2009 Twin States Conference

Understanding our environment.

Changing our behaviors.

Utilizing and Protecting our resources.

a regional approach

will be held April 15-April 18, 2009,

Robert Gibbs, ASLA, Gibbs Planning Group, Birmingham, MI, will speak on “Sustainable Urban Retail Planning and Development Principles and Practices”. (1.5 hours). He is nationally recognized and is considered a leading urban planning consultant by some of the most respected mayors, architects and shopping center developers in America. During the past 20 years, Gibbs has been active in developing innovative yet practical methods for applying current trends in residential and commercial development to more than 300 town centers and historic cities across North America.

Keith Villere, FASLA, served 3 consecutive terms as Mayor of Covington LA, will share experience on why “Local Government Needs Landscape Architects: How Landscape Architects can assist local governments to improve sustainability and encourage economic development.” Villere is recognized as the community leader and elected official who revitalized downtown Covington and brought professional design and environmental planning to the forefront in St. Tammany Parish, the fastest growing parish in Louisiana. (1.5 hours)

Brian Dougherty, FASLA, ASLA Vice President of Membership, will speak on the benefits of and the importance of ASLA membership. Brian has been the Director of the Parks and Public Space Initiative at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation since 1998, a non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement and beautification of public land in central Oklahoma.
Temple Barry, CLARB, ASLA, “CLARB – Renewed and Refocused: CLARB’s strategic initiatives programs, member services and relationships.” Temple has worked to advance the profession of landscape architecture for over 18 years through his service to the Mississippi Landscape Architecture Advisory Committee, the MSU LA Department, and on the CLARB Board of Directors. In 1986, he founded Barry Landscape, Inc., a design/build firm in Jackson MS and Lakeland Associates, a firm of consultants and landscape architects.
Brian and Temple join together for an important and informative session.
(1.5 hours)

Rip Weaver, ASLA/CLARB, Mt Laurel Town Landscape Architect and Dick Brown, Keystone Segmental Walls, conduct a detailed walking tour of the 600 acre TND south of Birmingham concluding with our annual Crawfish Boil at the shores of/with Spoonwood Lake. Enjoy crawfish and beer with a breathtaking view of the stars at Double Oak Mtn. (3 hours)

Eha Naylor, OALA, CSLA, ASLA, CLARB, a principle of ENVsion-the Hough Group, a Toronto – based design and environmental planning firm with clients throughout Canada and abroad. Eha comes to us with over 25 years of diverse experience and numerous awards of recognition in environmental planning and site design for public and private sectors.   (1.5 hours),

Nelson Brooke, Ex. Director and Riverkeeper, Black Warrior Riverkeeper, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the Black Warrior River. Nelson advocates and educates the public on the beauty of the River and threat to the Black Warrior watershed. As staff Riverkeeper since 2004, Nelson patrols and photographs the River and its tributaries. This presentation will explain how the organization works hard to protect every citizen’s right to clean water in the river basin. (1.5 hours)

Frederick R Spicer, Jr., Ex. Director of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and Host of this year’s 2009 Twin States Conference, has more than 25 years experience in public garden administration, landscape architecture and nurseryman.   Henry Hughes, Dir of Education, was a consulting urban forester in Alabama for ten years, taught college courses in urban forestry and horticulture and has been active professionally in forest regeneration and forest preservation efforts, particularly in parks and along rivers. Fred and Henry, along with Staff, give “An Insider’s View of Birmingham Botanical Gardens”, with a master plan update and rare exploration of infrequently viewed areas of the gardens. Don’t miss this unexpected tour. (3.5 hours)

Jeff Speck, AICP, LEED-AP, Canopy, Inc., joins us for an ASLA celebration and speaks on “Neighborhoods or Nothing: a Designer’s Challenge for the 21st Century”. Formerly Director of Design for the NEA and Director of Town Planning at Duany Plater-Zyberk and Co., Jeff now lectures nationally and is a city planner who advises cities and developers around the world on how to make communities more livable.
(1 hour)

“Designing Exceptional Places” a workshop with W. Gary Smith, ASLA, horticulture therapy consultant from Toronto and Gene Rothert, Director of horticultural therapy at the Chicago Botanical Gardens. With more than 25 years of experience in public garden design and master planning, Gary has distinguished himself as landscape architect who celebrates plants and the connections they offer between people and nature. As an ecological designer and professional horticulturist, he combines art, horticulture and architectural features in innovative ways, exploring the intersection between ecological design and artistic abstraction. As manager of the Buehler Enabling Garden and Horticultural Therapy Services, Mr. Rothert is responsible for developing and implementing the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Horticultural Therapy Program.      (3 hours)

aloft Birmingham Soho Square $105/night (205.874.8055) alofthotels.com cut-off date 3-16-09