Special Events Forum, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy

From stolen land to rematriation, all land ownership and control is rooted in its value to it based on markets that serve the few, not the many. What does it take to decommodify land? Is it possible? Can land and power be redistributed for collective benefit? This talk will take us on a journey through history to examine land ownershipin the United States and the reverberating impacts experienced in the 21st century.

Movements of industry, service, and residents cause substantial change to our cities, towns, and suburbs. The visual impact of the changed physical environment often negates the social characteristics that once uniquely identified a neighborhood or place. Urban design is often used to generate and substantiate citizen buy-in – the promise of a better quality of life, and a higher tax base, But who is the beneficiary of good urban design? Our panelists will discuss how design impacts community development. They will explain how their role in community development leads, and will partner-with the development community to reduce the negative effects of change and gentrification.

Movements of industry, service, and residents cause substantial change to our cities, towns, and suburbs. The visual impact of the changed physical environment often negates the social characteristics that once uniquely identified a neighborhood or place. Urban design is often used to generate and substantiate citizen buy-in – the promise of a better quality of life, and a higher tax base, But who is the beneficiary of good urban design? Our panelists will discuss how design impacts community development. They will explain how their role in community development leads, and will partner-with the development community to reduce the negative effects of change and gentrification.

Work on The Fourth Regional Plan began by talking with and listening to people from across the region. What the Regional Plan Association heard was that people loved where they live, but they had serious concerns. Housing was too expensive. Commutes were long and unreliable. The destruction brought by Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy underscored the region’s vulnerability to climate change and raised questions about how prepared we were for the storms to come.