The migration from inland to coastal and delta regions is occurring at a time of great change and uncertainty. Challenges to fostering safe, healthy, and livable communities come from many directions: concerns about energy security; the threat of climate change, sea level rise, and severe weather events; economic restructuring; aging and inadequate infrastructure; and environmental degradation.

With New Orleans as a laboratory, APA is convening an international symposium as part of the 2010 National Planning Conference to address the challenges facing urban areas located in delta and coastal regions across the world. The symposium will host expert politicians, practitioners, and academics to discuss the growth, development, and management of cities in river deltas, with a spotlight on solutions for balancing various, and often competing, goals. Through plenary sessions, focused discussions, professional exchanges, and mobile workshops, the program will cover four themes:

• Climate change implications
• The built environment
• Economic, social, and environmental considerations
• International collaboration