On the Road to a Global Economy
Improving Florida’s transportation system has always been a bit of a challenge. Today, though, the challenge is getting the best use out of what we have, and planning for future needs in a global economy.
Those topics, and many others, will be teed up for discussion at the 2nd Annual Emerald Coast Transportation Symposium, which will be held May 29-30 at the Hilton Gulf Front Conference Center, located at 12 Via Deluna Drive in Pensacola Beach.
Keynote speakers are Ananth Prasad, Florida Department of Transportation secretary; Gil Penalosa, executive director of 8-80 Cities (a Canada-based, non-profit, global-oriented think-tank that focuses on the transformation of cities into vibrant destinations) and Dr. Tim Chapin of the Florida State University Department of Urban & Regional Planning.
The program will feature a state legislative update, how to bring industry to Northwest Florida, the state’s “wicked” planning problems, the future of transit, building “lean and green,” alternative fuels and aviation & port planning. Among the expert panelists, analysts and policymakers slated for the symposium are Griff Salmon, executive vice president of Enterprise Florida; Chris Snow, senior director of business development at Space Florida; Parker W. McClellan, Jr., executive director of the Panama City-Bay County Airport; Roxanne Manning, executive director of the Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency; Howard Glassman, executive director of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council; Ed Coven, state transit manager for the Florida Department of Transportation, and many others.
The event is sponsored by the Northwest Florida Regional TPO and the West Florida Regional Planning Council. To register, visit wfrpc.org/symposium.html.
