Purdue News

September 20, 2002 Conference to address land use in growing communities WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Communities at the Crossroads V: Affordable Housing and Smart Growth conference will showcase the application of smart growth techniques and the role of land in affordable housing programs in Floyd and surrounding counties through speakers, breakout sessions and field tours. The conference will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 10 at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds, Goshen, Ind. It is sponsored by the many organizations making up the Indiana Land Use Consortium. Morning breakout sessions will feature speakers on "Affordable Housing from 'Your' Point of View," "Protection of Agricultural Culture and Land," "Regional/Urban Development and Tourism" and "Environmental Protection in an Agricultural Landscape." William Hudnut, the featured luncheon speaker, will talk about the role of land availability in affordable housing programs. Hudnut, the former mayor of Indianapolis, is a fellow from the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C. Other speakers include experts from Goshen College on the Amish culture and economy, environmental experts from Purdue and consulting firms, tourism development, housing for migrant farm workers and many others. Following the luncheon, participants will take part in field tours led by local experts to see how smart growth techniques have been implemented. Political leaders and professional planners have faced challenges in accommodating growth in the intermixed English and Amish communities in Elkhart, La Grange and adjacent counties, said William Hoover, general chair of the conference. "It is the unique challenges in Amish country that motivated us to move this year's conference to Goshen," Hoover said. "All previous conferences were held in Indianapolis." To register, go to the Web site at https://www.indianalanduse.org/conference.html The deadline for conference registration is Sept. 30, and the cost is $75. Writer: Michelle Betz, (765) 494-8402, news_students@aes.purdue.edu Source: William Hoover, (765) 494-3580, billh@fnr.purdue.edu Related Web sites: Directions to conference: https://www.4hfair.org/direction.htm Conference lodging: https://www.amishcountry.org/contact.links/index.php Registration and Conference Schedule: https://www.indianalanduse.org/conference.html Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page