Creating places for people

Creating places for people

Brian Bernstein, REALM Collaborative

Thursday, April 29 | Noon (EST)

The car changed everything. When we fled cities for the suburbs, we left behind one of our most treasured ideals, a connectedness that downtowns provided and that reflects our fundamental human need to be together. To fill this void, we created plastic malls and faux “centers” bestowed with a simulacrum of downtown neighborhoods’ look and feel. But it’s simply not enough. For eons, people have enjoyed one another’s company, thriving on a village of experiences; a symbiotic mix of interior and exterior spaces, food, shopping, entertainment, living, and work. It’s a tall order for cities to play this role today as doing so must be authentic and meaningful--otherwise why would anyone leave their digitally enhanced homes? We must rejuvenate and reconsider our downtowns and be thoughtful about the facsimile centers we create today. Anything less just isn’t worth the journey. Join Brian Bernstein, a partner at urban design and landscape architecture firm REALM Collaborative, in considering and discussing how to create places for people.