This interactive series, hosted by the Illinois Impact Incubator in partnership with the Sullivan Foundation, is open to all students. Each session includes a mini-lecture with social innovation leaders from around the U.S., followed by networking breakout sessions with students from other universities, social innovation leaders, and Sullivan coaches.
Placemaking as a Tool for Community & Network Building
Erin Boyd, Culdesac
How might we consider a new approach to urban design in the wake of COVID-19? Instead of a landscape constructed for the movement and storage of automobiles, what if we re-envisioned our public spaces for the enjoyment of people? In this session, we will discuss how to collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of every community. Drawing on my experience at Culdesac – the first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the U.S. – and as the co-founder of Ashoka U – a global network for social entrepreneurship in higher education – we will consider the role of physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution.
