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Body and Soul: Now More than Ever

With more than half of the people in the world now living in cities for the first time, urban parks are more important than ever. Long recognized for their contribution to the physical and emotional health of our communities, urban parks are increasingly part of the prescription for everything from childhood obesity to global warming. Body and Soul: Parks and the Health of Great Cities will bring together leading edge research experts, public officials, and management innovators to explore how parks are shaping the future of the world’s cities—Body and Soul.

The Conference You Can’t Miss

Body and Soul will open your mind and inspire your thinking.

Your Chance to Connect. Get to know parks advocates who are working to make parks and green space accessible to every member of the community. Discover how parks are building innovative partnerships with the public health community to promote active living to all residents of cities. 

Your Opportunity to Learn. The conference is filled with sessions designed to provide practical information to take home and use immediately. Learn how to make your park more friendly to the environment from innovators in environmentally sustainable parks management. See how new parks are reclaiming degraded land. Take home new strategies for tapping public dollars for parks. Learn from the best of the best about storm water management, coping with the impact of global warming, managing parks and automobile parking, and restoration of urban and historic natural areas.

Your Capacity to Grow. Learn how parks make economic sense and why parks and economic development go hand in hand in cities like New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Melbourne, and London. Find out why artists and religious leaders are passionate about parks. Discover how a green infrastructure can help shape new communities.

Body and Soul: Outside the Box
Pre-conference tours, guided walking tours, a guided boat trip on the rivers of Pittsburgh, and in-depth Mobile Workshops in Pittsburgh’s parks will get you outside the four walls of the conference site into America’s Most Livable City.  Learn about these conference activities here.

Mark your calendars now, and plan to join us in Pittsburgh! Conference sessions will be held at the Pittsburgh Hilton, located at the majestic confluence of Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers.