Coastal communities everywhere share a set of common issues. Emerging challenges from extreme weather to the economy require organizations, government, industry and universities to more effectively collaborate to address growth, transportation issues, adapt to an increasingly changing climate and manage or restore the coasts, beaches, bays that support coastal tourism and economic growth.
Hosted by the University of South Florida, the International Ocean Institute-USA and the City of St. Petersburg, the Summit will convey new research and innovative strategies on planning for coastal risks, community resiliency, smart growth, transportation, and tourism. More than 60 experts have been gathered from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Guatemala, Barbados, Germany and The Netherlands.
Major Summit Tracks include
- Rethinking Tourism: Sustaining Economic Development and the Environment
- Insurance: Calculating Risks and Improving Post-Disaster Recovery
- Supporting and Directing Growth with Effective Transit Planning
- Adaption Planning for Coastal Risks
- Urban Design and The Bottom Line
Who Should Attend:
- City managers, planners, engineers, attorneys, public works and utilities managers
- Tourism professionals
- Real estate and land developers, business organizations
- Environmental agencies and organizations
- University researchers
- Community leaders
Program Overview:
Specific topics include sustainable tourism, transportation, vulnerability assessments/adaption planning, economic modeling and financing, community engagement and post-disaster resiliency. Coastal pollution events, e.g. impacts and lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, will also be examined. The Summit will feature scientists and leading experts from the private sector and NGOs from the US, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Guatemala, Barbados, and the Netherlands. The program goal is to facilitate connections to improve environmental coastal governance through practical solutions.
