B10 Green Spaces for Sustainable Neighborhoods

Monday, September 15, 2008 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM; Room 102A

From the Creekways program hike and bike trails to Voelker Park, from community gardens to community greens, San Antonio has initiated an array of approaches to incorporating green spaces into the fabric of the city.  Green spaces increase opportunities for healthy recreational activities, raise property values, and create a sense of community.  This session will explore different kinds of green spaces with an eye to repeating the models elsewhere throughout the city.

Moderator:

Julie Koppenheffer, Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas

Since 2005 Julie Koppenheffer has lent her diverse skills and experience to the cause of preservation of our natural environment in Bexar and the surrounding counties.  During that time Green Spaces initiated the community gardens program, now 24 gardens strong, and increased preserved land by almost 20,000 acres.  She is an attorney with many years of experience in the practice of law as corporate counsel, general counsel, partner in a law firm, and owner.  She has also been a business owner, and for 5 years produced, edited, and conducted a public radio show on KRTU, San Antonio, Texas and TV program on public access in Williamstown, VA.

Panelists:

Bonnie Conner, Friends of Voelcker Park,

“Creating a “friends” group to involve the community and sustain the park”

Former councilwoman Bonnie J. Conner is Vice Chair Parks Projects, San Antonio Parks Foundation.  Among her many contributions to the creation of green spaces throughout San Antonio are restoration of historic Japanese Tea Garden – Brackenridge Park Project will receive state award for restoration project; member of visioning committee to establish Voelcker Park Conservancy; Committee to establish Brackenridge Park Conservancy; and Conservation Advisory Board Member for Proposition1, $94 million dollar City program for Aquifer protection.  In addition she was elected member of Edwards Aquifer Authority 2004-2008; public member AIA San Antonio; Board of Masters Leadership Class; appointee as an honorary member of AIA, November 2008.

Howard W. Peak, Former Mayor, City of San Antonio

Creekways Program “Hike and bike trails alone Leon and Salado Creeks”

Mayor Peak lends his extensive experience and city planning expertise to a long list of organizations.  He is currently Chairman of the City of San Antonio Linear Parks Advisory Panel; Board Member, San Antonio Zoological Society; Advisory Board Member, Whitte Museum; Advisory Board Member, Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas; Advisory Board Member, animal Defense League.

Larry Clark, ALSA, River Road Neighborhood Association Board Member

“A community garden in the shadow of Brackenridge Park”

Larry Clark is a landscape architect and planner with Bender Wells Clark Design in San Antonio since 1989, working primarily in the sphere of landscape architecture, with a successful and award-winning practice involving the analysis, planning, design, management, and stewardship of the natural and built environments.  he oversees comprehensive planning, urban design and landscape architectural projects for a wide variety of project types.  Recent work includes the historic Mission Trails Project, San Antonio River Improvements, downtown pedestrian wayfinding systems, and the concept design for historic main plaza in San Antonio.  he is on the board of the River Road Neighborhood Association.

David D. Garza, Director, Department of Housing and Neighborhood Services

“How Texas Increment Finance Projects can promote Green Space public policies”

Mr. Garza has over 27 years of experience, commitment and leadership in public service.  Prior to his appointment as Housing and Neighborhood Services Department Director, Mr. Garza served as Southwest Regional Director with the Enterprise Foundation.  He as worked exclusively in the area of community development in different capacities that include: director of Texas Home Program at the Texas Department of housing and Community Affairs with Governor Ann Richards’ administration; director of Avenida Guadalupe Association, a non-profit, engaged in housing and economic development; field service officer with neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation; senior assistant with the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights; and manager with the City of San Antonio Comprehensive Employment Training Act Program.

Please click here to download the registration form.