Coastal cities rethink tourism

Conference for St Petersburg to rethink coastal tourism for sustainable development

Political, business and academic leaders from cities across the globe will meet in St. Petersburg, Florida for the 2012 Coastal Cities Summit.

The conference, May 1 to 3, titled "Coastal Cities Summit II: Sharing Solutions for Success," will convey new research and innovative strategies on planning for coastal risks, community resiliency, smart growth, transportation, tourism, to sustain local economies and protect communities.

Hosted by the City of St. Petersburg, the University of South Florida’s renowned College of Marine Science and the International Ocean Institute-USA, more than 60 presenters have been gathered from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Guatemala, Barbados, Germany and The Netherlands.

Major summit tracks include:

• Rethinking Tourism: Sustaining Economic Development and the Environment
• Coastal Insurance Issues , Improving Post-Disaster Recovery
• Supporting and Directing Growth with Effective Transportation Planning  
• Transportation Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessments
• Valuing Public Spaces: Urban Design and the Bottom Line

 "Coastal cities and regions everywhere share a set of common issues," said USF’ Coastal City Summit conference director C. J. Reynolds. "We are all working to address growth, traffic, extreme weather and more effectively manage or restore the coasts, beaches, bays that support our tourism economies.

This summit offers decision makers an opportunity to hear and discuss emerging risks and new policies, effective plans, programs and public-private partnerships."

"St. Petersburg is the ideal backdrop for this conference," said the city’s Mayor, Bill Foster. "We are a city surrounded by water on three sides. Our coastline is what distinguishes St. Petersburg from other cities and is a major tourism and economic draw. But this same coastline brings with it a number of inherent risks that cities need to examine to ensure their long term viability and sustainability."

The conference is designed for political leaders, planners, attorneys, public works and utility managers, engineers, architects, tourism officials, real estate and land developers, the academic and research communities, and environmental and conservation experts.

Summit collaborators include Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, the American Planning Association Florida/Suncoast Chapter, the Urban Land Institute and 1000 Friends of Florida and is sponsored by Progress Energy and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

More info: http://www.coastalcities-ioi.org

Valere Tjolle

Valere Tjolle
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