2. Dig into an inspiring and interactive program. 

After a year that introduced new challenges and worsened many inequities in our cities, the theme for Walk/Bike/Places this year is "The Route to Recovery." Our general sessions and breakouts will focus on how our streets and other public spaces can act as agents of healing in the context of the pandemic, systemic inequities, and our often deadly transportation systems.

We are excited to announce that Dr. Mindy Fullilove will deliver one of our keynote presentation this year, and we really can't think of anyone more perfect to address this theme. Dr. Fullilove's well-known work as a social psychiatrist has explored trauma and healing in cities through books like Root Shock and Urban Alchemy, while her most recent book, Main Street: How a City's Heart Connects Us All, delves into the important social and psychological role that great streets can play in our communities. Read an interview with Dr. Fullilove on the Project for Public Spaces blog.

The program will also feature 50 breakout sessions, including hands-on workshops, panels, and short talks, which offer a glimpse into what placemakers and urbanists have learned in 2020, and how they plan to move forward now. All of this content will be available in-person or online, and all attendees will have access to this content for six months after the event!

3. Explore Indy's streets, trails, and public spaces.

If you join us in person, you will also be able to choose from a dozen mobile workshops at Walk/Bike/Places, led by our local partners in Indianapolis, Indiana. These in-depth tours and discussions will explore some of the city's best known public spaces, like the legendary Indianapolis Cultural Trail (pictured above), as well as local placemaking projects, like the river restoration of Pogue's Run and the development without displacement program of the Harrison Center arts space.

4. Follow along with our placemaking track.

Walk/Bike/Places may have lots to offer for active transportation professionals and advocates, but what about for placemakers? We are happy to report that our program will offer exciting placemaking content during every breakout period, perfect for public space designers, managers, researchers, and advocates.

Our local Indianapolis partners at Big Car Collaborative also bring many years of experience in creative placemaking to the table, which you will see featured in the conference's mobile workshops and social events. Our friends at PlacemakingX and Placemaking US have also agreed to join the party, to continue  building their networks of practitioners across the world.

5. Reconnect with friends and colleagues. 

Whether you decide to attend in person or virtually, Walk/Bike/Places offers a great opportunity to reconnect with those placemaking friends and colleagues in your life that you haven't been able to see during the pandemic.

The conference will offer a selection of "sociably distant" parties in some of the city's most beloved public spaces, like Monument Circle, as well as creative formats for virtual social gatherings.

We will also be using Attendify as our conference platform this year, which includes a social feed to share with fellow attendees, and a directory that will be available for six months after the event, which means you can follow up with the awesome people you meet even after the conference is over.
 

Want to join us? The early bird rate for Walk/Bike/Places ends April 9th. Register now.