"Imagining North Adams" (August 30 – September 22)
The Tactical Urbanism Summit (September 15).
Place-shapers, roll up your sleeves.
We're meeting in Massachusetts on September 14.
What we will do is up to you; summit participants will set the agenda. So read, discuss, and register. We'll look forward to meeting you.
Q&A About the Summit:
What do you mean by "placecraft?"
Placecraft = the careful art of shaping the built environment to create value, strengthen community, and protect the ecosystem. The term encompasses like-minded movements such as Placemaking, Smart Growth, and New Urbanism, among others.
What do you mean by "summit?"
Meeting, confab, conference, retreat, congress...
What sessions will be offered?
That depends on you. This conference turns the usual model upside down by putting participants in charge of the program. After all, who knows what you wish to accomplish better than you do?
Sessions can include presentations, panels, and other familiar conference formats; or take the opportunity to try something new. Workshops, Show and Tell, debates, charrettes, experiments, open space technology, studio sessions... The only requirement is this: all sessions will aim to advance the practice of good placecraft by sharing knowledge, furthering a project, or connecting people within the movement.
See what sessions are already on the books.
When will sessions be announced?
We will post new sessions as they're confirmed, leading right up through September 14. We encourage session developers to commit early, as meeting space is limited. But there's room for last-minute inspiration at this conference, and proposals will continue to be accepted as long as we can offer appropriate meeting space.
How can I keep up with developments?
- Register. (Registered session developers and participants will be the first to receive Summit news, direct via email to their "in" box.)
- Keep an eye our News page.
- "Like" us on Facebook.
How can I participate?
Got initiative and a goal you want to accomplish? Develop a session! (See our Developers page for the how-to.)
Curious enough to come learn, discuss, and collaborate? Simply register, and join us for as much or as little of the summit as you like.
Will it break the bank?
Not at all. Register for the price of a movie ticket (waived for the first thirty registrants). Or develop a session, and your general registration will be waived. You aim to advance the state of placemaking; we aim to make it as easy as possible for you to find collaborators for your mission.
Why North Adams, and why this date?
On September 14, North Adams will be in the final week of "Imagining North Adams," a three-week festival of events, artwork, and initiatives with a local place-crafting mission. We think you'll enjoy the associated opportunities, and we know you'll enjoy the city.
Why? Because North Adams is in the midst of reinvention. Since 1999, it has been transformed from threatened mill town to "improbable resort town" filled with art and surrounded by recreational opportunities. It is also a walkable, soulful microcosm of the best and worst city planning practices that our nation has been exposed to over the past two centuries. You could fill your day with points of interest even if you attended none of the Summit's sessions.
Okay, I'm in. What next?
Register - This gives you the opportunity to tell session developers and other attendees what you're interested in. They, in turn, can propose sessions that interest you or make plans to connect with you at the Summit.
Develop a session - It can be as formal as a presentation or as informal as a get-together over lunch. It's a good (albeit optional) way to ensure that the Summit agenda reflects your goals and interests.
Involve your friends and colleagues - Make plans to meet in North Adams to get stuff done or just have a good time. The gentle mountain setting makes it a particularly good setting for a working retreat. You can even Summit on a summit, if you like; Mount Greylock is our back yard.
Spread the word - Email, Facebook, smoke signals, Twitter (#placecraftsummit)... You know who needs to be here in September; tell them. We look forward to meeting you and your friends.