Ohio Ag Connection - Proposals Sought for Ecological Landscaping Conference

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Proposals Sought for Ecological Landscaping Conference
Ohio Ag Connection - 10/23/2009

Researchers, graduate students, business owners, city officials and planners, non-profit organizations, urban farmers, and others involved in the development and management of urban spaces and resources are invited to submit proposals for the Second Ecological Landscaping Conference, to be held in Cleveland Dec. 1-3 and organized by The Ohio State University.

"Enhancing Self-Reliance and Resilience of Cities" is the topic of this year's conference, a research and outreach initiative of the university's Urban Landscape Ecology Program (ULEP) and the Center for Urban Environment and Economic Development (CUEED).

"The conference provides a unique forum for discussion of emerging urban issues and new ideas from scientific, policy, and on-the-ground practices perspectives," said Parwinder Grewal, a professor of entomology and environmental sciences and leader of both ULEP and CUEED.

The deadline for electronic submission of abstracts is Nov. 16. Instructions are available at http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/ulep/abstracts.htm.

Some of the topics to be addressed by the conference include the importance of urban self-reliance and resilience in today's world; key research gaps in building self-reliant and resilient cities; the enhancement, preservation and regulation of social services provided by urban ecosystems; and ways community designs and technologies can enhance environmental, social, health and economic outcomes of urban landscapes.

Other discussions will center around how vacant lots and properties can be used productively to enhance ecosystem services in cities; sustainable stormwater management; expansion of urban agriculture; and enhancement of energy-use efficiency and energy production from waste-streams.

For more information, log on to http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/ulep/conference or contact Grewal at 330-263-3963, grewal.4@osu.edu.

The Second Ecological Landscaping Conference is sponsored by the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and OSU Extension, which are the research and outreach arms, respectively, of Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.