Walkability expert Jeff Speck to speak in Spartanburg Nov. 7 - October 16th 2019

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Upstate Forever will host “Towards a More Walkable Spartanburg with Jeff Speck,” featuring urban designer, city planner, and walkability expert Jeff Speck on Thursday, November 7, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Spartanburg.

Jeff Speck is the author of Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time and more recently Walkable City Rules: 101 Steps to Making Better Places. He will speak on walkability in city neighborhoods and unincorporated suburban areas and share highlights from his recent books.

“Upstate Forever is thrilled to host a speaker of Jeff's caliber,” said Sherry Barrett, Land Policy Manager at Upstate Forever. “He has a remarkable ability to entertain his audiences while teaching them about getting more people to walk. You’ll leave his presentation knowing more than you ever thought there was to learn about walkability.”

Piedmont Natural Gas is the lead sponsor for this event. OneSpartanburg, Mary Black Foundation, City of Spartanburg, Spartanburg Area Transportation Study, and Partners for Active Living join Upstate Forever and Piedmont Natural Gas as sponsors.

“Speck's visit is the perfect opportunity to celebrate success, including surging foot traffic in downtown Spartanburg, and to look to the future and better understand why and how to build walkability beyond downtown" said Hank McCullough, Senior Manager Government Relations at Piedmont Natural Gas. "Piedmont Natural Gas is delighted to be the lead sponsor for this event."

“Downtown Spartanburg was one of the most-frequently mentioned items of interest during the initial OneSpartanburg community assessment more than two and a half years ago. We know the walkability of a city’s downtown is a major indicator of that city’s potential economic success, as well as its attractiveness to visitors and residents alike,” said Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Allen Smith.

The event is free but registration is required in advance at towards-a-more-walkable-spartanburg.eventbrite.com. Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church is located at 502 South Daniel Morgan Avenue Spartanburg, SC 29306. Doors will open at 5:30 pm.

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For more information, contact Sherry Barrett, Land Policy Manager, at sbarrett@upstateforever.org