Activating Open Spaces and Creative Placemaking

Cities are searching for new ways to activate open spaces and improve their citizens' quality of life and wellbeing. Encouraging social gatherings while offering inclusive, inspirational, and educational spaces has been the foundation of the research and creative work of Victor Perez-Amado, Assistant Professor, School of Urban and Regional Planning. In his studio courses, students activate urban spaces by designing and building public installations and prototypes. Their design and learning process includes community consultation workshops, research about the neighbourhood, and fabrication and installation of prototypes. The work produced in these courses is fundamentally grounded in the principles of creative placemaking--an evolving field of practice that intentionally leverages the power of the arts, culture, and creativity to serve a community's interest while driving a broader agenda for change, growth, and transformation in ways that also build character and quality of place, while fostering new community experiences. In this session, we talk with Perez-Amado about his career and practice, his many collaborations, and the inspirational ideas he brings to his work.