‘Going Public: CCPI and the Future of Public Space’

Inspired by the ongoing work of the Detroit Cultural Center Planning Initiative, this new virtual conversation series will focus on the future of public space in Detroit and beyond. Join in dialogue with a dynamic group of public space designers, civic leaders, educators, artists and activists to discuss and debate the role public space plays in sustainability, the arts and city life.

The series is free and public participation is highly encouraged!

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Session 1: December 8th, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
The Future of the Civic Commons

Join Christian Greer of the Michigan Science Center as he welcomes moderator Brian Boyer of the University of Michigan, along with special guest panelists Harley Etienne, Georgeen Theodore, George Jacobson, Prema Gupta and Ashley Flintoff to discuss new approaches to stewardship and governance amidst the evolving perceptions and realities of shaping and maintaining the public realm.

In the 1900s, Woodward Ave became the first paved road in America, running right through what is now called Detroit’s Cultural District. 100 years later, the District is focused on a different kind of connective infrastructure—the social and cultural infrastructure that brings us together as people. By creating shared experiences and by linking together organizations to share the work of nurturing the District, the Cultural Center Planning Initiative asks us to think beyond any one individual or any single organization. These ideas are central to the “civic commons,” an approach that invites us to imagine how museums, parks, libraries, universities, and cultural institutions should serve us the infrastructure of equality, trust, and opportunity in America. If that sounds ambitious, that’s because it is!

Panelists:
Harley Etienne, Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Michigan
Georgeen Theodore, Principal and Co-founder of Interboro
George Jacobsen, Program Director for the William Davidson Foundation
Prema Gupta, Vice President for Parks and Public Realm at City Center District, Philadelphia
Ashley Flintoff, Director of Planning and Space Management, Wayne State University

Session 2: December 9th, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Taking Up Space - The Future of Artists in the Public Realm

Join Oliver Ragsdale of the Carr Center as he welcomes moderator Jessica Care Moore, internationally renowned poet and arts activist, along with special guest panelists Sherry Dobbin, Jennifer Harge, Anya Sirota and Sydney James to explore the emerging range of opportunities that practitioners have in addressing and engaging public audiences through the arts.

Welcome: 
Oliver Ragsdale, President & CEO at the Carr Center

Moderator:
Jessica Care Moore, Poet and Performance Artist, CEO of Moore Black Press, Executive Producer of Black WOMEN Rock!

Panelists: 
Jennifer Harge, Interdisciplinary Choreographer, Founder of Harge Dance Stories
Sydney James, Visual Artist and Muralist
Sherry Dobbin, Partner at Futurecity
Anya Sirota, Principal of Akoaki, Associate Dean for Academic Initiatives & Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Michigan

Our current moment has once again brought the importance of public art and public space into sharp focus.  In cities of every scale, physical space activated through cultural and creative practices has reminded us of the important narratives, collective values, and political messages the arts generate. How artists engage, mediate and occupy public space invites us to imagine dynamic new possibilities for the design of cities and the collective experiences they sponsor.

Jessica Care Moore facilitates an interactive virtual performance and culminating artist talk with  Sydney James (Visual Artist), Jennifer Harge (Dancer) Sherry Dobbin (Future City) and architect  Anya Sirota (Architect, Akoaki).

Session 3: December 10th, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
The Future of Nature in the City

Join Neal Barclay of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History as he welcomes moderator María Arquero de Alarcón of the University of Michigan, along with special guest panelists Olivier Philippe, Jodee Raines, Jerry Hebron, Ujijji Davis and John Beardsley to examine global trends and local solutions for integrating water infrastructure and sustainable systems into our public spaces.

Welcome:
Neil Barclay, President & CEO of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Moderator:
María Arquero de Alarcón, Director of the Master of Urban Design & Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning, University of Michigan

Panelists: 
Olivier Philippe, Partner at Agence Ter
Jodee Raines, Executive Vice President of Programs at the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundatio
Jerry Hebron, Executive Director of Oakland Avenue Urban Farm
John Beardsley, Author & Former Director of Garden and Landscape Studies at Dumbarton Oaks
Ujijji Davis, Landscape Architect and Urban Planner with SmithGroup

While highlighting the broader ambitions of the CCPI project, this session will explore the future of urban nature and the role that cultural institutions play in its cultivation. 

Detroit has often been labeled the greenest city in the world. Paradoxically, virtually half of the city is impervious and significant acreage is marred by the environmental impacts of an industrial past. In the face of Detroit's ecological realities, this panel explores ways that urban design can deploy nature meaningfully in the reimagination of urban life. Turning to landscape architecture, activism, and equitable community redevelopment to structure an understanding of “urban nature” and its restorative potentials, the conversation will address questions of urban ecology, landscape performance, beauty, and public delight. In parallel, we will speculate on the role cultural institutions can play in cultivating, representing, curating, stewarding, and mediating new urban futures in the heart of the city.