The 2023 Placemaking Conference took place on March 20, 2023, after a four year gap due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Over the course of 3 sessions throughout the day, 8 expert speakers presented on topics related to community development, creating belonging and equity, and city leadership. The speakers come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds, ranging from designers and architects to planners and authors.
In 2023, the Conference drew 625 attendees from five states: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma.
Please enjoy videos from the conference below. Closed captions are available for all videos.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Shane Hampton, Director of OU Institute for Qualilty Communities (IQC) welcomes everyone to the conference. Dean Hans E. Butzer of OU’s Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture and President Harroz Jr. of OU share opening remarks.
Ecosystem of Communities
Purpose Driven Path to Design Equity
Kia Weatherspoon, President, Determined by Design
Bruce Goff Chair of Creative Architecture Lecture
Neighborhoods and Streets for Exchange and Connection
Mukul Malhotra, Principal and Director of Urban Design, MIG, Inc.
The Power of Cute: Lovable Incremental Community Development
Allison Quinlan, Principal of Flintlock Lab
Followed by a moderated discussion led by Vanessa Morrison, Associate Director of IQC.
Belonging in Community
The Daily Practice of Loving Where You Live: How to Create Joy in Our Imperfect Places
Melody Warnick, Author, This is Where You Belong and If You Could Live Anywhere
Our Greatest Source of Joy and Happiness are the Vibrant, Walkable Public Spaces Around Us
Arti Harchekar, Founding Principal, Joyful Urbanist
Followed by a moderated discussion led by Ronald H Frantz, Director of Small Town Studios at OU IQC.
Leadership in City Design
Leadership in Place Management
Jane Jenkins, Principal, Jane Jenkins Resources
Big Ideas: Transforming Fort Worth’s Central City
Fernando Costa, Assistant City Manager, City of Fort Worth
National Trends for Cities and Mayors
Trinity Simons Wagner, Executive Director, Mayors’ Institute on City Design
Followed by a moderated discussion led by Shane Hampton, Director of OU IQC.
Supporters
We aim to keep registration affordable, and free for students. Sponsors make it possible!
Please enjoy videos from past conferences.
2019
Allison Bailey
Jill Brown DeLozier
Mick Cornett
Laura Hoagland
Rick Lowe
Elena Madison
Lauren Nitschke
Kennedy Smith
Dylan Thuras
Kelly Tompkins
2017
Mayor Jim Brainard
Victor Dover
Toni Griffin
Patrick Kennedy
Fred Kent
Mike Lydon
Susan Silberberg
Marcus Westbury
2015
Mariela Alfonso
Candy Chang
Carol Coletta
Karen Lee
Vincent LoVoi
Chuck Marohn
Wilfred McClay
Tripp Muldrow
Tom Murphy
Gil Penalosa
Jeffrey Tumlin
2013
Dan Burden
Sid Burgess
John Cock
Hank Dittmar
Ellen Dunham-Jones
Ron Frantz
Richard Jackson
Ethan Kent
Christopher Leinberger
Jason Roberts
Donovan Rypkema
Jeff Speck