One of the highlights of the conference will be Mobile Workshop Tours, provided by the City of Orlando. These educational, hands-on workshops will transform the entire Central Florida region into an “interactive learning lab” where delegates can see, in a unique, up-close style, the many initiatives, best practices and public/private partnerships that are helping to better the quality of life for residents in Central Florida, including:

• Witness a green power reactor in action as part of the City’s environmental program, Green Works Orlando
• Visit Central Florida’s new urban core as part of “Extreme Makeover, Downtown Orlando Edition”
• Tour two of the most coveted “new urbanist” projects in the United States to see the future of American neighborhoods
• Take an airboat ride, sample citrus and see how Orlando is revolutionizing water conservation

The 2008 City Showcase at the conference will highlight innovative city programs and offer officials from across the country an opportunity to discuss new and noteworthy ideas with conference attendees. The City of Orlando, joining 32 other cities that have been chosen to exhibit their inventive programs at the showcase, will feature six booths focused on proven initiatives and programs here in the City of Orlando.

Also of note, Ken Duberstein, former White House Chief of Staff for President Ronald Reagan, will address the conference and discuss the presidential transition along with the policies and proposals the new administration may pursue that will impact municipalities. Duberstein is also a member of the Senior Advisory Committee at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Conference delegates will also hear from prominent national speakers, including Pulitzer Prize winning author Thomas Friedman, and four leading city officials: Mayor John Hickenlooper of Denver, Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. of Charleston, Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis and Mayor Ralph Becker of Salt Lake City.
 

Wednesday, November 12, 2008; 9:30am – 12:30pm
Extreme Makeover Orlando: Downtown Edition
repeats Thursday, November 13; 1:00pm – 4:00pm
repeats Friday, November 14; 9:00am – 12:00pm

Home is Where the Heart Is: Housing in Orlando
repeats Friday, November 14; 9:00am – 12:00pm

Wednesday, November 12, 2008; 1:00pm – 4:00pm
A City of Neighborhoods: Engaging Citizens in Revitalization and New Urbanism
repeats Thursday, November 13; 1:30pm – 4:30pm

Orlando’s Green/LEED Fire Stations and the Future of Hydrogen Power
repeats Friday, November 14; 9:00am – 12:00pm

Green Works Orlando: Revolutionizing the Treatment of Wastewater
repeats Thursday, November 13; 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Green Works Orlando: The Water Conserv II Project – a Reclaimed Water Success Story
repeats Thursday, November 13; 1:00pm – 4:00pm

It Takes a Village: Orlando Rises to the Challenge of Outreach to the City’s Youth
repeats Thursday, November 13; 1:00pm – 4:00pm

General Sessions
Thursday, November 13, 2008, 8:45 am – 11:00am
Ken Duberstein, former White House Chief of Staff for President Ronald Reagan

Friday, November 14, 2008, 1:30pm – 3:15pm
Thomas Friedman, author and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist

Saturday, November 15, 2008, 8: 30am – 10:30am
Four mayors of large metropolitan communities will discuss improving lives of children and families and “going green”; session moderated by Michele Norris, host of National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered”
Mayor John Hickenlooper of Denver
Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. of Charleston
Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis
Mayor Ralph Becker of Salt Lake City

Other Sessions of Note
Thursday, November 13, 2008; 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Downtown Revitalization: A Key to Sustaining Your City Economy
Turbulent Times, Hidden Opportunities: The State and Local Responses to Economic Downturns
Weed and Seed: Uprooting Crime, Nurturing Communities

Friday, November 14, 2008; 9:00am – 10:15am
Intervening with Youth on the Edge: Essential Steps for Reducing Gang Violence
A Roof for All: Preserving Affordable Rental Housing

Friday, November 14, 2008; 10:30am – 11:45am
Just the Facts: Green Accounting and the Triple Bottom Line
“Can We Talk?” Going Green through Education and Civic Engagement (facilitated discussion)
 

NOTE: For media registration and a preliminary schedule, visit: http://www.nlc.org/pressroom/cocpress.aspx