The Smart Valley Places kickoff convention will take place July 21 at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in downtown Fresno, beginning a two-year collaboration to produce a regional strategy for sustainable development in the next two decades.

Smart Valley Places is a partnership among14 of the largest San Joaquin Valley cities, four regional nonprofit organizations, California State University, Fresno, the California Central Valley Economic Development Corporation and the San Joaquin Valley Regional Policy Council. It was established with a recently received $4 million Sustainable Communities Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Topics to be addressed during the meeting include:

  • Job creation and retaining talent in the region.
  • Making the transportation and land-use connections.
  • Achieving broad and meaningful public participation.
  • Working together to achieve regional prosperity.
  • Financing local planning when resources are scarce.

Convention participants will hear keynote speeches at 9:45 a.m. by Michael Freedman, an expert on sustainable regionalism, and at 1:15 by Dr. Glenda Humiston, state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development program. The convention begins at 9:30 a.m. and continues to 4 p.m.

Smart Valley Places represents the commitment and much-needed capital required to reverse the harsh interdependent realities that have plagued the Valley, and to create an attractive place to live, work and do business.

Through the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, Smart Valley Places will support existing programs and efforts throughout the region.

Registration to attend is open through Friday, July 15, at www.smartvalleyplaceskickoff.eventbrite.com or by contacting Shani Alford at (916) 448-1198 x330 or salford@lgc.org.

Additional information about Smart Valley Places is available online at www.smartvalleyplaces.org or by contacting Mike Dozer, Community and Regional Planning Center coordinator, at 559.294.6021 or mdozier@csufresno.edu.