- What will a land bank mean for vacant land–and for planners? Credit: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
A land bank is (very likely) coming to Philadelphia. Learn all about what a land bank is and how it will change vacant land planning, and hear it from the people who are creating, implementing and advocating for the new legislation. Everything you need to know about Philadelphia’s land bank—before it happens, from the people who are making it happen.
Speakers include John Carpenter, Jennifer Kates, John Kromer and Karen Black.
This session is a part of the 2013 Greenbuild Challenge.
Wednesday, May 29, 8:45 am – 12 pm
Location:
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
100 N. 20th St., fifth floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
8:45 (registration & breakfast)
9 am to 12 pm (program)
$25 for APA-PA members & students, $30 for APA members (not PA Chapter), $35 for nonmembers
3 AICP CM Credits pending approval
Speakers
John Carpenter is Deputy Executive Director at the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority (PRA) in charge of Land Policy and Neighborhood Stabilization Program. He is the force behind the administration’s new “Front Door” policy for disposition of City-owned properties. Prior to his work at PRA he spent 10 years at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and for 15 years was the Executive Director of the New Kensington CDC.
Jennifer Kates is a lawyer, and Legislative Assistant to Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, sponsor of the land bank legislation. Jennifer has a strong history of advocacy and activism, and has an enviable criminal record as one of the 400 protesters arrested at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia.
Karen L. Black is the CEO of May 8 Consulting, Inc. a firm that makes positive change happen. May 8 helps governments and non-profits to form and implement innovative and creative solutions to seemingly intractable problems from reclaiming vacant land to providing more services with less funding. She is a founding member of the Philly Land Bank Alliance. In addition, Black teaches urban studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to beginning her consulting practice, Black was the founding director of the Metropolitan Philadelphia Policy Center, a region-wide policy center founded to research issues impacting the economy, environment and equity within the Philadelphia metropolitan region. Prior to that, Black spent 12 years as a practicing civil rights attorney. Black is the author of numerous reports and professional articles and a frequent commentator for television and radio programs. For more information go to www.may8consulting.com.
John Kromer is a housing and development consultant who specializes in the design and execution of reinvestment strategies for distressed urban communities. As Philadelphia’s Director of Housing from 1992 to 2001, John supervised the expenditure of more than a billion dollars in public investment to implement housing preservation and development strategies that improved living conditions for thousands of Philadelphia families. Since 2001, John has maintained an affiliation with the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government as a Senior Consultant. His most recent book is Fixing Broken Cities: The Implementation of Urban Development Strategies. More information about John: http://johnkromer.com/.
