The College of Architecture, Art and Planning will host a two-day symposium, Sept. 17-19, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ebenezer Howard's influential book, Tomorrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform.. Howard's book launched the widespread garden city movement in the 20th century.

The symposium, "From Garden Cities to Green Cities and Beyond: Urban Policy for the 21st Century," will explore the origins, influence and future relevance of garden city concepts and planning strategies. There also will be on-site tours of the Cornell campus, Cornell Plantations and EcoVillage at Ithaca.

Symposium speakers include architects, landscape architects and planners from practice and academia from Britain, Australia and the United States. They will discuss the history of Howard's influence on city building, its transformation in today's green cities and green architecture, and the future policy and practice implications of extending Howard's ideas.

Howard (1850-1928) was a British reformer whose garden city concept -- a mix of the country and city, urban and rural -- provided an alternative to the endlessly sprawling 19th century industrial city. His idea was to combine the best features of town and country life in a ring of satellites surrounding London.

His invention spawned garden city movements in many other countries, including the United States. His own garden cities in England, Letchworth (1903) and Welwyn (1920), were the direct ancestors of Radburn, N.J., and the Greenbelt towns built during the Depression.

The introductory keynote speaker at the Cornell symposium will be Professor Stephen Ward from Oxford Brooks University, who has edited a survey volume on the subject The Garden City, Past, Present and Future.

Four panels of speakers will present papers on various aspects of the symposium subject: metropolitan growth management, transportation policy, environmental quality, environmental justice, greenways and green architecture.

Dean William McDonough of the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia, whose New York City architectural practice is at the forefront of the green architecture movement, will give the closing address for the symposium Saturday, Sept. 19.

Program and registration information is available from Michelle Andrews in the Department of City and Regional Planning, 106 West Sibley; Cornell University; Ithaca, N.Y. 14853; e-mail green-cities@cornell.edu. In-person registration is available in the Hartell Gallery in Sibley Hall on the Cornell campus. Complete information on the symposium program and registration also can be found on the web at http://inet.crp.cornell.edu/green-cities/default.htm.