reSITE Skipped for 2020, But There Will Be a Next Time!

COVID-19 has changed everyone's plans, and we are no exception. We’ve deliberated on how to continue connecting city-makers in the midst of a pandemic, and ultimately made the hard decision to fore-go our annual event this year.

Our hearts are broken, but everyone's health and safety are of utmost importance. We thank all the supporters who showed their patience during the long months of incertitude, and gave us time and space for a well-thought decision. There will be a next time.

We still believe in the power of coming together.

The paradox of our collective experience--mostly experienced alone in isolation, has birthed a new reality in our cities. When we are able to meet again, we know reimagining them to be more sustainable, inclusive, mobile and equitable will be more important than ever.

There’s an immense energy of us all coming together, coalescing energy and making it a force for good.
Ravi Naidoo, Design Indaba

But, we do have some other exciting news...

We’ve been hard at work developing the next season of reSITE’s podcast launched earlier this year, Design and the City with the same goal out events have - to share ideas on how to create more livable and lovable cities through many different lenses as we can.

We are excited to share our already confirmed guests with more to announce soon! We think now, more than ever, having discussions that push the boundaries of possibility is imperative to creating livable cities for all.

In the meantime, listen to our first season featuring chats with Thomas Heatherwick, Chris Precht, Leona Lynen, Marianthi Tatari and Ravi Naidoo! Have a suggestion for a guest?

Upcoming guests on Design and the City

Stefan Sagmeister

Gary Hustwit

Julia Gamolina

Winy Maas

Christele Harrouk

Petr Rokusek 

Looking for other ways to stay inspired?

Latest released talks from reSITE archives

Obstacles to Building Equitable Cities with Enrique Peñalosa

For Enrique Peñalosa, improving cities means increasing the quality of life in public spaces that create equality between citizens. He argues that inequality is the biggest obstacle to creating cities with a healthy democracy, especially when the last hundred years we’ve built our cities for cars and not people.

Adam Greenfield on the Dangers of Smart Cities

Adam Greenfield challenges the popular concept of “smart cities”, warning against the danger it posses of strictly central planning.

Hiroki Matsuura on Prioritizing People in the Shared Landscape

Landscape architect and MADMA CEO Hiroki Matsuura discusses connecting green spaces in urban planning to make areas more livable and enjoyable for people. He uses three examples of his work in different settings to show how he transforms a shared space to be both functional and beautiful.

Enrique Peñalosa on Why Equality in Cities Begins with Sidewalks

In order to create equitable urban spaces, citizens ability to move freely and safely throughout the city is paramount. Enrique Peñalosa, the former Mayor of Bogota, Colombia discusses the importance of learning from the disastrous mistakes of 20th-century urbanization.

Yosuke Hayano on Architecture's Emotional Connection to Nature

Yosuke Hayano speaks on how designing a building in congruence with the environment has become central to MAD’s architectural practice. He uses five selected projects to illustrate the collective’s vision of the future city where the built environment shaped by nature’s dynamics helps to establish a deeper emotional bond between humans and their surroundings.

Leona Lynen on the Collaborative Regeneration of Haus der Statistik

Haus der Statistik is a prototypical concept for turning an unoccupied former administrative complex into mixed-use, affordable housing in the heart of Berlin. It is raising the bar for how we regenerate neighborhoods in ways that are equitable, sustainable and accessible to the local community.

reSITE Stories

Five Talks On Using Design for Social Impact

Socially conscious designers leverage economic, environmental, political and cultural factors and consider them in their efforts to improve the livability of the built environment.

Six Talks on Designing Cities to Include Greenspace

Cities benefit tremendously from the incorporation of greenspace, a connection to nature that is an arena to cultivate community.

Four Talks on Smart Cities: Do They Enhance or Weaponize our Environment

Technology is embedded in contemporary cities. From surveillance cameras to street lights, architects, scientists, planners, and engineers are finding new ways to streamline urban environments to improve the quality of life. Yet, some worry that increasing reliance on technology could lead to its potential abuse, especially when it comes to personal privacy.

Women Make Cities: Five Talks by Women Who Are Shaping the Urban Environment

Within the fields of architecture and urban planning, women are making their case for creating built environments that serve all genders. To close the gap of gender inequality and make spaces more inclusive and safe for women, the unique perspective provided by these speakers is essential to augmenting our idea of design. To move towards more inclusive cities, women must be at the forefront of change.

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Stories Library