Cities Reimagined

Echoes of Jane Jacobs: 5 Leaders Reshaping Cities for the Future. 'Jan Gehl, Amanda Burden, Gil Penalosa, Enrique Penalosa are transforming streets and public spaces in ways that carry forward Jacobs’ belief in human-centered design.' By Yasmine Hafza. https://bit.ly/4gN82bg

I'm leading a Jane's Walk next Thursday at Dreamtroit with Matthew Naimi and would love my fellow Detroiters, urbanists, and affordable housing enthusiasts to join! Matt walked me through the space a couple of months ago and I was blown away by the size and scale of it all, and dually impressed with the quality of affordable housing. Don't miss this one! https://lnkd.in/gig6R-ZG

"𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲," says Elena Madison, Project for Public Spaces' Director of Projects. "𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝗴𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝘀, 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘀.” Michele Lerner looks more into #ThirdSpaces in Urban Land Magazine's recent article, "Redefining Third Spaces: Modern Approaches to Informal Urban Gathering Places." 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gfeQVmpG Urban Land Institute Sibley Fleming #PublicSpace #Placemaking

🌟 W𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 #𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴? Placemaking is more than urban design—it's about inspiring communities to transform public spaces into vibrant, inclusive hubs. 🏙️✨ By focusing on collaboration and local assets, placemaking strengthens social, cultural, and physical connections, enhancing health, happiness, and well-being. 👫❤️ 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 #𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: 🔹 Community-driven 🌍: Engaging local voices to shape public spaces. 🔹Visionary & inclusive 🏞️: Creating spaces that reflect diverse needs and aspirations. 🔹Adaptable & collaborative 🛠️: Flexibly addressing unique community challenges with teamwork. 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 #𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: 🔹 Improved Well-being 😊: Foster mental and physical health by creating inviting environments. 🔹Economic growth 📈: Boost local economies through increased foot traffic and business opportunities. 🔹Enhanced social fabric 👥: Strengthen community bonds by encouraging interaction and engagement. 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 #𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀: 🔹Public parks 🌳: Central Park in NYC—transforming urban green spaces into community epicenters. 🔹Marketplaces 🛍️: Pike Place Market in Seattle—creating vibrant, accessible commercial spaces. 🔹Streetscapes 🚶: Copenhagen's Strøget—turning streets into lively, pedestrian-friendly areas. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: 🔹Engage the Community 🗣️: Involve residents in the planning process. 🔹Observe & listen 👀: Understand how spaces are used and what improvements are needed. 🔹Create a vision 🌅: Develop a shared vision that reflects the community's identity. 🔹Implement & maintain 🛠️: Execute plans and ensure spaces are well-maintained. 🔗 Learn more about placemaking reading this excellent guide developed by Project for Public Spaces and the following article: https://lnkd.in/df2QDVu #Placemaking #Community #UrbanDesign #PublicSpaces #Collaboration #Inspiration 🌟

Investing in parks and green spaces isn't just about beautification—it's about improving mental health and fostering community well-being. We believe in prioritizing public places as vital assets for our cities!

Let's redefine urban spaces together. Streets are more than just thoroughfares; they're vibrant hubs of life and connection. In the pulse of great cities, we find spaces to linger, to engage, and to savor the essence of community.

Congratulations to our incredible friends at Green Door Initiative, where CEO and Founder Donele Wilkins has recently been appointed to the White House Environmental Justice Council! Read more about the Council and appointments here: https://lnkd.in/eckPYu-m

Today we’re revisiting Urban Issue(s) 212 + The 2030 Problem: A Looming Crisis Learn about the impending care gap facing millions of baby boomers as they age. Discover how cities can prepare for this challenge and ensure compassionate care for our elderly population here: https://buff.ly/3WsO9OL

Ask meaningful questions, uncover key insights, and have deep conversations with the people you’re designing for. We developed this list of interview prompts based on hundreds of hours of user research — these prompts are guaranteed to give you great insights. Download the worksheet here: https://buff.ly/3WBDNwl

We had a beautiful night celebrating our city and our neighbors at Michigan Central last night! We can't wait to take our tour of the station and see what else is in store for our neighborhood!