The Future of Places Forum, the inspiration for our Ten Ways to Transform Cities through Placemaking & Public Spaces article published earlier this week, will open this June in Stockholm, Sweden. The forum will be hosted by UN-HABITAT, Project for Public Spaces (PPS) and the Ax:son Johnson Foundation and will be the first of three conferences leading up to Habitat III in 2016. Its overall aim is to "contribute to a New Urban Agenda around people and places" and to "highlight how and why cities need to embrace a people centered approach in order to achieve positive urbanization." The conference series will define examples of excellent urban practices from around the world as well as future projects that reflect sustainable and equitable processes which build community, enhance quality of life, and creates safe and prosperous neighborhoods.
It is the forum's belief that "the most functional cities will be the ones that encapsulate the public realm and the people who utilize these places." Only when we accept that it is the inability of cities to manage urban growth rather than urban growth itself as the major issue facing the world today will we be able to create more prosperous and sustainable urban communities. This forum will focus in particular on the "urgency, the problems and the potential of ‘places’ in the coming years – both in the developing and the developed world" through a series of lectures given by mayors, engaged citizens and other experts. Anyone who is interested and engaged in civic design is welcome to apply for one of only 200 invitations.
See the Forum's website for more information.