Falling in Love with Our Communities: A Recap of the 2023 Placemaking Conference

As a passionate advocate for placemaking and someone deeply involved in projects like EAT36STN Food Truck Park, Phoenix District Tulsa, and Greenwood Go, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to attend the 2023 Placemaking Conference presented by The University of Oklahoma’s Institute for Quality Communities. This thought-provoking event brought together experts, community leaders, and enthusiasts to share their insights, experiences, and innovative approaches to creating vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive spaces. Some of my favorite sessions featured inspiring talks from Melody Warnick, Allison Quinlan, Mukul Malhotra, and Kia Weatherspoon. In this post, I will share a recap of these sessions, delving into the powerful ideas they presented and the potential impact of fostering place attachment, effective design strategies, and inclusive approaches on our lives and communities.

I also got the chance to see my friend Becky McCray.

Speaker: Kia Weatherspoon

Kia Weatherspoon shared her experiences and insights on the importance of placemaking, empathy, and community engagement. She began by recounting her early exposure to the power of space, from visiting her incarcerated brother to finding solace in a makeshift space during her time in the military. These experiences led her to pursue a career creating spaces that impact people’s lives.

Weatherspoon highlighted the importance of considering the stories behind spaces and engaging with the community during the design process. She emphasized that all disciplines involved in placemaking should search for the community’s story and involve local artists, makers, and organizations.

To effectively engage with the community, Weatherspoon’s firm uses unifying language and focuses on the concept of a “prayer” or intention rooted in the community’s story. This intention guides every design decision, from textures and shapes to smells.

Weatherspoon addressed the issue of inherent bias and the need for empathy in design. She explained that as a young Black woman in a predominantly white, male-dominated industry, her approach to design comes from a place of empathy, softness, and a desire to create spaces that promote safety and welfare.

She urged designers to be aware of the impact their decisions have on future generations, and to challenge biases that show up every day. In order to create truly inclusive spaces, Weatherspoon emphasized the importance of partnership and collaboration among designers and community members.

In conclusion, Weatherspoon reminded the audience that their work as designers is in service to the community, and they should strive to create spaces that foster human experiences while challenging biases and promoting inclusivity.

Speaker: Mukul Malhortra

Mukul Malhortra discussed the importance of creating community spaces and designing them with inclusivity and local needs in mind. He highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased use of virtual meetings, but these platforms lacked the same sense of connection as physical spaces. Malhortra emphasized the importance of designing streets, sidewalks, and public spaces to be accessible, safe, and enjoyable for all.

He shared examples of successful community projects like the revitalization of San Antonio streets, which improved air quality, reduced heat, and encouraged local businesses to flourish. Malhortra stressed the importance of engaging with local communities in the design process, listening to their needs and ideas, and testing new concepts. He also noted the resilience of underprivileged communities and their ability to come up with innovative solutions when given the opportunity to collaborate in design processes.

Mukul Malhortra emphasized that the best places are designed for locals, citing a project in San Antonio where public investment in street improvements led to a 7-to-1 return in private investment. He also discussed the importance of designing spaces that consider potential future unknowns, such as climate change and flooding, by working with nature and incorporating stormwater planters and other eco-friendly features.

Malhortra mentioned the importance of designing with children in mind, as they often come up with creative ideas when given the opportunity to contribute. He also stressed the significance of not being afraid of failure, as it’s an essential part of the learning process in creating great places.

He shared a story about a once-dangerous neighborhood that transformed after a nonprofit organization involved the community in the design process. The children in the area chose trees they wanted to plant, and local residents took ownership of the project by maintaining and cherishing the new environment. This example demonstrated the power of community involvement and collaboration in creating lasting, positive change.

Speaker: Allison Quinlan

In her talk, Allison Quinlan, an architect and urban planner, discussed the importance of creating urban environments that are efficient, sustainable, and meet the needs of diverse populations. She highlighted the current mismatch between housing stock and the changing demographics of household size, noting that a significant portion of American households now consist of one or two people.

Quinlan emphasized the need to create housing that is both affordable and functional for smaller households while maximizing land use and minimizing resource consumption. She showcased several projects she has worked on in downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas, including innovative duplexes, townhouses, and multi-unit developments that prioritize sustainability, affordability, and adaptability.

She also touched on the importance of community involvement in urban planning and design, sharing her experiences working with children and neighbors on projects such as designing crosswalks and repurposing public spaces for community use. Ultimately, Quinlan stressed that building cities is about creating a framework for people to live in, and that prioritizing the needs and well-being of residents is essential for creating vibrant, sustainable communities.

Speaker: Melody Warnick

Melody Warnick’s session focused on the concept of place attachment and the importance of belonging in a community. She shared her experience of moving to Blacksburg and feeling disconnected, which led her to explore what makes people feel like they belong in a certain place. Through her research, she found that place attachment has significant benefits for individuals and communities, including improved health, self-esteem, and social capital.

Place attachment is largely about perception and can change over time. To increase her own place attachment, Warnick conducted “love where you live” experiments, engaging in behaviors that are correlated with place attachment, such as walking and biking, volunteering, and getting to know her neighbors. She discovered that two key factors in fostering belonging are building relationships and providing a sense of purpose.

To build relationships, Warnick emphasized the importance of social connections and gathering spaces within a community, such as parks, community centers, and schools. She shared anecdotes about bringing banana bread to her neighbors, and mentioned initiatives like porch parties and open streets events to promote connection.

Providing a sense of purpose means allowing people to contribute to their community and express their passions. By engaging in activities that help them love where they live, individuals can positively impact their own lives and those around them. In conclusion, Warnick encouraged everyone to design their own “love where you live” experiments and focus on building relationships and providing purpose to create a sense of belonging for themselves and others.

Melody Warnick delved deeper into the concept of place attachment by explaining how it is influenced by one’s environment and experiences. She highlighted that it is an emotional response, similar to happiness, and can change based on the individual’s perceptions and circumstances.

Warnick also touched upon the importance of creating a sense of belonging in a community. She shared her own struggles with feeling disconnected in Blacksburg and how she overcame them by embracing a mindset shift. She adopted the behaviors of people with high place attachment and started engaging in activities that promoted connection to her community.

She further discussed the role of trust in building relationships within a community. The example of the “Mr. Rogers effect” demonstrated how trust among neighbors can have life-saving implications during emergencies. This reiterates the importance of being a good neighbor and cultivating trust within the community.

Additionally, Warnick shared the concept of “love where you live” experiments, which are activities that anyone can do to foster place attachment. She encouraged the audience to develop their own experiments tailored to their interests and needs, emphasizing that it is possible to fall in love with one’s community by actively participating in it.

Melody Warnick’s talk was a powerful reminder that creating a sense of belonging and attachment to a place is a combination of building relationships, providing purpose, and engaging in activities that promote connection and passion. By focusing on these aspects, individuals can positively impact their lives and their communities, creating a thriving environment where everyone feels like they belong.

This post could have very well been titled Placemaking Through Empathy, Storytelling, and Community Engagement. That is what I walked away with most from this conference. I’m excited about the projects I’m working on and I can’t wait to see what the communities do. Stay tuned.