RLA Holds Community Forum

SALT LAKE CITY, UT

Landscape Architect Sumner Swaner, President of Salt Lake City, UT-based Swaner Design, Inc. recently sponsored a one-day Community Open Space Planning Forum on open space trends for the Intermountain West region. Featuring noteworthy speakers such as Utah Governor Michael Leavitt; Utah Speaker of the House Melvin Brown; Craig Lee, Vice President of National Programs for the Trust for Public Lands; and Randall Arendt, author of Rural by Design, the forum "met the mark," according to Swaner. Well-attended by community planners, state legislators, mayors, and developers, the conference explored the issue of balancing open space with development. First, the speakers focused on the economics of generating open space; then discussion shifted into the necessity of developing "smart growth" in order to conserve Utah's diverse beauty and spacious farm property. Swaner's firm plans to host a follow-up design solution seminar next year. He is proud that the company "took the initiative to tackle these issues." For more information, contact the firm at 801-363-1666.