Johnson Elected Knoxville Section Director for State Planning Group

Buz Johnson, MPC Deputy Director, was elected to serve as the Knoxville Section Director for the Tennessee Chapter of the American Planning Association (TAPA) at the group's annual conference held in Memphis on October 17-19. He will serve for two years and will direct the activities of local APA members to ensure they are consistent with the mission and programs of the statewide organization. The local chapter meets quarterly to discuss relevant planning issues and keep abreast of happenings at the state and national APA levels.

Johnson is no stranger to his newly-elected position. "I served another term as Knoxville Section Director about 20 years ago and am happy to be back for a second go round," said Johnson

In addition to the quarterly meetings held by each local section, TAPA holds an annual conference where members from across the state gather to share new approaches and best practices in planning. Johnson finds value in attending because the meetings "allow us to keep current on the latest trends and issues affecting what we do as city planners. New concepts and approaches can positively impact urban development and designs and can often be replicated in other TAPA communities."

The theme for this year's state conference was "Enhancing Community Assets." Over the two-and-one-half days, Johnson attended several sessions, including presentations on Nashville's efforts to craft policies and zoning to shape urban infill sustainability along West End Avenue. He hopes the lessons learned in Nashville will prove helpful as more of Knoxville's urban core is redeveloped.

Other conference topics included: an initiative to restore Overton Square in Midtown Memphis as an entertainment destination; the emergence of the Tennessee Regions' Sustainable Communities Roundtable as a voice for statewide support for a wide range of shared goals and objectives related to economic competitiveness, quality community development, and wise use of fiscal resources; and better ways to deal with difficult people in solving community problems.

TAPA is a professional planning organization sanctioned by the parent APA, and it isresponsible for presenting national programs at the state level. For more information about TAPA, visit their website at www.tnapa.org.

Congratulations, Buz!

Posted 11-14-2012, written by Sarah Powell