Concentrate Speaker Event: Creating Great Public Spaces

Everyone has an opinion about what and where they want public spaces in downtown... but a lot of factors influence whether that space will be successful.

How do you create a public space that's safe, well maintained, and social? What makes it welcoming? Why do some spaces inspire use and others sit idle? What is the effect on the surrounding neighborhood?


"More Open Space for what? For muggings? For bleak vacuums between buildings? Or for ordinary people to use and enjoy? [P]eople do not use city open space just because it is there and because city planners wish they would."

Needless to say, it's complicated stuff.. To help address these concerns  Concentrate, in partnership with the Ann Arbor DDA, has invited speaker  Bob Gregory, President of the Detroit 300 Conservancy, which oversees the development and ongoing management and programming of Detroit's $20+ million Campus Martius Park. Bob will talk about what it took to create the park, how the site was selected, as well as the challenges of sustaining and maintaining Campus Martius as an active public space.

Joining him will be urban researcher and filmmaker Kirk Westphal, who will share examples of best practices -as well as some of his own research— on the subject of dynamic "social spaces" in downtowns. Whether it's public, private, green, concrete, or something in between, the places between buildings are notoriously difficult to get right in a city.

This event is part of a four-part "Great Places" speaker series, where we invite Concentrate's readers to an on-going conversation about the future of Ann Arbor's downtown. We hope you'll join us, and invite your friends, coworkers, and neighbors to attend as well.

WHEN:     Thursday, April 19th, 2012, 5:00-7:00pm
WHERE:   Conor O'Neill's in downtown Ann Arbor (318 South Main Street)
WHO:        The event is free and open to Concentrate's readers, but seating is limited so RSVP below.

Doors open at 4:45pm. Refreshments will be served and the speaker program will begin at 5:15pm.
Conversation and questions are welcome afterward.

This is a partnership event with the Ann Arbor DDA as part of the Connecting William Street Project – exploring topics with the community that are relevant and informative to the planning process. They'll be providing a short 5 minute project update at the beginning of the event.

Concentrate's Speaker Series is sponsored by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority..

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS:

Bob Gregory is Senior Vice President for the Downtown Detroit Partnership, (DDP). As a member of the DDP’s leadership team, he is responsible for the Partnership’s planning and development initiatives including the “Live Downtown” program, transit oriented development planning in connection with the Woodward Light Rail’s greater downtown segment, retail, housing and other related planning efforts.

Bob also serves as the President of the Detroit 300 Conservancy, a private not for profit organization now directly affiliated with the DDP. He has been responsible for the development and ongoing management and programming of Campus Martius Park, the $20+ million privately funded, centerpiece of Downtown Detroit.

Bob is a veteran in the urban development and real estate field, including a 20-year career with General Motors as an executive in their real estate group leading a $250 million dollar internationally recognized revitalization of their former 500 acre Headquarters district in Detroit’s historic New Center commercial, and residential neighborhood.

Kirk Wetsphal, is the principal of Ann Arbor-based Westphal Associates.  His last major production was a downtown-focused documentary called The Great Street Toolkit (trailer), a follow-up to the acclaimed Insights into a Lively Downtown, which featured Ann Arbor as a case study (watch).  Kirk has also recently produced films about the council-manager form of local government (watch).  Before moving to Ann Arbor in 2004 and completing a masters in urban planning at the University of Michigan, he was a marketing researcher for advertising agencies in New York City.  He is currently vice-chair of Ann Arbor's City Planning Commission and also serves on the Environmental Commission and the board of the Glacier Area Homeowners Association.  Kirk lives in Ann Arbor's Second Ward with his wife and two sons.