We spend a lot of time talking about the specifics of placemaking – parking regulations, zoning ordinances, code clauses – but these are all pieces of a bigger picture. We find that before diving into the details, it is critical to understand the macro concepts behind placemaking. If you’re interested in creating great urban places, grab some popcorn (or a turkey sandwich) and take a look the videos below, the first of which are from our friends at Strong Towns, who do an excellent job of summing up these big ideas behind successful placemaking endeavors.
Strong Towns Curbside Chat Series
These teaser videos for the Curbside Chat series are very short but contain great insights – together, they are a great 10 minute intro.
And if you’re looking for more, here’s the video of the Curbside Chat in Ponderay, Idaho from last year.
One person who understands these concepts as well as anyone and does a great job of communicating them is urban planning consultant Joe Minicozzi of Urban3 (Asheville, NC). The link below is a great video of one of Joe’s recent presentations on urban planning. We also recommend you stop by Urban3’s blog to learn more about their insightful research.
Where Am I? The Power of Uniqueness – Ed McMahon of the Urban Land Institute delivers an illuminating TED talk on the power of community identity.
Getting developers on board with these concepts leads to great things, as described in this article on the Next City Blog.
As we’ve written before, creating safe and efficient streets and transportation is critical establishing to livable urban places. A great article on these concepts can be found on the Placemakers Blog.