We were pleased to welcome more than 800 guests from 55 communities around Oklahoma and other states to the 2015 Placemaking Conference last week. Videos of the lectures will be available soon. Until then, here is a review of the best insights of the day through the tweets of people who attended the conference.
What did you think about the Placemaking Conference? What were the ideas that impacted you the most? What concepts can you apply in your community?
Leave your thoughts in the comments at the bottom of the page.
The stage is set for today's Placemaking Conference! Use #iqcconf to join the conversation. pic.twitter.com/AR9FX8i1QA
— Quality Communities (@OUIQC) March 23, 2015
We love seeing all the employees and public officials from @cityofokc at the #iqcconf today. We all have to work together to create place!
— Better Block OKC (@BetterBlockOKC) March 23, 2015
OU @President_Boren welcomes the audience: "In so many ways we are shaped by the built environment in which we live." #iqcconf
— Quality Communities (@OUIQC) March 23, 2015
Some pics from today's @OUIQC #placemaking conference pic.twitter.com/r6hTxjEIxq
— Ben Felder (@benfelder_okg) March 23, 2015
About today's #iqcconf, @PresidentBoren said, "We are going to leave here with ideas to make our community a better place."
— Jill Brown DeLozier (@jilldelozier) March 23, 2015
Mariela Alfonzo: Defining Great Places
"Fix places as a vehicle to fix people," Mariela Alfonzo, I have a feeling I'll be dwelling on this for a while… #iqcconf
— Cayla with a C (@awkwordy) March 23, 2015
Why decide to walk? Dynamic public plazas, streetscapes, importance of lightning, several @project180 projects in the works. #iqcconf
— Downtown OKC Inc. (@DowntownOKCInc) March 23, 2015
"I've seen a couple of chairs and tables transform a place into a buzzing center of activity." -Mariela Alfonzo #iqcconf
— Jill Brown DeLozier (@jilldelozier) March 23, 2015
How do we convince real estate developers to change how they make decisions, to include the value of urban design and place? #iqcconf
— Shane Hampton (@shanehamp) March 23, 2015
Chuck Marohn: Fiscally Strong Towns
We have an experimental model for growth and development that doesn't work, leaving our smart cities financially wrought. #IQCConf
— Tulsa's Young Pros (@TYPros) March 23, 2015
The "growth ponzi shcheme" – developer provides it, city maintains it. Not an optimal cash flow deal. #iqcconf pic.twitter.com/gXLjBLzmdx
— Mariela Alfonzo (@stateofplaceorg) March 23, 2015
It takes 75 yrs for a city to recoup cost of building residential streets in suburbs–3x longer than road will last. Chuck Mahron #iqcconf
— Jill Brown DeLozier (@jilldelozier) March 23, 2015
A blighted main street block is likely to have greater value than a brand new strip mall. @clmarohn @strongtowns #iqcconf
— Quality Communities (@OUIQC) March 23, 2015
Karen Lee: Active Design for Healthy Places
Physician Karen Lee is up next: What if city codes promoted design that encourages healthy, active communities? #iqcconf
— Quality Communities (@OUIQC) March 23, 2015
No state had an obesity rate over 15% in 1990. By 2000 half of all states did. Today no state is under 15% #DearGod
— Ben Felder (@benfelder_okg) March 23, 2015
Urban sprawl was an answer to public health problems based on industrial pollution. Now our health problems based on inactivity. #iqcconf
— Quality Communities (@OUIQC) March 23, 2015
Leading causes of death in 19th Century were infectious diseases and cities were planned to respond (sanitation, building codes, etc.)
— Ben Felder (@benfelder_okg) March 23, 2015
Leading causes today are chronic diseases which can be treated by active design in our cities.
— Ben Felder (@benfelder_okg) March 23, 2015
If trends continue, by 2030 80% of our population will be obese & we will spend nearly $1T on healthcare infrastructure. #iqcconf
— Chris Fox (@christopherdfox) March 23, 2015
“What are the top 2 opportunities you have to create health in your community?” // #iqcconf // @KarenLeeDr
— Serve Moore (@ServeMooreOK) March 23, 2015
Gil Penalosa: Cities for All
If you can build cities that work for people who are 8 years old and 80, you have hit the mark. @Penalosa_G up next. #iqcconf
— Quality Communities (@OUIQC) March 23, 2015
"To improve walking you have to make the pedestrian the priority," powerful message from @Penalosa_G at #iqcconf @OUIQC
— Bricktown (@Bricktown411) March 23, 2015
"A developed & civilized society is not one where the poor have cars, it's one where the rich use pub transit." – Enrique P. @Penalosa_G
— Rebecca Sanders (@rebeccalsanders) March 23, 2015
Jeffrey Tumlin: Parking in Livable Communities
Many zoning codes require more land area devoted to parking than buildings. @jeffreytumlin @NelsonNygaard #iqcconf
— Shane Hampton (@shanehamp) March 23, 2015
"It's a terrible thing not to provide enough #parking, but it's an even worse thing to provide too much." -Jeff Tumlin, #iqcconf
— Jill Brown DeLozier (@jilldelozier) March 23, 2015
Parking is the only thing in our economy were the laws of supply and demand don't apply. @jeffreytumlin #iqcconf
— Mariela Alfonzo (@stateofplaceorg) March 23, 2015
"It doesn't say anywhere in Leviticus that parking must be free on Sundays." @jeffreytumlin #iqcconf
— Shane Hampton (@shanehamp) March 23, 2015
Vincent LoVoi: Place-Based Investment
"We want to invest in a way that makes our community essential." #VinceLoVoi #iqcconf
— Quality Communities (@OUIQC) March 23, 2015
Fowler Group and @TYPros get shout outs from Vince LoVoi during his talk on placemaking. #iqcconf @fowwow
— P. Ryckbost AICP, PE (@cafeboeuf) March 23, 2015
Food and beer have a role in brining communities together. They can be catalysts for neighborhood redevelopment. #vincelovoi #iqcconf
— Quality Communities (@OUIQC) March 23, 2015
Biggest challenge in urban development today is turning Tulsa and OKC into one competitive market not two small cities #VinceLovoi #iqcconf
— Tulsa's Young Pros (@TYPros) March 23, 2015
Tom Murphy: Anchoring Quality Communities
Next up, #TomMurphy, a former mayor of @CityPGH who helped revitalize Pittsburgh and now serves as an @UrbanLandInst fellow. #iqcconf
— Quality Communities (@OUIQC) March 23, 2015
Tom Murphy giving inspiration to leadership #iqcconf pic.twitter.com/ae8UFzYM7m
— Meghan Wieters (@MeghanWieters) March 23, 2015
The most important investment a city can make is education and human talent. #tommurphy #iqcconf
— Quality Communities (@OUIQC) March 23, 2015
Pittsburgh turned around with investments in art, culture, rivers, and critical partnerships with local universities. #tommurphy #iqcconf
— Quality Communities (@OUIQC) March 23, 2015
Tripp Muldrow: Branding Communities
We think of "branding" for outsiders- but sometimes communities need to be branded to people who already live there. #iqcconf #trippmuldrow
— Quality Communities (@OUIQC) March 23, 2015
Branding for the community, for the people there. – Tripp Muldrow #iqcconf pic.twitter.com/jgcuVWZpU0
— Meghan Wieters (@MeghanWieters) March 23, 2015
Tripp Muldrow is is the Don Draper of community branding. #iqcconf
— Shane Hampton (@shanehamp) March 23, 2015
Muldrow pointing out that colors, font, logo, and tagline all offer chance to add to a community’s branding. // #iqcconf // @muldrot
— Chris Fox (@christopherdfox) March 23, 2015
Candy Chang: Transforming Our Cities Through Art and Design
Artist Candy Chang: "Follow your curiosity, experiment, and allow the many experiences of your life to influence your creativity." #iqcconf
— Jill Brown DeLozier (@jilldelozier) March 23, 2015
Learning from @candychang about contemplative public spaces. These spaces affect mental health and create trust on a local level. #iqcconf
— Better Block OKC (@BetterBlockOKC) March 23, 2015
The love child of street art and urban planning. @candychang #iqcconf pic.twitter.com/qFP94ko8fu
— Mariela Alfonzo (@stateofplaceorg) March 23, 2015
Many of our conflicts come from a lack of trust amongst our communities. Truth. #preach @candychang #iqcconf
— Shagah Zakerion (@shagsss) March 23, 2015
If @candychang doesn't drop the mic when she finishes her talk, I will be disappointed. #iqcconf
— Cameron Brewer (@BrewtosaurusRex) March 23, 2015
Carol Coletta: Innovative Placemaking
“The future of the city is crowdsourcing.” Yet local voting & engagement is at an all time low. // #iqcconf #govote // @ccoletta
— Serve Moore (@ServeMooreOK) March 24, 2015
College educated young adults seek dense, walkable places and choose where they want to live before trying to find a job. @ccoletta #iqcconf
— Quality Communities (@OUIQC) March 24, 2015
Carol Coletta: how do we make it delightful for people of diff incomes to live near each other? Urgent question for the fut @OUIQC #iqcconf
— Rebecca Sanders (@rebeccalsanders) March 24, 2015