Greening Greater Memphis

The History and Culture of City Parks, Urban Greenspaces and Urban Planning:
A Workshop

Culminating in a round table discussion of Memphis’s Greenspace Heritage and its Future

7 April 2009
4:00-7:30 PM
Ballroom, Bryan Campus Life Center

Contact: Michael Leslie

Tel.: 901 843 3715; leslie@rhodes.edu

The aim of this workshop is to set our contemporary and local debates over green spaces in Memphis and Shelby County in the context of two centuries of debate over environmental protection and urban planning.

Overton Park and the Memphis Parkway system, planned by George Kessler, were designed explicitly with an eye to F.L. Olmsted’s famous New York developments of Central Park and Prospect Park. But the Olmsted parks were not just objects of beauty: Olmsted was passionately convinced that such green spaces contributed both to the social cohesiveness and fairness of a modern urban society and to the health of urban populations.

His ideas for urban parks were formed as a result of his travels in Britain and Europe, in particular by his experience of Birkenhead Park, in Northern England. Designed by the great engineer Joseph Paxton and opened in 1847, Olmsted considered that Birkenhead Park achieved a democratisation of urban experience and produced significant health benefits for one of the 19th century’s great industrial cities.

Paxton was an innovator, but he too inherits a dynamic tradition of urban planning and sanitation reform from the 18th century. Birkenhead Park draws from the new towns of Edinburgh and Bath. The creation and maintenance of green spaces are an urgent concern from the very moment at which rapid urbanisation and industrialisation emerged in the western world.

For more information: http://memphisphotog.blogspot.com/2009/03/history-and-culture-of-city-parks-urban.html

Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Location: University Theatre, Christian Brothers University

Time:    4:45 – Reception

5:30 – Program

7:00 – Conclusion

Join ULI Memphis in welcoming Jim Langford, president of Atlanta-based MillionMile Greenway, as we explore the transformative role that greenways can have in the Midsouth. We’ll look at the economic development and urban revitalization benefits of greenways and discuss how our Midsouth greenways can play a vital role in connecting our communities now and in the future.

Panelists for Exploring the Transformative Roles of Greenways include:

·         Laura Adams, Deputy Director—Shelby Farms Park (Confirmed)

·         Cindy Buchanan, Director—Park Services, City of Memphis Park Services (Confirmed)

·         Greg Clark, Director—Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Department, Town of Collierville (Confirmed)

·         Steve Fleegal, Executive Director—Wolf River Conservancy (Confirmed)

·         Ted Fox, Director—Division of Public Works, Shelby County (Confirmed)

·         Benny Lendermon, President—Riverfront Development Corporation (Confirmed)

·         Syd Lerner, Executive Director—Greater Memphis Greenline (Confirmed)

·         Josh Whitehead, Planning Division Director—City of Germantown, TN (Confirmed)

·         Kathleen Williams, Executive Director—TN Parks & Greenways (MillionMile Greenway Affiliate) (Confirmed)

·         Moderator: David Williams, President & CEO—Leadership Memphis

 

Registration is free and open to the public. Please register online at Memphis.uli.org or by calling 1-800-321-5011.

Sponsors

 

Hyde Family Foundations  |  Dalhoff Thomas Daws  |  EnSafe, Inc.  |  Pickering, Inc.

About Jim Langford

The MillionMile Greenway is the latest environmental cause championed by James B. Langford. From 2004-2007, Mr. Langford served as the Georgia State Director of the Trust for Public Land. As principal creator of Atlanta’s “connected park system,” Jim played a key role in the city’s BeltLine initiative. It will create more than 1,200 acres of new parks in Atlanta, connected to 600 acres of established parks.

Jim has co-founded or served in senior positions for five high technology and consulting companies. He uses that deep experience in corporate America to develop and manage environmental organizations.Mr. Langford is a former member of the Georgia Board of Natural Resources and the Georgia Humanities Council. He currently serves on the boards of the Coosawattee Foundation, and the Carter Presidential Center. He was the primary author of the Georgia Laws that protect archeological sites, and regulate treatment and preservation of human remains.

Mr. Langford graduated from the University of Georgia with a Journalism degree, and received his MBA from Harvard University.

The steering committee of Greening Greater Memphis would like to extend great thanks to all of the people who attended the second stakeholder meeting on December 9, 2008 and again to all who participated in the August planning session. Your input and observations have been very valuable in assisting the steering committee draft a plan of action. We are now in the process of assembling a governing board and would once again appreciate your suggestions. Please use the GGM Stakeholder Survey DEC0908 document to suggest board members, partner organizations or other volunteers who might help bring Greening Greater Memphis to life.

Board member expectations and instructions for returning the survey by email, fax or post are included at the end of the document.

Thank you again for your contribution and vision to make Memphis a greener more sustainable community.

In February 2007, more than 1,000 people attended the Greening Greater Memphis meeting at the Memphis Botanic Garden, letting city and county officials know that it’s time to connect people to parks, parks to parks and people to people. The group adopted a manifesto calling for the Memphis region to become a U.S. leader in parks, parkland, trails, and outdoor recreation. The meeting energized local advocates for parks and greenways and resulted in more meetings throughout our community. In early 2008, several representatives of parks and greenways organizations asked the Hyde Family Foundations and the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis to help develop a plan to focus the energy and enthusiasm on a plan of action. A steering committee was organized and has since met regularly in order to define the mission of Greening Greater Memphis.

On August 12, 2008 a stakeholder meeting of dozens of local green organizations was held in order to gather specific input regarding the future direction of Greening Greater Memphis. The feedback was reviewed, refined and developed into an initial strategic plan. Please join us on the evening of December 9 for the presentation of the initial draft of the Greening Greater Memphis strategic plan. See below for details on the event.