Earlier this month, over 600 public space leaders from around the world gathered in Charm City for the 4th International Placemaking Week!
The Neighborhood Design Center was honored to co-host this conference with Project for Public Spaces and with generous support from the City of Baltimore.
The week centered around the transformative power of placemaking and was packed with thought-provoking panel discussions, hands-on workshops, neighborhood walks, celebrations, and more! We look forward to applying key learnings to improve our public spaces. You can view the program and full list of speakers here.
It’s a privilege to bring industries and communities together in this way. To everyone who traveled from near and far to attend, THANK YOU! We’re thrilled you got to experience Baltimore’s charm.
The estimated economic impact Placemaking Week will have on our city is around $500,000.
We hope to harness the momentum from Placemaking Week to unite in creating a more equitable built environment for all.
See photos from some of our favorite moments captured by Side A Photography or search #PlacemakingWeek on social media for a behind-the-scenes look at the conference. Be sure to use the event hashtag to share your experience with us!
Watch the free live stream of the opening plenary session, including a riveting spoken-word performance by Nia June!
Defining Placemaking — what does it really mean?
The term “placemaking” has become ubiquitous in conversations around public spaces, echoing through community meetings, policy discussions, and architectural studios.
During Placemaking Week, many discussions took place on the challenges and opportunities of both the term and the practices.
At NDC, placemaking is a concept we continue to explore with our community partners, and as such, we do not have a fixed definition. However, our community engagement around placemaking remains deeply rooted in place-based interventions that respond to the distinctive needs and aspirations of local neighborhoods. Read our analysis on the many facets of “placemaking” in our Ideas + Insights post.
As a small nonprofit organization, hosting an event of this scale required significant time, resources, and effort.
If you found value in the conference and would like to help us continue our mission, please consider making a donation to the Neighborhood Design Center. Your support will enable us to continue organizing impactful events and advancing the placemaking efforts in our local communities.
Thank you to the many supporters who made Placemaking Week possible!
