Where Feet Meet the Street: Innovative Public/Private Placemaking Projects

This workshop is now SOLD OUT with over 100 set to participate. To attend, please register using the button above and you will be placed on our waitlist on a first-come, first-served basis. Pending cancellations, you will be automatically notified to register based on your place in the waitlist. We'd love to see you at our next NJDRMI in Atlantic City on Sept. 24-25.

Featuring Gary Toth from Project for Public Spaces, Prema Katari Gupta, Director of Planning and Economic Development for Philadelphia's University City District, Josh Bloom of C.L.U.E Group, and the Montclair Center District itself as a case study. (Here are their bios.)

Hosted at the beautiful Montclair Library just steps away from the heart of award winning Montclair Center, a Main Street New Jersey community since 2007.

APA 4.75 CM Credits

Agenda (as a downloadable pdf; details below)

8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. – Registration, Networking and Continental Breakfast

9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. – Opening Remarks & Introductions

9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. – Thinking of NJ's Main Streets as Places: Principles for Creating Great Communities: Gary Toth

10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. – Scalable & Innovative Placemaking in Practice, pt. 1: Prema Katari Gupta

11:15 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. – South Park Street Case Study (walk): Peter Steck, AICP, David Lustberg, AICP/PP, and Erik Marin, AIA

11:55 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Lunch On Your Own in Montclair Center, 2012 APA NJ Great Places Winner

1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. – Scalable & Innovative Placemaking in Practice, pt. 2: Prema Katari Gupta

2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. – Using Crowdsourcing & Crowdfunding to Catalyze Placemaking and Public Improvements: Josh Bloom

3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Closing Remarks

3:30 p.m - 4:30 p.m – Networking Reception: Get to know your downtown "main street" network colleagues

Detailed Topic Descriptions: (as a downloadable pdf)

Thinking of NJ's Main Streets as Places: Principles for Creating Great Communities

Effective public spaces are extremely difficult to accomplish, because their complexity is rarely understood. As William (Holly) Whyte said, “It’s hard to design a space that will not attract people. What is remarkable is how often this has been accomplished.”

PPS has identified the key elements in transforming public spaces into vibrant community places, whether they’re parks, plazas, public squares, streets, sidewalks or the myriad other outdoor spaces that have public uses in common. The elements covered in this session are crucial regardless of you community's size and they can be applied in a variety of ways.

Scalable & Innovative Placemaking in Practice, pt. 1

Building on the more general principles shared earlier, this session will share specific best practices (and avoidable mistakes) from some successful recent innovative public improvement projects in Philadelphia's diverse and growing University City District. These projects run the gamut from sanctioned tactical urbanism to more traditional placemaking, as well as touching on the programming and management of each "place". While Philadelphia is a major city, all of these examples are scalable to a variety of community sizes, locations and budgets as long as your partnerships and vision are in synch.

Church & South Park Streets: Best Practices and Uses, Past & Present

We take a walk down the block to learn about how Church Street was designed (in the 1970's) and how South Park Street's just completed revitalization was achieved: Planning, Partners, Patience and Programming. See how Montclair Center is seeking to maximize the investment in its latest placemaking effort and how it connects to the renowned and award-winning Church Street. (Lunch on your own follows.)

Tour leaders for this live case study are Peter Steck, AICP (former Montclair Town Planner), David Lustberg, AICP/PP, and Erik Marin, AIA.

Scalable & Innovative Placemaking in Practice, pt. 2

Wrapping up the first part of placemaking examples from Philly, this session will also tie together practical take-aways from some successful recent innovative public improvement projects the University City District. While Philadelphia is a major city, all of these examples are scalable to a variety of community sizes, locations and budgets as long as your partnerships and vision are in synch.

Using Crowdsourcing & Crowdfunding to Catalyze Placemaking &Public Improvements

Learn how to use 21st Century tools for designing and financing placemaking and public improvements during this crash course. Leverage crowdsourcing to define and refine each project and to establish goals and stakeholder buy-in. Use crowdfunding to capitalize public improvements to maximize public and private investment. Learn about project packaging, scale, publicity/marketing, barriers and pitfalls, as well as strategies for what happens "after the crowd".

(NOTE: Promotional Partners will receive a special code for discounted registrations, as will Designated and Selected Main Street New Jersey Programs.)

Promotional Partners: