UPDATE: Gary Horwitz, Project Director and Head of Mixed Use Retail at Lend Lease, will speak at Waterfront Synopsis Conference on 16th September about the $6 billion redevelopment of the Barangaroo waterfront development in Syndey, Australia. "Barangaroo will bring a long list of extraordinary benefits to the city of Sydney, the state and the country. It is a once in 200 years opportunity to transofrm the cities CBD waterfront and return this once off-limits industrial space to people, including a new natural headland park." 

 

Nordic Urban Design Association (NUDA) and Project for Public Spaces (PPS), i n partnership with City of Stavanger, Cities of the Future (Framtidens Byer), Urban Sjøfront and network collaboration with STAS, Grønn By, Amiando, greenspace scotland, and Stavanger Architects Association, are organizing the first international "Waterfront Synopsis" conference in Stavanger, Norway on the 14th - 17th September 2010.

“Waterfront Synopsis” will focus on the topic of Placemaking and Sustainability, bringing the forces of environmentalism, climate change, and sustainability together with the ideas of community, livability, health and Placemaking.  Many people around the world are realizing the impacts of “Place” and “Placemaking” as a transformative agenda for creating change in cities.

The goal of the conference is for participants to learn about waterfront developments that create a sense of place, strategies to incorporate local entrepreneurs into projects, and how developers and city agencies can work together more effectively to implement a common vision. The intent is to provide practical ideas for people who want to “do” and not just “talk.” 

Why Norway?

Norway boasts some of the most successful waterfronts in the world. Stavanger, where the conference is located, is a prime example, along with Bergen, Oslo, Trondheim, Aalesund, and Tromsø, among others.

Norway is also the most advanced country in the world in terms of redefining their cities around sustainability.  The Ministry of Environment’s “Cities of the Future” initiative is a cooperation with 13 cities in Norway with the dual goals of reducing greenhouse emissions from roads, stationary energy use and consumption and waste in urban areas and improving the physical urban environment in terms of ecology, safety, health, atmosphere and industrial and commercial development. The program will be discussed in terms of its replicability in other places and its connection to Placemaking and Sustainability.

The Conference on Days 1 and 2 is designed to provide opportunities for you to learn from professionals and practitioners who have successfully created waterfront destinations, as well as from other participants from nearby Nordic cities and internationally.

The Placemaking Academy on Days 2 and 3 is an important part of the Waterfront Synopsis where participants will learn methods for evaluating a waterfront site using Stavanger as a case study and learn to develop a vision and practical ways of implementing change.  PPS, with NUDA, will facilitate the Placemaking Academy.

Waterfront Synopsis 2010 is accredited for AICP CM.
Conference       CM | 12
Academy      dd CM | 11

 

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

CONFERENCE: 15^th September

WELCOME

0800     Registration with coffee and tea

0845     Welcome and Introduction to WFS 2010      
              Rob Cowan, Urban Design Skills         

0900     How Norway Is Addressing the Future of Cities
              Ministry of Environment (not yet confirmed)

0915     Introduction to PPS and Waterfronts as Multi-Use Destinations
              Fred Kent, Project for Public Spaces

1000    Welcome to Stavanger
              Deputy Mayor of Stavanger

1015     Participant Introductions and Break

1045     LOCAL ECONOMIES, COMMUNITY HEALTH AND PUBLIC MARKETS
              Historically, markets have played an important role in the development of waterfronts and continue in this    
              role today.  From small neighborhood farmers markets to urban market districts, public markets are not
              only great community gathering places, they can also be economic generators that have a broad impact on
              their community’s overall development.  Markets located on waterfronts play a particularly important role in
              establishing a connection between the waterfront and the rest of a community.

               Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper:
              The Case for Time Intensive, Human Scale, Less Capital Intensive Development
              Eric Reynolds, Founding Director, Urban Space Management UK

              When it comes to development, we all think too big. There has been a recent decline of “mega-schemes”
              for development – they’re unsustainable because they require long time frames to assemble large sights,
              large teams, and large sums of money – all of which can be risky in today’s volatile economy.

              Luckily, there is an entirely different development model that is tried and tested; one that is lower risk and
              lower cost and which can be an interim solution for a site that is in transition – relevant to the thousands of
              evolving post-industrial waterfronts around the world. Urban Space Management’s projects (which include
              Camden Lock, Gabriel’s Wharf, and Chelsea Farmers Market in London) have not only been able to “catch
              the moment” but also have created greater profit per dollar of capital expended than other, more traditional
              development schemes. This process proves that a combination of creativity and local talent can be used to
              add a mix uses to a site and make money in the short term, even in small scale spaces.

              The Soul of Seattle: Pike Place Market
              Carol Binder, Executive Director, Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA

              Known as the “Soul of Seattle,” Pike Place Market draws more than 10 million visitors each year to its
              colorful stalls and lively streets, making it one of the most frequently visited destinations in all of
              Washington State.  Viewed as a neighborhood, the “Market” has a broad a mix of uses including the main
              market hall whose center spot is occupied by several vocal fish vendors (in Seattle salmon is an important
              product), fronted by Rachel the Pig, the market mascot, a 550-pound bronze piggy bank whose proceeds
              go to the Market Foundation.  There are only locally owned and operated businesses and no chain stores
              (except the original Starbucks, allowed only because it started there). In addition to a wide range of market
              related businesses, there is an international newsstand, a hotel, day care and senior centers, along with
              residential units, including affordable housing.

              The major difference between the Pike Place Market and other waterfront developments is that it was 
              originally intended to be a place that serves its community first and today it is still “owned” by the
              community.  Because it is a place that the community uses and values, it also attracts tourists, in about
              equal amounts to the locals. It is the kind of development that could be emulated in other waterfront cities
              around the world.

1200     Lunch

1300     MULTI-USE DESTINATIONS IN WATERFRONT CITIES
              Multi-use destinations define what a city is about and are the premier public spaces in a city that attract and
              highlight the local assets and unique talents and skills of the community.  The combination of uses –
              educational, cultural, retail, and commercial – are open and available for visitors to freely partake in and
              are accessible physically, and in terms of how they are perceived.  Successful multi-use destinations are
              always changing because they are flexible enough to easily adapt to different times of day and year and
              they are proactively managed to take advantage of these differences.

              The Vision, the Reality and the Results
              Representative from Aker Brygge, Oslo, Norway

              Place Marketing and the Experience Economy
              Scott Taylor, Chief Executive, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau

              A successful city marketing strategy requires focusing on great destinations where people can go to have
              interesting and unique experiences. This “Place Marketing” uses a visual identity to define the destination
              through its history, heritage and culture, and engages both locals and tourists in the area. Creating a
              sense of place where bookstores, outdoor markets, and coffee houses act as places where locals and
              tourists can gather around a combination of cultural, commercial and educational activities, can keep local
              retail alive and create a wonderful experience for visitors. Place marketing focuses on the “experience
              economy” – a new economy where people no longer value commodities, goods, or services, but
              experiences. The future of successful places and projects will be defined on the ability to host and market
              these exchanges.

1415     BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH TRANSPORTATION
              In the last 100 years cities, (particularly waterfronts), have been defined by transportation decisions that
              were geared largely in favor of the car. The result is a system of streets and highways that reinforce a
              design ethos that is more about seeing or viewing rather than participating in communities. However, we
              are now seeing a massive shift in cities throughout the world where people want to get back to the idea of
              place, connecting within communities, supporting local services, spending time in public spaces and
              being part of local communities rather than in disjointed, unconnected places with no local character. In
              this new vision, the automobile plays a secondary role to transit, bicycles and the pedestrian.  Waterfronts
              are the key place in cities where these issues are enacted. 

              Impact of Road Design on the Use of Public Space
              Bjarne Winterberg, Architect, Urban Planner, Ramboll, Copenhagen, Denmark          

              Is it possible to build community through transportation?  In order for a street to become a place, it needs
              to be designed to support the uses and activities that occur there; street and road design can affect the
              behavior of motorists and pedestrians by increasing the possibility for interaction- something called
              “interpersonal activities”- thus transforming streets into places that enhance urban life.

              A road’s “environmental context” can have a larger influence on a drivers’ behavior than legislation, rules
              and signs.  The goal is to create a situation where as people reach the intersection, they move slowly
              enough to make eye contact with each other. The town of Christiansfeld in Denmark tackled the high
              casualty rate on the town’s central traffic intersection by designing the road in a way that encourages
              drivers to slow down to consider how they relate to other “users” (pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers of transit
              vehicles etc) of the space.

              Physical changes to the intersection – the surface treatment, lighting and the modifications to the corners
              of the pavement- also help drivers to slow down. The result is a change in not only how people use the
              intersection but how they perceive it. In other words, the changes help to create a “place” for people at the
              center of the community.  The result has been improved capacity for traffic and fewer delays than traffic 
              signal control systems.

              Creating such roads on waterfronts will allow for greater access for all modes of transportation and a more
              attractive experience for the public.

1500     Break

1530     ARCHITECTURE OF PLACE
              In many ways, iconic buildings have defined the past 50 years of modern architecture in cities. However, as
              cities and waterfronts evolve, a new idea of design is emerging called an “architecture of place”, which
              indicates that cities will become more livable, sustainable and authentic in the future. Public institutions
              such as museums, government buildings and libraries will become important anchors for civic activity that
              host a broader range of activities than they currently do and a new type of design will support that quest.

              Kids, Families and the Paris Plage: Can it work Full Time? 
              Fred Kent, President and Kathy Madden, Vice President, Project for Public Spaces

              Stockholm: A City in Danger of Losing Its Waterfront
              Alexis Pontvik, Professor in urban design, KTH Architecture and the Built Environment

             Stockholm, Sweden currently has one of the most successful waterfronts in the world.  It has a pedestrian  
             promenade along the harbor and a wealth of destinations that include a combination of transportation,
             cultural and commercial uses and activities. It is also an exciting example of a fast growing city with big
             plans for its waterfront.  In just 20 years, the city expects its population will increase by 150,000 people. To
             satisfy the need for more housing, workplaces and infrastructure, the city is planning several new
             developments in sites across the city, including a new waterfront.

             With opportunities for growth, the potential for improvements to Stockholm’s waterfront could easily be
             missed. Many cities have made mistakes on waterfront developments that they later regret. Some of these
             mistakes include adjacent land uses that are private versus public, the size and location of roads limiting
             pedestrian access to the water, and the design of the open spaces along the waterfront providing few
             opportunities for activities to occur, all of which limit the potential for the waterfront to add to the identity and
             image of the city.

             Architecture also plays a role in waterfront development but what is often missing is a broader vision clearly
             defined by the city at the outset that details the way the project fits into the surrounding area and how it
             addresses the unique issues that exist there. The challenge is for cities to find ways to use unique assets
             to define the vision for a project instead of relying solely on design solutions.

SUMMARY

1645     Day 1 Summary

1730     End of Day 1

TAPAS (Optional – Additional Cost)

1845     Arrive Tou Scene for cocktails

1900     Tapas is served

 

CONFERENCE: 16th September

0830     Coffee and tea, registration

0900     The Six City Experiment – Lessons Learned

1000     Waterfront Cities of the Future
              Speakers from top international waterfront cities

                      Barangaroo, Sydney, Australia
                      Gary Horwitz, Project Director and Head of Mixed Use Retail, Lend Lease

                      Sadiyatt Island, Abu Dhabi
                      Fred Kent, President, Project for Public Spaces

              (with 30 minute break)

1230     Summary and Next Steps

1300     End of conference

(Coffee, tea, water, and bagels served during the session)

 

ACADEMY PROGRAM

ACADEMY: 16th September

1400     Registration

1430     Welcome Introductions & Course Objectives
               Håkon Iversen, President - NUDA

1445     Placemaking and Creating the City of the Future
               Fred Kent and Kathy Madden – PPS

1545     Site visits to surrounding areas around Stavanger

1645     Summary and discussion of next days events

1715     End of first day

 

ACADEMY: 17th September

0900     Coffee and tea

0930     PPS introduction to Place Evaluation Game
              Fred Kent and Kathy Madden

1000     Place Performance Evaluation

              As part of its visualizing process, PPS often uses its Place Performance Evaluation GameÔ .  The Place 
              Performance Evaluation© is a place-oriented approach to community improvement.  It asks participants to
              use common sense and intuition along with structured observation and interview skills. This allows them
              to very quickly see the good and bad qualities of a place, and suggest improvements, both short and long
              term. It ignites a creative process about how to make a place vital and great. The evaluation can be done by
              anyone who is observant, from a highly trained professional to a layperson.  Equally dramatic results have
              been achieved by both groups.

              1000 Place Game
              1100 Discuss/Consolidate findings and recommendations
 
1200     Lunch

1300     Instructions on developing a Placemaking Plan
              Kathy Madden   

              Developing a placemaking plan is a very different process than preparing a design plan.  This is because
              the process begins with an evaluation of the site by the stakeholders who live and work in that place and
              from this, a vision is developed.  The course will include an exercise of conducting an on-site evaluation of
              a specific site in Stavanger (as a case study) in the morning and then using these results in the afternoon
              as the basis of the placemaking plan for that site.

1330    Working session to evolve evaluation into plan and program

             The result of the place evaluation will be used in a working session in which participants will learn to
             translate what they have learned as part of the evaluation into a vision for the site, how to use the input from
             the evaluation along with other information to develop a diagram of activities and a design program, and
             how to begin to structure a management plan for the site.   

             Teams will be required to:
                     Further develop the vision statement
                     Clarify the program, describing activities, concepts and management activities
                     Develop a concept plan for activities that are to occur in the space

1530     Report back to entire group

1630     Question and Answer/ Discussion

1700     End of sessions

 

For any questions, please contact Project for Public Spaces at 212.620.5660, or Dana Kitzes at dkitzes@pps.org.