This will be a blog about urban planning, placemaking, parks and people, primarily in Portland. 🙂 This will also be connected with the Places for Everyone website.
The focus will often be on what constitutes great places, which are typically those that attract *people* rather than cars, i.e., places one is naturally drawn to, rather than wanting to drive through or past. Vancouver’s Brent Toderian often talks about “sticky streets” where people choose to spend more time than they otherwise would, and I will dive deeply into what makes places attractive and, just as importantly, repellent.
Portland’s Mark Lakeman has revolutionized the concept of placemaking in the U.S. by taking back the town square, one intersection at a time. His video, “Reclaiming Place in Urban Space,” is a MUST watch for *anyone* interested in what constitutes great places. It’s also a beautiful tribute to my home town and favorite city in North America, Portland, Oregon: https://creativemornings.com/talks/mark-lakeman
