ULI Philadelphia + LVPC: Housing Supply and Attainability Strategy for the Lehigh Valley

When

2025-02-05
2025-02-05T08:00:00 - 2025-02-05T11:00:00
America/New_York

Choose Your Calendar

    Where

    DeSales University - University Center 2755 Station Ave Center Valley, PA 18034 UNITED STATES

    Online / advance registration has closed for this program. A limited number of day-of on site registrations will be available.  

     
    You are invited to take part in the next step in developing a Housing and Attainability Strategy designed to reduce the Lehigh Valley’s housing shortage and increase housing attainability across all income levels.

    This is a collaborative approach that requires participation from multiple sectors and industries, including local governments and school districts, banks and lenders, developers, real estate agents, employers, and community organizations. Working together, we can lay out a housing supply plan that is achievable.

    Your expertise and position make you an important partner in this first Working Group event that kicks off a three-part initiative. Presentations on a regionwide housing analysis by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and on national housing trends from the Urban Land Institute Terwilliger Center for Housing will inform attendees of the region’s housing context. A moderated panel of practitioners will set the stage for cross-industry collaboration that will be a focal point of the Housing Strategy to create an actionable plan to increase housing production and attainability with intentionality.
     
    Speakers Include: 
    • Phil Armstrong, Lehigh County Executive, Lehigh County
    • Becky Bradley, AICP, Executive Director, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
    • Thomas Comitta, AICP, CNU-A, RLA, President, Thomas Comitta Associates, Inc.
    • Jason Duckworth, President, Arcadia Land Company
    • Kevin Moran, Executive Director, ULI Philadelphia
    • Stephen Murphy, Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer, Penn Community Bank
    • Deborah L. Myerson, AICP, Senior Research and Policy Fellow, Terwilliger Center for Housing, Urban Land Institute
    • Justin R. Porembo, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Lehigh Valley REALTORS®
    • Jill Seitz, Chief Community Planner, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
     
    Breakfast included with registration. Detailed agenda will be shared in day-before registration reminder. 
     
     

    Speakers

    Speaker

    Becky Bradley

    Executive Director, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission

    Becky Bradley has more than 20 years of experience in city, regional, economic development, historic preservation and transportation planning, including experience in small town revitalization, roadway redesign and trail construction. She has been the Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) since August 2013 and is leading the update of the region’s $4.4 billion regional transportation planning program, as well as balancing the needs of the Lehigh Valley’s rapidly growing population through the LVPC’s county planning responsibilities. The LVPC in 2020 adopted Walk/RollLV, the region’s first ever bicycle and pedestrian masterplan and in 2019 adopted FutureLV: The Regional Plan, which is designed to serve as a blueprint carrying the region to 2050 and beyond. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, she helped forge a partnership with Lehigh County and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia to do an analysis of Lehigh Valley residents most at risk of losing their jobs or homes, to enable government leaders to direct county and federal aid to the neighborhoods where it was needed most. Prior to joining the LVPC, Bradley was the Director of Planning, Codes and Development at the City of Easton, where she was instrumental in the more than $500 million revitalization of the community, including the addition of the Lehigh Valley’s first sculpture trail, the state’s first road diet and the opening of more than 60 restaurants and shops. In 2021, she was given the Walter Scheiber Leadership Award, by the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), for her innovative leadership in regional planning, and in 2023 was awarded NARC’s Tom Bradley Award, for leadership and excellence of an elected or appointed official in advocating for regional concepts. She holds a Bachelor of Science, Historic Preservation degree from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master of City Planning degree from University of Pennsylvania.

    Speaker

    Jason Duckworth

    President, Arcadia Land Company

    Jason Duckworth is the President of Arcadia Land Company. Jason has received widespread recognition as a progressive developer and advocate of smart growth in the Philadelphia region. Under Jason’s leadership, Arcadia has pursued a strategy of infill redevelopment in walkable places such as Media, Narberth, Hatboro, and Doylestown. For years, Jason has advised Seaside developer, Robert S. Davis, and has consulted to property owners and municipalities throughout the United States on smart growth. Jason’s work on the New Daleville traditional neighborhood was the subject of author Witold Rybczynski’s 2007 book, Last Harvest. More recently, Jason was featured in Leigh Gallagher’s 2013 book, The End of the Suburbs: Where the American Dream is Moving. Outside of Arcadia, Jason is a trustee of Natural Lands, the Philadelphia region’s largest land conservancy, where he chairs the conservation programs committee. Jason is an advisory board member of Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia, an educational enrichment program for Philadelphia middle school students. Jason received the 2021 Maguire Award from the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia for his years of advocacy of road safety legislation in Pennsylvania. A frequent speaker on smart growth and housing markets, Jason volunteers his time to progressive land use organizations throughout the Philadelphia region. Prior to Arcadia, Jason worked in private equity with Crosslink Capital in San Francisco and in management consulting with McKinsey & Company in New York. He has an AB in Urban Studies (Summa cum laude) from Princeton University from which he was awarded the Daniel M. Sachs graduating scholarship. He also earned an M.Litt. in geography from the University of Oxford, England. Jason resides in Center City Philadelphia with his wife, Angela, and daughters, Amanda and Lucy.

    Speaker

    Thomas Comitta

    President, Thomas Comitta Associates, Inc.

    As President and Founder of Thomas Comitta Associates, Tom has served as Principal-in-Charge and Operations Manager for more than 37 years. During this time, he has blended his roles as town planner and landscape architect to bring a holistic perspective that benefits all of TCA’s clients. Since its incorporation, TCA has assisted more than 110 municipal clients, prepared more than 50 ordinances, 25 Comprehensive Plans, and testified as an expert witness at more than 1,200 public hearings. Tom is a recognized land use and planning expert and been called upon to advocate for progressive planning practices. He assisted State Representative Robert Freeman to author the first Traditional Neighborhood Development Statute in the State in 2000. He is a frequent lecturer at town planning and land planning seminars and workshops, and conducts training sessions on town planning, traditional neighborhood development, and graphic design manuals. Most recently Tom conducted six form-based code workshops for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

    Speaker

    Deborah Myerson

    Senior Research and Policy Fellow, ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing

    Deborah L. Myerson, AICP is an urban planner with twenty-five years of experience in the field. As a housing and community development consultant, Ms. Myerson helps organizations and agencies develop housing programs and implement effective policy. Typical client services include research, writing, stakeholder engagement, and program delivery centered on land use, urban planning, or housing policy. Ms. Myerson also speaks frequently to professional audiences on housing and community development topics. Ms. Myerson earned a Master of Regional Planning degree from Cornell University and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a certified as a Rental Housing Development Finance Professional by the National Development Council and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.