The Moorings of Arlington Heights’ Post

Did you know today is Parking Day? Some of you maybe wondering what exactly is Parking Day. Well let me explain. PARK(ing) Day fosters social interaction, civic engagement, critical thinking, and creativity through community participation and play. Each year on the third Friday of September, cities worldwide partake in transforming parking spaces into vibrant parks. Local residents, organizations, and businesses collaborate to create inviting spaces for relaxation, networking, and entertainment. This annual event turns any downtown into a living urban laboratory, showcasing innovative ideas and featuring performances from local artists. Why I believe PARK(ing) Day is so very Important in todays world. 1. Community Building: It encourages residents to connect, fostering a sense of belonging and community spirit. 2. Reimagining Urban Spaces: It challenges conventional uses of public space, promoting innovative solutions for urban design. 3. Civic Engagement: By involving diverse groups, it empowers citizens to express their ideas and advocate for change in their neighborhoods. 4. Environmental Awareness: It highlights the need for green spaces in urban areas, encouraging sustainable practices and enhancing city livability. After almost 3 decades of collaborating with landscape architects and urban planners, I've concluded that landscape architecture is vital to the future of humanity. This profession inspires me so and attracts critical thinkers who intricately weave community, culture, creativity, and sustainability and soul into every aspect of their designs and lives. I am incredibly proud that our teams have the opportunity to work with some of the nation's leading landscape architects right here in Texas, alongside our SPEKtacular manufacturers such as mmcité usa and @hausersite @edsconcrete @outsider @idsculpture. For all those who celebrated Parking Day today, let’s keep building stronger connections and communities together! Share your Parking Day pictures and tell my why it’s so important to you. Together we can make our cities Spektacular, and let’s keep being the SPEK that Makes a Difference. #lightspek #sitespek #standupforyourspek #spekthatmakesadifference #parkingday #nationalasla #texasasla #getoutside #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #bellandmccoy #frm #lighting

Thank you to the Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons School of Design for hosting this interesting event last week. Sheetza McGarry, a former Hines NYC intern (one of the best) currently seeking her masters in architecture and a research assistant at the Healthy Materials Lab, invited me to speak alongside my great friend Charlotte Bell (she/her) with Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County, Drew Vanderburg with RiseBoro Community Partnership and Brandon Pietras with Bernheimer Architecture about design techniques for affordable housing to create spaces people want to live, feel safe and feel healthy. My career has not been in affordable housing and I am certainly not an expert in affordable housing design, but I do have extensive experience having worked with Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County through ASHRAE NYC Chapter along with deep experience in seniors housing design and how designing spaces purposely built for those that are going to use them with extremely thoughtful design can turn a project from ok into exceptional. The Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons School of Design has built quite a data base of different materials and techniques that is available for everyone to utilize. Sheetza McGarry and the co-founder of the Healthy Materials Lab Alison Mears have also started and built an impressive database of ACTUAL healthy, affordable projects all around the United States as part of the Building Healthy Homes initiative. They already have about 8000 units of housing in the data base and are looking for more! Check it out and see if adding your building would make sense.(https://lnkd.in/eqjPhpjt) I enjoyed hearing from and learning from the other speakers. Some takeaways 👉 Exceptional design does not have to be expensive or use the highest ends materials. It needs to be thoughtful to ensure the end user, regardless of wealth or class, is able to efficiently, effectively and comfortably use and live in their space. 💰 Keeping utility costs low for those that can least afford it is critical (especially for Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County). A constant balance between construction costs and energy saving/zero carbon/healthy material design techniques and systems is key. 🚃 Many factors including supply chain disruption, manufacturing source, performance, aesthetics and cost can impact the materials chosen for a project. When selecting materials, find levers you can pull for the 'biggest bang for your buck' with cost, impact on the tenant (directly and indirectly), embodied carbon, durability and energy performance. A few home runs can make up for a lot of strikeouts. 🙍♂️ 🙍♀️ Stakeholder and community engagement is critical. Make sure what you're choosing to build and the materials utilized are something the potential or current tenants WANT rather than what you THINK they want

BUILDING TRUST, ...... IN REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENTS. . Real estate development goes far beyond simply erecting structures; it plays a pivotal role in shaping the very essence of communities. . Trust-building is fundamental for sustainable community development. . Establishing trust between developers and community members is essential for fostering collaboration, transparency, and ultimately, successful outcomes for all stakeholders involved. . By recognizing the intricate nuances of community landscapes and actively engaging with residents, organizations, and institutions of the locale to be intervened, developers can create spaces that are not only functional but also inclusive and responsive to the needs of the people who inhabit them. . A process that I am personally invested in which, I've chosen to term "Invisible Architecture" or "Invisible Planning." - I define "Invisible Architecture" as the process of community and social development that occurs prior to any physical building planning, or any design effort is set. . Join me to listen to these impactful speakers, their experiences, their lessons learned and key notes in regard to this process: * Albert Santana, Mountain Region Multimodal Director, Ardurra * Carlos L. Velasco, President & Founder, Novle Community Activators . Who should attend this program? : Developers, urban planners, community organizers, government officials and anyone passionate about creating inclusive, equitable and thriving communities through real estate development. . The ULI Arizona, DEI Committee invites you to be participant of this impactful conversation, sometimes is overlooked and many times not even addressed. . Here is the link for tickets: https://lnkd.in/gvKChBdy . And please share! . #Arizona #ULIArizona #ULIDEI #Design #UrbanDesign #Architecture . #OscarDeLasSalas #OscarTalks #WhatWouldOscarDo . Karyn MacVean, Alberto Caballero, Emily Minnier, PBD, Ioanna M., Jennifer Villalobos, MBA, Laurel Lewis, SIOR, Steve Lindley, Martha de Plazaola Abbott, Natalia Chavez, Samantha Cheatham, Sara Yehia, Suzanne Nelson, MBA, Gerri Lipp, Deb Sydenham, FAICP.

As someone who is deeply invested in the future of our urban environments, check out our urban manifesto outlining some thoughtful approaches to revitalizing downtown LA. It’s not just about transforming physical spaces but finding ways to breathe life into our communities by addressing some of the major issues that affect our urban centers—accessibility, sustainability, and public engagement. These ideas—like cable cars, green rooftop spaces, and public cultural hubs—show what’s possible when we rethink how to use our cities' spaces for both functionality and connection. There’s a lot of value at stake here, not just economically, but in terms of community well-being and creating environments where people want to live, work, and gather. The challenges of urban revitalization are immense, but so are the opportunities. I hope we can continue to explore innovative, practical ways to tackle these problems and shape a better future for all of our city centers.

Don’t bother speculating. This phrase is often uttered while facing uncertainty. Consider this perspective instead: Speculation is not just idle daydreaming; it's a disciplined exercise in creativity, a powerful tool for devising novel solutions. History is rich with stories of visionaries who broke barriers and reshaped their fields through speculation and creative thinking. In the heart of New York City, a philosophical battle unfolded between Jane Jacobs, a visionary urbanist, and Robert Moses, a powerful urban planner. Moses envisioned a city shaped by grand infrastructure with neighborhoods yielding to the concrete majesty of urban design. Contrarily, Jacobs championed the vibrancy of city life, envisioning urban environments thriving on human interaction, diversity, and creativity. Their clash came to a head over Greenwich Village, where Moses planned a destructive highway. Jacobs, seeing the potential devastation to the community's social fabric, mobilized opposition, advocating for a city that nurtured human connection and complexity. Through her creative speculation about urban living, grounded in the value of organic, messy human networks, Jacobs halted the expressway project, preserving Greenwich Village's integrity. This victory underscored the transformative power of collective imagination and community engagement in shaping urban futures. Creative Speculation Exercise: Design a Pocket Park that fosters human connection and community spirit, inspired by Jane Jacobs. Choose a Space: Select a neglected or underutilized area in a community. Complete This Statement in Your Mind: The Pocket Park will transform this space from a _____ to ______. Visualize Your Pocket Park: Incorporate elements that encourage interaction. Thought Cloud: Imagine visiting a park that fits within the tiny confines of an actual pocket! Memory Keepsake: Before leaving the Pocket Park, you get a magical item to remember your visit. Tell us what it does in the comments below! #PurposefulDaydreaming #Speculation #Imagination #YonderGPT #AIcollaboration #CloudClub #creativity #pocketpark #humanitycentereddesign

Why do people buy a grapefruit from Borough Market rather than their local store? How do we craft joyful, authentic architecture that creates experiences and serves people, place and community?   In this episode of Building Insights, Trevor Morriss talks to James Parker about our approach to masterplanning large complex schemes and designing experiential spaces that inspire. He reflects on his involvement in transforming London districts, a city he describes as "the DNA of who I am as a person."   Trevor shares his insights on: - Community engagement: Lessons from the exemplary community consultation process at OlympiaUK and a recent planning meeting that brought into question the way the housing crisis is being tackled - Heritage: Adopting a conservation, rather than preservation, approach to give historic buildings a modern lease of life   - Improvement vs. gentrification: Understanding the nuances between enhancing an area and gentrifying it - Joyful yet measured design: The thoughtful integration of elements needed to ensure our building stock is not all ‘vanilla’, but also features ‘raspberry ripple’ moments   Don’t miss this insightful conversation on the transformative power of architecture with the right approach and community involvement!   Listen now: https://lnkd.in/eyqZ-EmK #SPPARC #spparchitecture

Introducing the Future of Communal Living with Associate Robin McKenna at Studio JCI! At Studio JCI, we design with four fundamental pillars in mind: People, Community, History, and Sustainability. These principles shape our innovative and meaningful living spaces. Stay tuned as we delve into our five groundbreaking projects in the coming weeks, showcasing how we bring these values to life. We believe these pillars are essential, but what do you think could be another important factor for co-living? Share your thoughts in the comments below! #StudioJCI #UrbanLiving #SustainableDesign #Community #InnovativeArchitecture #FutureLiving

Tactical Urbanism ++ [revitalization activations for cities] >> Tactical urbanism refers to grassroots, temporary, and low-cost interventions in public spaces that aim to improve the livability and functionality of cities. These interventions can include pop-up parks, public art installations, pedestrian and cyclist-friendly infrastructure, and community events. While tactical urbanism projects may be temporary in nature, they often have long-lasting economic and social benefits for cities. Some of these benefits include: *Increased foot traffic *Enhanced community [local entrepreneurs] engagement *Reimagined public spaces *Economic revitalization Photo: Andrea-von-Bujdoss, pavement-to-plaza intervention in Williamsburg, Brooklyn 16'

https://lnkd.in/gGV86ky7 Cities are in a continual process of developing and redeveloping, generating and regenerating. The current challenges with commercial office space in many cities have historic precedents and have been addressed successfully. The cities of today reflect the challenges and responses of the past. The cities of tomorrow will reflect our responses to today's challenges. Interesting article about a leader in the field of architectural preservation and real estate regeneration. #cities #citiesforpeople #citiesofthefuture #senseofplace

I just watched a very heartfelt and insightful documentary called “The Place Man.” It is an intimate look at the transformative history of the Project for Public Spaces (PPS). In just 19 minutes, the film beautifully unfolds the legacy of founder Fred Kent, whose journey began with the groundbreaking "Street Life Project" in the early 1970s, under the guidance of William H. Whyte. This project became the bedrock of Kent's 50-year career in placemaking, ultimately leading to the establishment of PPS in 1975. As developers, we are builders and craftsmen of our society, and I am sure this documentary will strike a chord with us and people with a passion for the subject. The key idea displayed here is of creating spaces that resonate with the human spirit. Kent’s simple yet profound statement, "If you want to seed a place with activity, you start with ice cream," encapsulates the power of joy in bringing communities together. The poetic description of placemaking as "improvisational street performance" adds an emotional layer to the pragmatic world of urban planning. Kent's belief that placemaking is a fundamental concept of people helping to make their communities and lives better is a reflection of its intrinsic humanity. The call for a "global transformation" highlights the urgency for cities and suburbs to be reborn, not just for our communities but for the very planet we call home. Placemaking, as Kent suggests, is not merely an art, it's a planet-saving endeavor. How has your experience with public spaces influenced your sense of community? #Placemaking #CommunityBuilding #UrbanDevelopment #PublicSpaces #FredKent #StreetLifeProject #WilliamHWhyte #UrbanPlanning #SustainableCities