It’s the product of a graduate-level course, where a dozen or so students plan every detail from the theme and speakers to fundraising and promotion. Each year it attracts planners from both the private and public sector from around the Maritimes along with many local community groups.
“It gives students the opportunity to explore a subject of interest while in school, but also engage with the larger world of ideas, from community leaders and speakers to experts in the field,” explains Heather Ternoway, community planner with Dalhousie’s Cities and Environment Unit and supervisor of the course.
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The year’s conference takes place from Wednesday through to Friday at Pier 21, with the theme of “Sustainable Action: Turning Challenges Into Opportunities.” All sessions are free and open to the public.
Among the highlights will be the eighth annual Carmichael Lecture on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m., presented in partnership with the Downtown Halifax Business Commission. It features ‘urban thinker’ Dr. Marc Weiss, chairman and CEO of Global Urban Development, who will speak about developing climate prosperity strategies to assist smart growth in cities like Halifax. He will also be taking part in conference sessions on Thursday and will be meeting with local business and political leaders.
The conference closes on Friday afternoon with the presentation of the Mayor’s Award for Excellence and Innovation in Planning, sponsored by the Halifax Regional Municipality. A new initiative this year, the Ideas Competition invited post-secondary students in the region to submit ideas about implementing sustainability locally. It will be selected based on a vote by conference attendees and presented by Mayor Peter Kelly.
For the students involved, it’s been an invaluable experience. “I wanted to do something hands-on in my program, something that would use a lot of different skills that I could take to the workplace,” says Kate MacKay, a master’s student in the course. “It’s been rewarding to see people sign up so interested in learning about sustainability and how they can put it into practice.”
For more information on the conference, including session details, visit planningconference.dal.ca