2024
PLACE IT! IN EAST LANSING
We will be coming to East Lansing, MI, on April 10 and 11 to lead a book talk and workshop through the National Charette Institute and then will be kicking off the City of East Lansing's general plan update with a hands-on model-building worshop. Specific details forthcoming.
FROG PARK CLIMATESCAPE
Check out photos from our first model-building -> design -> build project called the Frog Park Climatescape, a new park space in Oakland that is both a celebration of mediterranean climate zones of the world and a response and solution to landscape creation in the age of climate change. To see more, click HERE.
PLACE IT! AT TEXAS A&M
On February 6 at 6:00 p.m. we will be giving a talk and hands-on model-building workshop at Texas A&M in College Station, TX. For more details, please email Alexander Hardy at alexander.hardy55@tamu.edu.
INTERACTIVE MODEL AS PART OF UNHOUSED: A HISTORY OF HOUSING IN SANTA MONICA
Come see our interactive model of Santa Monica as part of the Santa Monica History Museum's new exhibit on the history of housing in the city. Through the model you will be able to build your dream Santa Monica Housing. For more info, click HERE.
HANDS-ON WORKSHOP + CONVO ON ELEPHANT HILL
Please join us for a hands-on workshop and conversation about Elephant Hill at 4 p.m. on January 20th at the El Sereno Senior Center in Los Angeles. The event is part of Save Elephant Hill’s partnership with composer collective Synchomy and an initiative to promote access to the hillside and greenspace in El Sereno, and activating Elephant Hill through arts and culture. To RSVP, click HERE.
2023
SENSORY-BASED WALKING-TOUR TRAINING IN YUMA
On Thursday, November 9th, we will be leading a hands-on training on how to design and lead your own sesnory-based walking tours as tool for community engagement in creating better, healthier places. Event sponsored by the Yuma County Health Services District and AZ Health Zone. Registration info coming soon.
CO-LEADING ANNUAL SAM FOX DESIGN STUDIO ON INFORMALITY AT WASH U
James Rojas of Place It! and John Kamp of Praireiform will be co-leading the Sam Fox School of Design's annual design intensive on informality at Washington University in Saint Louis. We will kick the studio off with a lecture open to all students and the public on October 26th in the evening. For more info, click HERE.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AT THE 2023 PENNSYLVANIA APA CONFERENCE
Place It!'s James Rojas and Prairieform's John Kamp will be the keynote speakers at this year's Pennsylvania State APA Conference, discussing how hands-on and sensory-based community engagement can radically change outcomes for the better in urban planning projects. The conference will be held in Scranton, PA; keynote held on Tuesday, October 17. For more info, click HERE.
DREAM PLAY BUILD AT THE 2023 CALIFORNIA APA CONFERENCE
Along with John Kamp of Prairieform, we will be leading a workshop and talk at this year's California APA conference on hands-on and sensory-based community engagement and how it can radically change outcomes for the better in planning, design, transportation, and community development projects. For more info, click HERE.
BUILD YOUR DREAM CLIMATESCAPE
On July 13 at 6:00 p.m. at Frog Park in Oakland, we will be leading a hands-on workshop with Prairieform's John Kamp in which people will build their dream climatescape. The ideas that come out of the workshop will be folded into the landscape design Kamp will be doing for the site (located within Frog Park within the former rose garden space), and the landscape will be installed in the fall. This is our first model-building - > landscape design -> build project. Follow the project on Instagram via the hashtag #frogparkclimatescape.
HANDS-ON WORKSHOP AT COMTO, LOS ANGELES
On July 8 at the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, we will be leading a hands-on model-building workshop in which participants will be able to build their dream transit system. Details HERE.
DREAM PLAY BUILD BOOK TALK AND HANDS-ON WORKSHOP AT UCLA
On June 11 at 3:30 p.m., we will be leading a book talk and hands-on model-building workshop at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. All current UCLA Luskin students and alumni are welcome to attend. To RSVP, click HERE.
HANDS-ON WORKSHOP ON SEATTLE'S EAST SIDE
On May 3 at 3:00 p.m., James Rojas of Place It! and John Kamp of Prairieform will be leading a hands-on workshop hosted by Eastside for All that involves community members and government officials alike in dreaming up and building a better eastside for all. Please email Eastside for All for details. For contact info, click HERE.
TRACKS TO BUILD TO: CO-CREATING A MUSIC CITY FOR ALL @ SXSW 2023
We will be co-leading a hands-on model-building workshop and DJ event at this year's South By Southwest festival in Austin, TX, that builds off of our previous event at the Exploratorium that merged sound, video, and model-building. Event open to the public. March 14, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Event sponsored by VibeLab. Further details HERE.
DREAM PLAY BUILD TALK AND WORKSHOP AT PYATOK ARCHITECTS
We will be leading a book talk on Dream Play Build and a hands-on model building workshop at Pyatok Architects in Oakland on February 2 at 4:30 p.m.
CREATING HEALTHY SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES: ENGAGING DIVERSE AUDIENCES IN BETTER STREETS FOR WALKING AND ROLLING
We will be giving a talk for the New York State Deprtment of Health on how we engage diverse audiences through their hands and senses in creating better streets for walking and rolling. The talk will be held on January 24 at 2:20 EST. Online event.
YOLO COUNTY AND ALAMEDA COUNTY SAFE ROUTES
We have been selected to lead the hands-on community engagement for Yolo County's update of their transportation plan and for improving safe routes to school for the Alameda County Transportation Commission. Details on events you can participate in are forthcoming. Projects led in collaboration with Alta Planning and Fehr & Peers
POP-UP MODEL AT THE CHEECH
As part of the closing fesitvities for the de la Torre Brothers' Cheech Museum exhibition Collidoscope, we will be building an interactive pop-up model of downtown Riverside. Through the model, you will be able to build the downtown Riverside of your dreams. The event will be held on Sunday, January 15 at the Cheech and will coincide with guided tours of Collidoscope led by the de la Torre Brothers themselves. For more info, click HERE.
2022
DREAM PLAY BUILD NAMED ONE OF THE BEST URBAN PLANNING BOOKS OF 2022 BY PLANETIZEN
Yes, Dream Play Build has made the cut in Planetizen's annual line-up up of must-read planning and urban design books of the year. You may read the review and see the full list HERE.
HANDS-ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TRAINING AT MSR DESIGN
We will be giving a training on hands-on methods of community engagement for landscape and archicture projects at MSR Design in Minneapolis on December 21.
HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS ON MORE WALKABLE, ROLLABLE STREETS IN GILROY
On December 8, we will be leading two hands-on model-building workshops - one in English and one in Spanish - on how to create more walkable and rollable streets in Gilroy. The first workshop, in English, will be begin at 5:00. The second, in Spanish, will begin at 6:30. Both will be held at the Neon Exchange. All welcome.
DREAM PLAY BUILD BOOK TALK AND WORKSHOP AT RIOS
We will be giving a book talk on Dream Play Build and a hands-on model-building workshop at RIOS in Los Angeles on December 1.
TRACKS TO BUILD TO: MARKET STREET
As part of the Exploratorium After Dark series, we will be installing an interactive model of Market Street on July 21 that will be set to a live DJ set of house and techno and that will be tied all together by way of video your hands can participate in. For more info, click HERE
DREAM PLAY BUILD: TRAINING ON HANDS-ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
On July 27, we will be leading a training in Yuma, AZ, on how you can weave some of the Place It! methods into your own work. Sponsored by the Yuma County Public Health Services District. To RSVP, please send an email to Suzanne Cooper at Suzanne.Cooper@yumacountyaz.gov.
DREAM PLAY BUILD REVIEWED IN THE JOURNAL OF AMERICAN PLANNING
In their most recent issue, the Journal of American PLanning has given a thoughtful, nuanced review of Dream Play Build. Read full review HERE
OUR ARTICLE IN FAST COMPANY
Fast Company has featured an excerpt from our book, Dream Play Build, that explores how community engagement needs to be radically rethought so that the central media of engagement are the hands and senses, not talking. Read article HERE
TALK AND DISCUSSION ON DREAM PLAY BUILD AT THE HELMS DESIGN CENTER
John Kamp and James Rojas will be leading a presentation on their hands-on and sensory-based engagement and design work, and on their recent book, Dream Play Build, at the Helms Design Center on April 21 @ 6:30 p.m. All welcome. Panel discussion moderated by Frances Anderton. For more details, click HERE
DREAM PLAY BUILD AT SAN FRANCISCO SPUR
We will be leading a workshop and book talk on Dream Play Build at San Francisco Spur on April 4. The event will be in-person. All welcome. For more details, click HERE
POP-UP WORKSHOP AT THE ALHAMBRA FARMERS' MARKET
On March 13, we will be hosting a pop-up model-building workshop at the Alhambra Farmers' Market. Mayor Jeff Maloney and Councilmember Sasha Renee Perez will be co-hosting the event.
DREAM PLAY BUILD WEBINAR WITH THE SMART GROWTH NETWORK
On February 25, the Smart Growth Network will be hosting a talk with Prairieform's John Kamp and Place It!'s James Rojas on their newly released book for Island Press, Dream Play Build: Hands-On Community Engagement for Enduring Spaces and Places. All welcome. To register, click HERE.
DREAM PLAY BUILD AT ASU
On February 8, Arizona State University's Global Institute on Sustainability and Innovation will be hosting a talk with John Kamp and James Rojas on their upcoming book for Island Press, Dream Play Build: Hands-On Community Engagement for Enduring Spaces and Places. The talk will be moderated by Deirdre Pfeiffer, associate professor in the ASU School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning. All welcome. To register, click HERE.
63RD STREET WALKABOUT
Join us for a sensory-based walkabout on December 11 at 1:00 p.m. that will begin at either end of 63rd Street. One group will start in Rockridge at the intersection of College Ave and 63rd; annother group will start in Emeryville on 63rd on the east side of the AMTRAK tracks. We will then converge at machinaloci space (1721 63rd Street, at Adeline) for a hands-on, interactive neighborhood re-imagining workshop based on memory and experiences. To register, click HERE
LSE CITIES SEMINAR
As part of the LSE Cities research series, we will be speaking on how engaging people with their hands and senses in urban planning, landscape, and transportation, can radically change outcomes. The seminar will be held over Zoom on Thursday, November 18 at 5:00 GMT. To register, click HERE.
PLACE IT! BOOK BY ISLAND PRESS OUT IN FEBRUARY OF 2022!
Called DREAM, PLAY, BUILD, it can be pre-ordered HERE!
MAXIMUM WALK AND ROLL VIDEO
As part of our series of training and engagement media for the Safe Routes Partnership, we have created a video, Maximum Walk and Roll, on how you can engage kids with their hands and senses in being their own urban designers for more walkable, rollable streets. Watch the video HERE.
PHOTOS FROM OUR POP-UP ON CLIMATE RESILENCY IN RIALTO
Check out the photos from our pop-up model on climate resiliency we created as part of our ongoing outreach for the City of Rialto's Climate Adaptation Plan. This has been our first in-person event since the new CDC guidelines were issued on vaccinations and public gatherings, and it was a thrill to be back out there. See photos HERE.
A VIRTUAL WALKING TOUR WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
As part of our collaboration with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles and empowering residents to be their own urban planners, we have created a virtual walking tour along with the residents of the Washington Neighborhood of Long Beach. You may watch the series of videos HERE.
IN THE NEWS
Check out this wonderful clip on James Rojas and his community-engagement and model-building work put together by ABC 7. Watch HERE.
ARTICLE: PEOPLE'S FONDEST MEMORIES RARELY INVOLVE SCREENS
Read article on Common Edge HERE.
SOUTH COLTON LATINO URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES
See the urban design results of our year-long series of community engagement events in South Colton with Dudek and the City of Colton HERE.
ARTICLE: THE CHIANO MORATORIUM AND THE MAKING OF LATINO URBANISM
Read article on Common Edge HERE.
©PLACE IT! 2024