Greater & Greener 2017 is presented by City Parks Alliance in partnership with Saint Paul Parks and Recreation and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.
Join more than 1,000 global park leaders in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota from July 29th through August 2nd to explore the power of urban parks in supporting healthy, resilient, and sustainable cities. Discover the latest innovations and international trends in urban park development, revitalization, programming and funding. Explore local examples of urban park leadership from the award winning Minneapolis and Saint Paul park systems. Network with park experts, stakeholders and influential leaders from more than 200 cities and 20 countries at this one-of-a-kind international conference.
Greater & Greener features more than 150 national and international speakers and presenters.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| LYKKE LEONARDSEN Program Director, Resilient and Sustainable City Solutions City of Copenhagen |
SABINA ALI Chair Thorncliffe Park Women's Committee |
MATTHEW CLARKE Director of Creative Placemaking Trust for Public Land |
CHRISTOPHER B. COLEMAN Mayor City of Saint Paul |
CAROL COLETTA Senior Fellow, American Cities Practice The Kresge Foundation |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| TOM DALLESSIO President, CEO and Publisher Next City |
MICHAEL DIBERARDINIS Managing Director City of Philadelphia |
MICKEY FEARN Professor of Practice North Carolina University College of Natural Resources |
RADHIKA FOX CEO US Water Alliance |
JAVIER GONZALES Mayor City of Santa Fe |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| ADEL HAGEKHALIL Assistant Director Bureau of Sanitation, City of Los Angeles |
MAMI HARA General Manager and CEO Seattle Public Utilities |
GLENN HARRIS President Center for Social Inclusion |
BETSY HODGES Mayor City of Minneapolis |
CRAIG HOLLAND Senior Director of Product Development NatureVest |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| ERIC LETSINGER Chief Operating Officer Quantified Ventures |
AMANDA LOVELEE Visual Artist City Artist for Public Art Saint Paul |
KATHRYN OTT LOVELL Commissioner Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department |
TOODY MAHER Executive Director POGO Park |
CATHERINE NAGEL Executive Director City Parks Alliance |
|
Conference Spotlights:
The Mayors Forum will explore with city leaders what it means to create equitable cities and what role public spaces play in building inclusive, vibrant, and sustainable communities. Parks and equity are at the center of the many challenges facing city leaders, from climate change to economic growth to public health.
Speakers include; Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges, Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales, and Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland. The Mayors Forum is sponsored by Landscape Structures.
From Europe’s Green City movement to River Revolution Cities, to an update on the U.N.’s Habitat III Urban Agenda, this unique opportunity to explore common issues and solutions to bring people and nature back together caps the five-day conference.
City Parks Alliance and World Urban Parks present a series of interactive presentations and discussions about approaches that cities around the world are taking to create healthy, sustainable, and resilient park systems. The International Forum is sponsored by TORO.
Plenary Session:
Parks and Water: Partners in the One Water Movement offers an in-depth look at how park professionals in the United States and Denmark are retrofitting existing parks to handle the demands placed on 21st century cities.
Lykke Leonardsen, Program Director, Resilient and Sustainable City Solutions, City of Copenhagen will be the keynote speaker, followed by a panel moderated by Radhika Fox, CEO, US Water Alliance.
Programming for the Whole Family!
Greater & Greener 2017 offers special programming to make your trip to the Twin Cities fun for the whole family. Enjoy outdoor water parks including Webber Park Natural Swimming Pool in Minneapolis, the first public natural swimming pool to open in North America that uses no chemicals to keep the water clean and safe.
Or join the circus! Circus Juventus is an internationally renowned circus school and youth development program that has been supported by Saint Paul Parks and Recreation since its world-class facility was built on park property in 2001.
