Placemaking Seminar Series 2018
Programs take place at the BSA Space, 290 Congress Street in Boston, usually on the 4th Monday of the month from 6-8pm. They are free and open to the public. Refreshments are served. To learn more about specific programs and to register visit the Placemaking Network on the BSA Webpage.
2018 Placemaking Network Seminars
November 29, 2018
Carlo Ratti: Senseable Cities | Placemaking Seminar at ABX 2018
The way we live, work, and play is very different today than it was just a few decades ago, thanks in large part to a network of connectivity that now encompasses most people on the planet. In a similar way, today we are at the beginning of a new technological revolution: the Internet is entering the physical space, the traditional domain of architecture and design, becoming an “Internet of Things” or IoT. As such, it is opening the door to a variety of applications that, in a similar way to what happened with the first wave of the Internet, can encompass many domains: from energy to mobility, from production to citizen participation. Professor Carlo Ratti will address these issues from a critical point of view through projects by the Senseable City Laboratory, a research initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the design office Carlo Ratti Associati. An architect and engineer by training, Professor Carlo Ratti teaches at MIT, where he directs the Senseable City Laboratory, and is a founding partner of the international design and innovation practice Carlo Ratti Associati. A leading voice in the debate on new technologies’ impact on urban life, his work has been exhibited worldwide, including at the Venice Biennale, New York’s MoMA, London’s Science Museum, and Barcelona’s Design Museum. Two of his projects – the Digital Water Pavilion and the Copenhagen Wheel – were hailed by Time Magazine as ‘Best Inventions of the Year’. He has been included in Wired Magazine’s ‘Smart List: 50 people who will change the world’. He is currently serving as co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cities and Urbanization, and as special advisor on Urban Innovation to the European Commission.Note: Anyone will be able to walk in and register on site, even if they are not registered for ABX. The pass comes with free access to the show floor if you arrive early.
October 22, 2018
The Hub on Causeway: Placemaking on Hallowed Ground
Gensler has designed and planned the now-under-construction 1.87 million sf vertical mixed-use HUB ON CAUSEWAY project around public activation and placemaking, focused on the 60-foot wide 200-foot-long, 120-foot tall retail gallery dubbed “Champions Row.” It directly connects North Station and T.D. Garden to Causeway Street and gives office tenants and hotel guests front-row seats to the action as commuters and fans pass through. Come hear JF Finn AIA, Gensler’s mixed-use Studio Director, talk about the placemaking considerations that they grappled with during the design of this important Boston development. JF will present the project and discuss the location and configuration of the glass-covered central piazza at its heart, the circulation routes through it, the surrounding uses, the location of entries and exits to the upper level uses that will help pulse office and residential folks into the spaces and onto the sidewalks, the associated complexity with core locations and parking, and all the bells and whistles (TV screens, sound systems, integration with TD Garden, etc.) that are designed to make THE HUB ON CAUSEWAY a happening place.
May 21, 2018
Beyond Walls: Placemaking in Lynn, MA
Originally, a volunteer initiative headed by Lynn residents, business owners and public art enthusiasts, Beyond Walls, was set into action through a variety of donations, sponsorships and grants. The first projects spearheaded by Beyond Walls include 600 feet of interactive LED underpass lighting, building-sized murals created by international artists throughout the downtown, vintage neon art, and a sculpture paying homage to Lynn's industrial past. Join Pedro Soto and Amanda Hill from Beyond Walls in conversation with Joe Mulligan from Mass Development to hear how Beyond Walls banded together a group of volunteers to turn underused spaces into community assets.
April 23, 2018
Eye-Tracking Architecture: Insights from Biometrics on Walkability, ‘Linger-Ability' + Human Happiness
Ann Sussman AIA, an architect, author and researcher, introduces participants to her ongoing research on how buildings influence people emotionally. Biometric tools, like eye tracking, which follows eye movements we don’t consciously control, are widely used in advertising and product design today. What happens when we apply the technology to architecture? This talk reviews findings from recent pilot-studies showing how people look at architecture, revealing hidden behaviors that are key to successful placemaking. Discuss how ‘fixations’ or attachments our eyes make without conscious effort direct our behavior around buildings, even influencing our mood and anxiety levels.
March 26, 2018
Placemaking in Action: Hints for Success in a Controversial Community Meeting
Joanne Alinsky Linowes, Principal of the Linowes Executive Development Institute
An energized community can make it challenging for you to present your design and neighborhood ideas and get the support you seek. This lively, interactive seminar offers specific techniques that allow you to share your ideas, mitigate the difficult responses, and encourage the community to feel heard so you can move your project to the next step. Joanne Linowes is a sought-after consultant for presentation coaching and communications training as well as professional development for professionals working in the fields of design, technical and financial services.
Public Space? Lost and Found
February 26, 2018
Gediminas Urbonas, MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology
In 2014, Gediminas Urbonas chaired an MIT symposium entitled Public Space? Lost and Found and recently co-edited a book of the same title (SA+P Press; MIT Press, 2017). Both symposium and book brought together artists, planners, theorists, and art historians in an examination of the complex interrelations between the creation and uses of public space and the roles that public art plays therein. Urbonas will speak about the definitions of public space and the tools, tactics, and consequences of reclaiming it through architecture and art. He will cite projects that challenge or support ideas of cultural identity, documenting and analyzing public spaces from several locations and cultures in recent history.
Community Placekeeping and Preserving Neighborhood Identity
January 29, 2018
Angie Liou, Asian Community Development Corporation, Boston, MA
Much placemaking activity currently occurs in gentrifying neighborhoods and there is great debate about whether these placemaking efforts alleviate or exacerbate gentrifying forces. Much of this has to do with who is leading the placemaking efforts, and who the target audience is. The Asian Community Development Corporation’s placemaking efforts have really been much more about “placekeeping” – maintaining the identity and boundaries of Chinatown. ADCD Executive Director Angie Liou will share her insights and discuss ADCD’s approach, particularly how youth and residents lead the efforts.
2018 Placemaking Network Seminars
November 29, 2018
Carlo Ratti: Senseable Cities | Placemaking Seminar at ABX 2018
The way we live, work, and play is very different today than it was just a few decades ago, thanks in large part to a network of connectivity that now encompasses most people on the planet. In a similar way, today we are at the beginning of a new technological revolution: the Internet is entering the physical space, the traditional domain of architecture and design, becoming an “Internet of Things” or IoT. As such, it is opening the door to a variety of applications that, in a similar way to what happened with the first wave of the Internet, can encompass many domains: from energy to mobility, from production to citizen participation. Professor Carlo Ratti will address these issues from a critical point of view through projects by the Senseable City Laboratory, a research initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the design office Carlo Ratti Associati. An architect and engineer by training, Professor Carlo Ratti teaches at MIT, where he directs the Senseable City Laboratory, and is a founding partner of the international design and innovation practice Carlo Ratti Associati. A leading voice in the debate on new technologies’ impact on urban life, his work has been exhibited worldwide, including at the Venice Biennale, New York’s MoMA, London’s Science Museum, and Barcelona’s Design Museum. Two of his projects – the Digital Water Pavilion and the Copenhagen Wheel – were hailed by Time Magazine as ‘Best Inventions of the Year’. He has been included in Wired Magazine’s ‘Smart List: 50 people who will change the world’. He is currently serving as co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cities and Urbanization, and as special advisor on Urban Innovation to the European Commission.Note: Anyone will be able to walk in and register on site, even if they are not registered for ABX. The pass comes with free access to the show floor if you arrive early.
October 22, 2018
The Hub on Causeway: Placemaking on Hallowed Ground
Gensler has designed and planned the now-under-construction 1.87 million sf vertical mixed-use HUB ON CAUSEWAY project around public activation and placemaking, focused on the 60-foot wide 200-foot-long, 120-foot tall retail gallery dubbed “Champions Row.” It directly connects North Station and T.D. Garden to Causeway Street and gives office tenants and hotel guests front-row seats to the action as commuters and fans pass through. Come hear JF Finn AIA, Gensler’s mixed-use Studio Director, talk about the placemaking considerations that they grappled with during the design of this important Boston development. JF will present the project and discuss the location and configuration of the glass-covered central piazza at its heart, the circulation routes through it, the surrounding uses, the location of entries and exits to the upper level uses that will help pulse office and residential folks into the spaces and onto the sidewalks, the associated complexity with core locations and parking, and all the bells and whistles (TV screens, sound systems, integration with TD Garden, etc.) that are designed to make THE HUB ON CAUSEWAY a happening place.
May 21, 2018
Beyond Walls: Placemaking in Lynn, MA
Originally, a volunteer initiative headed by Lynn residents, business owners and public art enthusiasts, Beyond Walls, was set into action through a variety of donations, sponsorships and grants. The first projects spearheaded by Beyond Walls include 600 feet of interactive LED underpass lighting, building-sized murals created by international artists throughout the downtown, vintage neon art, and a sculpture paying homage to Lynn's industrial past. Join Pedro Soto and Amanda Hill from Beyond Walls in conversation with Joe Mulligan from Mass Development to hear how Beyond Walls banded together a group of volunteers to turn underused spaces into community assets.
April 23, 2018
Eye-Tracking Architecture: Insights from Biometrics on Walkability, ‘Linger-Ability' + Human Happiness
Ann Sussman AIA, an architect, author and researcher, introduces participants to her ongoing research on how buildings influence people emotionally. Biometric tools, like eye tracking, which follows eye movements we don’t consciously control, are widely used in advertising and product design today. What happens when we apply the technology to architecture? This talk reviews findings from recent pilot-studies showing how people look at architecture, revealing hidden behaviors that are key to successful placemaking. Discuss how ‘fixations’ or attachments our eyes make without conscious effort direct our behavior around buildings, even influencing our mood and anxiety levels.
March 26, 2018
Placemaking in Action: Hints for Success in a Controversial Community Meeting
Joanne Alinsky Linowes, Principal of the Linowes Executive Development Institute
An energized community can make it challenging for you to present your design and neighborhood ideas and get the support you seek. This lively, interactive seminar offers specific techniques that allow you to share your ideas, mitigate the difficult responses, and encourage the community to feel heard so you can move your project to the next step. Joanne Linowes is a sought-after consultant for presentation coaching and communications training as well as professional development for professionals working in the fields of design, technical and financial services.
Public Space? Lost and Found
February 26, 2018
Gediminas Urbonas, MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology
In 2014, Gediminas Urbonas chaired an MIT symposium entitled Public Space? Lost and Found and recently co-edited a book of the same title (SA+P Press; MIT Press, 2017). Both symposium and book brought together artists, planners, theorists, and art historians in an examination of the complex interrelations between the creation and uses of public space and the roles that public art plays therein. Urbonas will speak about the definitions of public space and the tools, tactics, and consequences of reclaiming it through architecture and art. He will cite projects that challenge or support ideas of cultural identity, documenting and analyzing public spaces from several locations and cultures in recent history.
Community Placekeeping and Preserving Neighborhood Identity
January 29, 2018
Angie Liou, Asian Community Development Corporation, Boston, MA
Much placemaking activity currently occurs in gentrifying neighborhoods and there is great debate about whether these placemaking efforts alleviate or exacerbate gentrifying forces. Much of this has to do with who is leading the placemaking efforts, and who the target audience is. The Asian Community Development Corporation’s placemaking efforts have really been much more about “placekeeping” – maintaining the identity and boundaries of Chinatown. ADCD Executive Director Angie Liou will share her insights and discuss ADCD’s approach, particularly how youth and residents lead the efforts.