Placemaking Week

Sign-up links for all off-sites will be sent by email to conference registrants only in late September. Advanced registration required. Capacity: 40 (FULL).

This daylong trip to Tilburg will explore how to scale up placemaking projects into a citywide approach.

Tilburg is a large city in southern Netherlands, beginning with its growth as the wool capital of the Netherlands during the Industrial Revolution. Because of the many factories it still has a rough edge to it, as well as plenty of adaptive reuse and industrial redevelopment here and there.

Many initiatives are already taking advantage of this city's unique assets. Next to the central train station in Tilburg, the reuse of a large old industrial building could provide the inner city with a major opportunity. The inner city shopping areas have taken inspiration from Jane Jacobs with a strategy to add new streets and meeting spaces. Some public spaces make inventive use of water as an anchor for community.

Now, the question for Tilburg is: Can local placemakers scale up these many small projects to affect the city as a whole? How can we help the city make a qualitative leap forward?

Lunch and transportation will be provided.