The green transformation of Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania will be on display to the world this September as the city hosts the 2008 International Urban Parks Conference on September 21-23.

Over the course of three days, “Body and Soul: Parks and the Health of Great Cities” will bring together leading-edge research experts, public officials and management innovators to explore how parks support the physical, emotional, environmental and economic health of cities.

The departments of Conservation and Natural Resources and Community and Economic Development have contributed $50,000 to support the conference, and DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis will be a featured speaker.

Panel discussions will explore ways that park organizations across the country are building innovative partnerships with the public health community to promote active living. More than 90 speakers will provide practical information on environmentally sustainable parks management and will cover such topics as restoring historic natural areas, managing storm water, coping with the impact of global warming, and finding a balance for parks and cars.

Keynote speakers for “Body and Soul” are Teresa Heinz, chairman of the Heinz Family Philanthropies and The Heinz Endowments, and co-author of This Moment on Earth: Today’s New Environmentalists and Their Vision for the Future; Luis Garden Acosta, founder of El Puente, a community human rights and environmental organization in Brooklyn, New York, and recipient of the Heinz Award for the Human Condition; and Californian Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder and founder of the Children & Nature Network.

Secretary DiBerardinis will lead a general session entitled “Making the Most of This Moment in Time” following introductory remarks by Ron Tipton of the National Parks Conservation Association.

“Body and Soul” will spotlight Pittsburgh’s near miraculous transformation from “Smoky City” to America’s Most Livable City. Conference participants will have the opportunity to observe Pittsburgh’s waterfront transformation aboard a lunchtime riverboat tour. Mobile workshops in Pittsburgh’s parks will present in-depth case studies that showcase a wide range of innovative restoration and development initiatives.

Pre-conference tours include excursions to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, Olmsted, Olmsted, and Eliot’s Vandergrift, a bike tour along Pittsburgh’s riverfront, and kayaking on the Three Rivers.

The Body and Soul Exhibit Hall will feature the parks-related products and services of nearly 50 organizations.

Continuing Education Units are available for “Body and Soul: Parks and the Health of Great Cities.”

“Body and Soul” is a presentation of City Parks Alliance and the National Association for Olmsted Parks and is a production of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.

The complete conference schedule, speaker information, and registration information is available here or by calling 412-682-7275.

6/20/2008