Speck to address walkability and its contribution to urban vitality
RALEIGH, NC (January 6, 2015) – The Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA) is proud to announce that author and urban planner Jeff Speck will serve as the keynote speaker for the 2015 DRA Annual Meeting and Achievement Awards Ceremony. Jeff Speck is the coauthor of the landmark bestseller Suburban Nation and a city planner who advocates for smart growth and sustainable design. The event will take place Thursday, February 19 from 5 pm-8 pm at the Raleigh Convention Center, 500 S. Salisbury Street in Downtown Raleigh.
Jeff Speck is a city planner and urban designer who, through writing, public service, and built work, advocates internationally for smart growth and sustainable design. He leads Speck & Associates, a private consultancy offering design and advisory services to North American municipalities and the real-estate development industry. His recent book, The Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time is exerting a profound impact on the design of communities worldwide.
According to our 2014 Downtown Stakeholder Survey, ninety-three percent of survey respondents identify walkability as a very important likability factor of downtown. Speck will address the city walkability factor and discuss how it contributes to a viable downtown community.
The Annual Meeting and Achievement Awards Ceremony will bring together downtown advocates across the Triangle to honor, recognize, and celebrate the contributions of individuals, businesses and organizations that are making downtown Raleigh a more vibrant urban core. This year’s themed “Future of Downtown Raleigh” event aims to provide a view into what is next for this dynamic, quickly evolving, downtown center. The event is open to the public.
For more information about the 2015 Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony, visit https://downtownraleigh.org/annualmeeting. To register for the event, please click here.
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About Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA)
DRA is an award-winning nonprofit organization whose mission is to continue the revitalization of Raleigh’s downtown. The Alliance enhances the quality of life and positively impacts the economic success of downtown through five services: 1. Safety, Hospitality & Clean Ambassadors; 2. Strategic Branding & Community Communications; 3. Special Events Production; 4. Retail Attraction & Merchant Promotions; and 5. Strategic Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement. For more information about DRA, please visit www.youRhere.com.