Expert Speakers, Diverse Topics to be Featured at KY Main Street 40th Anniversary Conference April 23-25 in Covington

by in Events

FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 16, 2019) – Expert speakers and panelists presenting a variety of successful strategies to build community revitalization and promote public engagement will be featured during the 40th anniversary Kentucky Main Street Conference April 23-25 in Covington.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. daily, with multiple tracks and concurrent sessions covering diverse topics on a wide range of interests. The conference is open to local Main Street directors, board members, supporters, elected officials, community leaders, and the public. A detailed schedule with venues and registration information is available at www.rcov.org/kymainst40.

Concurrent sessions Tuesday, April 23 will explore the concept of Smart Cities, cultural bias and strategies for inclusion, diversifying rural economies, combining art and history in creative placemaking, financial literacy for small businesses, utilizing wi-fi to drive engagement in historic downtowns, and policies for creating “market gardens” and cultivating agricultural uses for otherwise vacant properties.

Following the Wednesday morning keynote by Charles “Chuck” Marohn, founder and president of Strong Towns, concurrent sessions will include bridging the “digital divide” between urban and rural communities, improving waste management for public events, local case studies in creative placemaking, rebuilding downtown after tragedy strikes, exploring the concept of “demand discovery” to implement incremental change and transform neighborhoods, and partnering with religious congregations to build vibrant communities. Marohn will also lead an afternoon session on “Neighborhoods First.”

Thursday sessions will conclude at noon and include discussions of using technology to improve the delivery of government services, tools and toolkits for building a creative local economy, challenges and strategies for financing small real estate developments, storytelling to spark change, and the Art of the Rural and Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange and how these programs are deepening connections to people and places.

Hotel Covington is the conference hotel. Full registration is $100, or $35 single day, $10 for the Strong Towns presentation only, plus an additional $35 for a bourbon walking t­­our.

Educational credits are offered through the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Kentucky League of Cities, and the Kentucky Certified Local Government Program, administered by the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office (KHC) in conjunction with the National Park Service.

The conference is presented by Renaissance Covington in partnership with the Kentucky Main Street Program, Friends of Kentucky Main Street, the City of Covington, BLDG Refuge, Hub+Weber Architects PLC, Pikeville Main Street Inc., Cincinnati Bell, and Kentucky Proud.

A program of KHC, Kentucky Main Street was created in 1979 to reverse economic decline in central business districts through historic preservation and redevelopment of commercial buildings. Since its inception, the program has generated more than $4.5 billion of public-private investment throughout the state. For information, contact Administrator Kitty Dougoud, 502-892-3605, or visit www.heritage.ky.gov.

Donna Logsdon, who has been Campbellsville’s Main Street Director for 15 years, will be attending the conference.