In these increasingly disruptive and divisive times, many of our downtowns have lost their former vitality as people continue to work remotely more often than before the pandemic. The growing visibility of unhoused people in many downtowns is also changing perceptions about public safety. Yet downtown public spaces continue to be highly utilized for bringing community together, and the pandemic only served to reinforce their value as a refuge from the stressors of daily life.
Join our Sunday Seminar for a discussion of how our parks and public spaces can evolve to meet changing economic, environmental, and social conditions in our downtowns. Among other questions, we will explore:
- How would the possible conversion of commercial real estate to more mixed-use development create new opportunities?
- How can we design them to function as green infrastructure to make our cities more resilient?
- How can we program them to be more inclusive of people who live throughout the city, address past injustices, and create a more equitable present?
- What kinds of partners and stakeholders need to be involved, and in what roles?
- What are the appropriate governance models?
Speaker information to come.
