Great places and strong local economies are created in the same way: by getting people together to define local challenges and come up with appropriate solutions to address them. Placemaking makes tangible the opportunities inherent within a place so that they might be taken advantage of. Any organization can pave a plaza, but it’s not a place until people are using it. By bringing people together around a shared starting point to define and work toward shared goals, placemaking can play a critical role in strengthening local economies.

Ethan’s lecture will be followed by a panel discussion with Ethan Kent in conversation with local and national placemakers, including Frith Walker (Panuku), Ryan Reynolds (Gap Filler), Debbie Tikao (Matapopore) and Patrick Fontein.

The Christchurch Conversations Programme is presented by Christchurch City Council in partnership with Te Pūtahi – Christchurch centre for architecture and city-making. This event is presented in association with Panuku Development Auckland with support from Resene. We would like to also thank Ōtākaro Ltd for partnering to support Ethan’s visit to Christchurch.