On July 21st, 2016, Better Neighbourhoods will bring together industry professionals from across the Niagara Region to a workshop regarding the future of urbanism in Niagara.
The event will be held at the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines, from 2-5pm.
Our keynote speaker is Chuck Marohn, the founder of STRONG TOWNS. Chuck is a Professional Engineer and Planner from Brainerd, Minnesota. His passion is working with cities and towns on issues of economic development, land use and engineering – particularly those places that are seeking answers as to why the standard orthodoxy has failed to create prosperity for them.
In addition, Better Neighbourhoods will host a panel discussion featuring the St. Catharines Planning Director and the Manager of Urban Design at the Region of Niagara. Finally, our Partner Dan Romanko will host an interactive workshop to encourage collaborative discussion regarding the future of the built environment across the Niagara Region.
This event is geared primarily towards industry leaders and those who hold positions with the opportunity to shape the vision for the future, and is also open to the general public. Interested individuals can RSVP to brock@betterneighbourhoods.ca
Dan Romanko is a consulting Professional Planner practicing urban design, and neighbourhood development in Ontario with over 25 years’ experience.
Growing up in Mississauga in the ’80s, his childhood years were spent in a categorically suburban environment. This experience sparked an interest in land-use patterns and ultimately the Urban Planning profession. Dan began his academic career at Sheridan College, graduating as a Civil Engineering Technician in 1992; he then went on to complete the Honours Urban and Regional Planning program at the University of Waterloo, graduating in 1997. Years later, his interest in community scale sustainability found him continuing his education and he received a Master of Engineering Design in Sustainable Infrastructure from McMaster University in 2012.
Dan has worked as a planner in a consulting role since 1998. From 2000-2009, Dan worked with Barr Associates in St. Catharines as urban designer. After a five-year stint at another multi-disciplinary firm downtown St. Catharines, Dan returned to Barr Associates in 2015 as partner and the company changed its name to Better Neighbourhoods Inc.
In addition to his managing partner role, Dan is a full member in the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and been qualified as an expert witness at the Ontario Land Tribunal. He has been an accredited member of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU-A) since 2009 and has attended annual Congresses since 2006. Dan lives downtown St. Catharines with his family and is fortunate to have a seven minute walk to work.
