Urban planners, architects and policy leaders came together in Anaheim today to discuss the role beauty and sacred space play in fostering community culture and way of life.  More than 400 attended the innovative Restoring Community Conference, which featured nationally known speakers and was hosted by City of Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle, the Building Association of Orange County, and The Claremont Institute.
 
The attendees listened to some of the nation’s top innovators on urban planning and design: New York Times columnist David Brooks, New Urbanist Andrés Duany, and noted urban futurist Joel Kotkin.  The day-long conference, which was held at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim, provided a dynamic environment for discussion, dialogue, and the shaping of community.  The majority of attendees were policy leaders, urban planners, architects and other professionals involved in the public sphere.
 
The conference featured workshops such as "Building the Sustainable City: The Sacred, Safe and Busy", "Shaping Cities with Sacred Space", "The Importance of Beauty in Restoring Community" and "Can New Urbanism Deliver True Community?"  Other speakers included Philip Bess, Professor and Director of graduate studies at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture; writer, designer and philanthropist Roberta Green Ahmanson; Adrian Foley, President, Brookfield Homes; Greg Devereaux, City Manager, Ontario; Dr. Jim Belcher, Redeemer Presbyterian; Paul Bertelli, JLF Architects; Daniel P. Gehman, AIA, Thomas P. Cox Architects; Jonathan Bradford, Executive Director, Inner City Christian Federation; Albert Paley, a renowned American metal sculptor; Randall Jackson, President, The Planning Center; Emile Haddad, Chief Investment Officer, Lennar; and Eric Jacobsen, pastor and author of "Sidewalks in the Kingdom."
 
The conference was approved for 7.25 APA certification maintenance credits.

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ABOUT ANAHEIM - The City of Anaheim, founded in 1857, is one of the nation's premier municipalities and is California's 10th most populous city. Anaheim covers 50 square miles with more than 345,500 residents and more than 3,200 City employees. The municipal corporation's annual budget is $1.4 billion. Anaheim supports a thriving business community with companies such as Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc., L-3 Communications, Pacific Sunwear, and Disneyland Resort. Successful sports franchises call Anaheim home, including Angels Baseball, Anaheim Ducks, the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winning U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team, and the 2008 Olympic Silver Medal winning U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team. Anaheim also boasts world-class meeting and entertainment venues with the Anaheim Convention Center, the largest on the west coast, Honda Center, The Grove of Anaheim, The Shops at Anaheim GardenWalk, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Annually, Anaheim welcomes millions of visitors to the city, truly making it where the world comes to live, work and play. For more information, please visit www.anaheim.net.