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The Buzz Around The Square: 
Influence the Future of Places. 
Join us in Stockholm, June 29-July 1, 2015, for the final Future of Places conference—a series of three linked meetings to promote the importance of public space and Placemaking at Habitat III in 2016. Organized as a partnership between the Ax:son Johnson Foundation, UN-Habitat, and PPS, the conference will focus on policy and advocacy for a New Urban Agenda. The conference is free of charge and we are expecting attendees from over 50 countries. PLC members are highly encouraged to apply for an invitation.
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Chart The Course Of Global Urban Development For The Next Two Decades, And Beyond

You know the urgency of this moment. Today’s unprecedented rates of urbanization will only intensify the current challenges facing our cities, such as congestion, environmental degradation, increasing inequality, and social isolation. Many parts of the world are mirroring the worst mistakes of industrialized nations—bulldozing traditional settlements to make room for sprawling development. 

What if instead of a narrow focus on building roads, homes, and offices, we built places?


As a PLC member, you have a unique opportunity to change the course of global urban development for the next two decades.  
Trying to fly a kite on the roof in the slums of Mumbai. Image: AP/Rafiq Maqbool, via CityLab.
Join us in Stockholm, June 29-July 1, 2015, for the final Future of Places conference—a series of three linked meetings to promote the importance of public space and Placemaking at the monumental United Nations global summit, Habitat III, in 2016. PPS is proud to be participating in the organization of this special series, in partnership with the Ax:son Johnson Foundation and UN-Habitat. PLC members are highly encouraged to attend, as they can play an important role in helping develop language to influence the the agenda at Habitat III.

To begin thinking differently about the ways we create, plan, and experience urban life, governments at all levels must recognize the formation of places as the core incremental process of city-making. What is more, given its power to achieve multiple outcomes quickly, effectively, and democratically, Placemaking and place-led governance (putting “place” at the center of policy and planning frameworks) need to be fundamental components in this new urban agenda. 

Applications

Applications are now being accepted for an invitation to the final Future of Places Conference, and the Call for Papers will be open until April 15th. The conference is free, but participants must cover their own travel and lodging expenses. We expect many PLC members to attend, and we hope to convene a special council meeting on site. Let your voice be heard at this important moment for the Future of Places worldwide!
Image: chinaeconomicreview.com
Asia and the Global South

Though they are felt around the world, the stresses of urbanization are particularly acute in Asia and the Global South, and these regions have also been the most underrepresented at past gatherings. For this reason, we’d especially like to urge PLC members from these areas to join this discussion, and to help represent the urgency of Placemaking in your respective countries and regions.

Future of Places Already Making an Impact

Exciting things have happened since the first Future of Places meeting in 2013! One of the most promising developments occurred this past July, when the United Nations Open Working Group (OWG) included the first-ever stand-alone goal on Sustainable Cities as part of a final set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Goal 11, known briefly as the “city goal” reads: “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.” Though it still needs to survive a final selection process in September 2015, the ratification of this goal would mark “the UN’s strongest expression ever of the critical role of cities in the world’s future,” as Citiscope’s Neal Peirce explains.
Jemaa el-Fna, Marrakesh, Morocco, as pictured in our recently refreshed Great Public Spaces resource.
Included in this final report of the Sustainable Development Goals is a proposed target dealing specifically with public space: “by 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, particularly for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.”

If this recommendation gets built into the global development agenda, it will have enormous implications for cities everywhere, and it can transform the lives of millions of people all over the world!
 
Click Here to Learn More About "Future of Places"
New Film: Stockholm's Urban Innovation

While this conference is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, observing the everyday life and culture of Stockholm is in itself an unforgettable experience. The city is a model of sustainable, car-free, high-quality living. However, this didn’t come about by accident or by some Scandinavian magic. In recent decades, the city has made many bold (and initially-unpopular) decisions that helped transform the city into the well-loved place it is today. Other major cities across the world have begun to adopt successful Swedish-based programs, such as Vision Zero. To get a taste of what you’ll see firsthand at Future of Places III, check out this brand new video from our friends at Streetfilms, Exploring the Streets of Stockholm
Streetfilms now segments their longer videos into short excerpts to make it easier for advocates to share individual topics. The chapters of this film are "The Walkable City," "Owning a Car in Stockholm,"  "Bicycling in Stockholm," and "Going Beyond Vision Zero."
Let's turn everything up-side-down, to get it right-side-up.

Sincerely,

Fred Kent, President
Project for Public Spaces
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