Date/Time: Thursday, April 4, 2024. 12–1pm Eastern Time.

Registration closes on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at 11:59pm Eastern Time.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a harsh impact on downtowns across the United States, particularly in cities where the primary industries fully embraced remote work. But as the number of daily workers has decreased, some cities have successfully adapted by growing the number of residents and visitors downtown, as well as other creative strategies.

Some of the key tools to creating more diversified downtowns involve zoning, incentives, and other public policy, but what role can placemaking play in this transition? To answer this question, this webinar draws upon a wide range of perspectives, from local nonprofit leaders to national professional organizations, and from data-driven analysis to on-the-ground insights. 

Join us for a discussion about the state of post-pandemic downtowns, case studies of how downtowns are adapting, and the role of community-powered public spaces in recovery.

Speakers 

Hannah Gall is the Senior Director of Parks and Public Spaces for Downtown Cleveland, Inc., where she provides direction on caring for and enhancing public spaces in the city’s core. Downtown Cleveland was recently profiled by the Washington Post as a model for recovery focused on the renovated Public Square as a catalyst. Prior to her current role, Hannah spent nearly a decade at Partnerships for Parks, a joint program of the NYC Parks Department and City Parks Foundation that supports and champions a network of green space advocates and stewards, and oversaw district-wide initiatives at New York’s Neighborhood Preservation Center and Cleveland’s West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development.

As Executive Director of Baltimore Peninsula Community Benefits District – Claudia Jolin is responsible for all aspects of operating, activating, and securing the public realm on the Peninsula. She will be identifying and implementing programs and procedures which will assure that the new neighborhood is a clean, safe, and desirable place to live, work, visit, and play. Previous to this role, Claudia was the Vice President of Economic Development at Downtown Partnership of Baltimore and vital to the success of Baltimore’s Central Business District, Baltimore City, and the greater state of Maryland. She led research-driven initiatives that foster development and track Downtown’s economic success, and she did so with passion, flair, and authenticity – all with a focus on data. Prior to her role at DPOB, she was the Special Assistant in Economic Development in the Baltimore Mayor’s Office and a Mayoral Fellow with the class of 2014, working with Baltimore Development Corporation’s research team.

Kris Larson is the President & CEO of Downtown Houston and Chair-Elect of the International Downtown Association’s (IDA) Board of Directors. He has held positions on the public and private sides of community leadership and served as the President & CEO for the downtown organizations in Los Angeles, CA, Raleigh, NC, and Grand Rapids, MI. He earned an MPA from NC State University, was a Daniel Rose Fellow through the Rose Center for Public Leadership. The IDA has awarded four Pinnacle Awards to his projects in the fields and Leadership, Planning, Advocacy, and Marketing.

Ian Ross is Head of Civic at Placer.ai, a foot traffic analytics platform that allows anyone with a stake in the physical world to instantly generate insights into any property for a deeper understanding of the factors that drive success. Previously, Ian spent 15 years consulting at the intersection of cities and towns, design and policy, public and private investment, politics and real estate, and partnered with cities and organizations to revitalize neighborhoods and transform communities in favor of walkable urbanism.

Moderator 

Nate Storring is a Co-Executive Director at Project for Public Spaces. Prior to his current role, Nate led the production of several resources on district revitalization and placemaking, from the second edition of the placemaking handbook How to Turn a Place Around to guides on innovation districts, inclusive placemaking, and balancing transportation and placemaking on main street. He is also the co-editor of two books on participatory city building, Hyperlocal: Place Governance in a Fragmented World and Vital Little Plans: The Short Works of Jane Jacobs.

Pricing 

Historically, placemaking as a profession has only been accessible to a privileged few. To that end, we are offering a sliding scale of registration pricing so that this event can be accessible to individuals and organizations of varying budgets. 

The suggested registration rate is $50 USD, however we are also offering registration at the rate of $25 USD and $75 USD. Please pay what you can, and consider contributing more to cover the cost of those who can afford less. 

If you have any questions about this training or registration, please contact events@pps.org.