The U.S. PLAY coalition this month announced its keynote speaker for the 2017 Conference on the Value of Play. Innovative Play Space Designer Matthew Urbanski is a landscape architect and Principal of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates in New York City. His presentation is entitled, "Designing for Fun: Making Play Spaces that City Kids (and Parents) Love," will examine lessons learned from designing play spaces. Urbanski lectures regularly on the design of play spaces in the landscape and how spatial complexity, particularly when combined with plants and other natural materials, supports an integration of active and imaginative play.

The US PLAY coalition is a partnership of professionals promoting the value of play throughout life. It is an international network of individuals and organizations that recognize play as a valuable part of a health conscious and productive life.

The 2017 Conference on the Value of Play will be held at Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. It will bring together a full spectrum of disciplines for three days of featured keynote speakers, PLAYtalks, research symposiums and networking. The conference will also offer educational sessions providing attendees the opportunity to earn continuing education units (CEUs).

For more information on the U.S. PLAY coalition including updates to the 2017 Conference on Play, visit www.usplaycoalition.org.