.m.  Building Communities from the Inside Out - ABCD - Henry Moore
   6:00 -  7:30 p.m.  Reception

Saturday, January 29th
               8:00 a.m.  Continental Breakfast
   8:30 -12:00 noon Concurrent Workshops
                                 A: Strengthening Families: Practical Approaches for Municipal Leaders 
                                      - Jolie Pillsbury and Dennis Campa
                                 B: The Key to Sustainable Communities - Gwendolyn Hallsmith
 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. Lunch
   1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Concurrent Workshops
                               A: Strengthening Families: Overcoming Challenges, Getting Results
                                    - Jolie Pillsbury and Dennis Campa
                               B: Implementing a Sustainable Community Plan of Action - Sylvia Lovely and Tad Long
              3:00 p.m. Seminar concludes


Registration Fees:
The registration fee includes the full two-day training program and five meal functions and breaks, including a reception, two continental breakfasts, and two lunches.  The Spouse/Guest registration fee includes all of the meal functions.

January 27-29, 2005 - Marriott Riverfront Hotel ? Savannah, Georgia

Early Bird Registration (faxed or postmarked by December 1, 2004)
 ___ $295  Member City
 ___ $ 95  Spouse/Guest Fee

Advance Registration (faxed or postmarked by January 5, 2005)
 ___ $345  Member City
 ___ $ 95  Spouse/Guest Fee