This September, global change agents will gather in Vancouver, B.C., for a series of events that will map the future of the placemaking movement. These discussions will take place at a critical moment, as Habitat III and COP21 set the stage for decades of dramatic change for cities. Thanks to the tireless efforts of advocates, the New Urban Agenda already emphasizes that strong public spaces are the foundation of this change. Now we need to make it happen, putting theory into practice through placemaking and place-led development.

Consistently rated the most livable city in North America, Vancouver’s scenic beauty, pristine natural environment, and progressive development policies have transformed the city to one that any urbanist would love to call home.

Vancouver made a choice to be a people centric city at a time when many cities in North America were in the thrall of the automobile and using freeways as tools of urban renewal. In doing so, the city preserved its walkable urban core, encouraged the development of dense mixed use neighborhoods, and protected its open spaces.

The city was also home to Habitat I in 1976, the first iteration of the UN’s twenty-year sustainable development conference. It is only fitting, as we approach Habitat III, that Vancouver plays host to our discussion of the best strategies for implementing the New Urban Agenda.