Richard Louv is a journalist and author focused on family, nature and community. He is chairman of the Children & Nature Network and the author of seven books. His most recent, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder (Algonquin), has stimulated an international conversation about the future relationship between children and nature. In January, the National Audubon Society will present Richard Louv the Audubon Medal. Past recipients have been Rachel Carson, E.O. Wilson, Robert Redford, Jimmy Carter, and the Rockefeller Family. The medal will be awarded for Louv’s “exceptional contributions promoting the importance of connecting people to nature, especially children.” He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor and other newspapers and magazines. Mr. Louv has appeared on the CBS Morning Show, Good Morning America, the Today Show, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, NPR's Morning Edition, Fresh Air, Talk of the Nation, and many other programs. Between 1984 and 2007, he was a columnist for The San Diego Union-Tribune; he was also a columnist and member of the editorial advisory board for Parents magazine.

• Children & Nature Network
• Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder (Algonquin)

Robert E. Simon, Jr. is the visionary founder of Reston. In 1961, Mr. Simon purchased 6,750 acres in Fairfax County to create the planned town he envisioned to be the antithesis of suburbia in Washington, DC’s western suburbs. Mr. Simon looked to world-class cities like London, Paris and Milan for the inspiration of Reston’s villages and public spaces. Recognized as the foremost planned community and a “new town” in the United States, Reston emphasizes quality of life by providing a sense community and places for residents to live, work, and play. In 2002, the American Planning Association awarded Mr. Simon with the prestigious AICP National Planning Pioneer Award. Simon's Reston is a living example of land use planning that resulted in a community that serves many ages and income groups and that made diversity integral to the community from its inception. Simon’s tenacity in developing a residential planned community in Fairfax County was outside of the box and resourceful, creating a new American model for community development.

• Reston Information
• Other Reston Links:
  • Reston Historic Trust 
  • Reston Town Center
  • The Reston Association
  • Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce

• Download the Exhibitor Contract to sponsor events at the conference or a program package

Download Complete Schedule Here

• Opening Day: Wednesday March 26
  • VAPA is pleased to offer two wonderful speakers Wednesday morning to highlight the power and importance of designing healthy communities.
  • We are delighted to have Robert E. Simon, Reston’s founder, join us to provide his perspective on the evolution of Reston, the community all planners learn about as one of the 20th century’s best examples of planned communities. This experiment in community design has matured over 30 years in the real world of politics, land use regulation and development finance. This year’s conference will highlight Reston’s experience, starting with Mr. Simon’s perspective. Reston is an example of a well-designed community that embraces its residents’ desire to have access to the outdoors. To elaborate on the importance of our access to the natural world, Richard Louv will join us to discuss his book, Last Child in the Woods, and his influential work on the importance of community design that protects children’s access to natural settings.
• Thursday, March 27
  • In addition to a multisession mini-course on Form-Based Codes, VAPA will present the 2008 Planning Awards on Thursday at an Awards Luncheon. Nominated by their colleagues and evaluated by a jury of their peers, this year’s exemplary planners will be honored for their hard work, creativity and leadership in the field.
  • The afternoon sessions will offer a track focused on Reston – both the community as a whole as well as the Town Center in particular. The sessions will be enhanced by a walking tour of the Reston Town Center.
• Friday, March 28
  • A final session on Friday morning will include a AICP CM required Planning Ethics session.
  • After the conference, on Friday afternoon, VAPA will offer an AICP exam preparation course for those scheduled to take the test this spring.
• Sessions to be offered at the 2008 VAPA Conference
  • Track 1: Design
    • Community Design Topics
      • Transforming Tysons Corner into a Transit-Oriented Development
      • Loudoun County Design Cabinet
      • Revitalizing a Historic Village Through Form-Based Zoning - Crozet, VA
      • Feng Shui and Community Design
      • Context Sensitive Development for Historic Communities
      • Form-Based Code Mini Course
    • Context Sensitive Transportation Design
      • Roanoke's New Street Design Guidelines
      • Context Sensitive Streetscapes
      • Planning Context Sensitive Solutions in the Journey Through Hallowed Ground
      • Human Services Transportation Coordination
      • Transportation is Destiny – An Overview of Transportation Issues
  • Track 2 -- Getting People Outside
    • Great Parks, Great Communities
    • Introduction to DCR’s Outdoors Plan -- Green Infrastructure, Conservation Planning Tools, and the Locality Liaison Program
    • Urban Forestry Activism
    • Best Practices in Bike/Ped Planning
    • Planning for Safe Routes to School
    • Planning for Trails
  • Track 3 – Water-Related Planning Topics
    • Protecting Water Quality - Requirements and Processes for Evaluating Local Land Development Ordinances
    • Baywide TMDL
    • DEQ’s Water Supply Plan Requirements
    • Consensus-Based Watershed Planning at the Local Level
  • Track 4 -- Affordable Housing, Economic Development and Managing Costs
    • Land Use/Housing Linkages
    • Affordable Housing
    • Economic Development 101
    • Proffers - where are we going
    • Transportation Impact Fees Spotlight on Reston
    • The Big Picture
    • The Town Center
    • Mobile Walking Tours General Planning Topics
    • Blue Print for a Better Region
    • Planning Academy
    • Collaborative Planning Between Neighboring Jurisdictions
    • Major Project Planning for Transportation Needs in NoVA
    • Health Impact Assessments
    • Integrating Planning Trends Professional Practice Sessions
    • Current Planning Law and Legislation
    • Planning Ethics Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Session

  Download Complete Schedule Here

#1 Lake Anne - Join Reston’s founder, Robert Simon, on a walking tour of his innovative village design which has served as the focal point and cultural center of Reston for decades. Current hot topics include redevelopment opportunities while preserving the original utopian intent. The village hosts apartments, hi-rise living, green roofs, townhouses and single family homes surrounding a lake with retail, office, and residential amenities. March 26th - Free

#2 Reston Town Center - Participate in a walking tour of the nation’s premier “downtown” in a planned community. This pedestrian friendly town center is built around blocks of commercial retail and office with dense residential neighborhoods anchoring one end and the Hyatt Regency and Fountain Square anchoring the other end. This area is subject a future stop on the Metro line extension. The tour will focus on a spectrum of perspectives ranging from competing businesses to affordable housing and urban design. March 27th - Free

#3 Town Centers of Northern Virginia - On a bus tour visit two different examples of recent innovative mixed-use town centers and hear from the planners involved with their development. Fairfax Corner is a mixed use project in central Fairfax County with retail, entertainment, office and residential uses planned with a “Main” Street focus. The Market Common Clarendon is a mixed use project in Arlington County, which has a mix of uses on an attractive street front setting and convenient access to Metrorail. Thursday, March 27th 1:15– 4:30 pm - $25

Planning to Take the AICP Exam?

Register for the full conference and for no additional charge attend a VAPA sponsored AICP exam preparation session at the Hyatt from 1-5 pm on Friday, March 28.

Hyatt Reston Town Center
1800 Presidents Street,
Reston, Virginia, USA 20190
Tel: 703 709 1234    Fax: 703 925 8295
Directions

Experience the newly renovated accommodations and best-in-class services at Hyatt Regency Reston – the premier choice for Herndon, Tysons Corner, and Reston Hotels. Whether you're looking to conduct business at one of countless nearby offices, indulge in upscale shopping and entertainment, or host an exquisite celebration, this AAA Four-Diamond Northern Virginia hotel and conference center is perfectly positioned for your every need in the Washington DC area.  Discover endless activity within steps of this luxury hotel in Reston Town Center, or enjoy our own deluxe amenities – from extensive health-club facilities to complimentary transportation to Dulles Airport.

Reservations can be made by calling 1-800- 233-1234 or 1-800-872-3600. Tell them you are
with the VAPA.

The Following Rates Apply: Single/Double Occupancy: $229.00 Reservations must be made by February 26, 2008.

Register Soon. Conference Tracks are filling up!

• Registration Options:
  • Online: Conference Registration can be made online using your credit card
  • By Mail: Download Brochure & Registration