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RELEASED: September 20, 2001
City officials, experts to discuss issues of small-town America
DANVILLE, KY—City officials and experts in the fields of economic development and community planning will meet at Centre College Sept. 24-26 to explore the future of small- and medium-sized cities.
"The Morphing of Main Street USA: The Future of America's Heartland Cities" will take place at Centre College's Norton Center for the Arts.
The summit will analyze the heralded and highly successful self-transformations of four Heartland cities — Cuba, Mo., Columbus, Ind., Blacksburg, Va., and Tupelo, Miss. — and will explore an impressive list of opportunities and options possible for the more than 90 percent of America's cities that have populations of 100,000 or less.
Henry Cisneros, former HUD secretary under President Clinton and a four-term mayor of San Antonio, will be the keynote speaker Tuesday evening. Other speakers include Crit Luallen, secretary of Gov. Paul Patton's executive cabinet and Centre alumna; Peter Katz, a leading proponent of New Urbanism; and Donovan Rypkema, a planner who has worked with Heart of Danville officials.
The three-day event will also include a convergence of the "Danvilles" — a gathering of the mayors and city representatives of five different small American cities each named Danville in Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and Iowa.
Coping with changes, including the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America, will be explored. Centre students will be actively involved in the summit.
The conference is sponsored by NewCities Foundation, the Kentucky League of Cities, Centre College, and Kentucky Educational Television.
"This inaugural effort to spark dialogue is being planned to initiate a ripple effect of increasing the number of cities that will be able to make successful and strategic transitions into the New Economy," said Sylvia Lovely, president of the NewCities Foundation and Executive Director/CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities.
KET will broadcast Kentucky Tonight live from the Weisiger Theater stage Monday evening.
More information about the conference and registration is available by calling (800) 876-4552. Or visit the Web site at https://web.klc.uky.edu/newcityconvention/index.html. The agenda for the summit can be found at https://web.klc.uky.edu/newcityconvention/html/agenda.html.
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Communications Office
Centre College
600 W. Walnut Street
Danville, KY 40422