PrimeLife Partners’ Post

Research is an ongoing process and place matters. As part of our ongoing studies into Active Adult, we continue to find that “place matters.” Often, where a building is located is often as important as what is inside the building. If we are to realize a future where we can truly age-in-community, we need to look beyond the boundaries of our site. Influences such as traffic patterns, proximity of healthcare infrastructure, places for local commerce, cultural and entertainment opportunities, and accessible transit are as important to resident experience as the amenities within a building. Home is important, but the actual house (or building) is only one piece of someone’s experience of home. I have been revisiting a Gensler Research project called “Designing Intergenerational Communities”. This project acted as a foundation for our 2023 project “Beyond Senior Living: Designing Communities for Inclusion” and it remains relevant contributing to our current studies focused on defining Active Adult. In this study, our team created visualizations for two communities (MacArthur Park in Los Angeles and Ivy City in Washington DC) to answer the question: “What elements are essential to make our existing communities livable for all ages?” #seniorliving #seniorlivingdesign #activeaging

Age-forward cities make a difference. The Gensler #research Jeremy Southerland notes below was also published in the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging report titled "Age-Forward Cities for 2030". This report provides even more context around why place matters. https://lnkd.in/eR8cz9Md #seniorlivingdesign #ageless #innovation

Underutilized POPs (Privately Owned Public Spaces) is one way to break a placemakers heart. 💔💔 They are a missed opportunity to create vibrant communities, increase foot traffic, and stimulate local economies. This Bloomberg article explores POPs in New York City, highlighting that "many of these publicly owned private spaces will disappear if developers don’t see any use for them beyond the upfront incentive." Creative Placemaking can revitalize POPs, transforming them into lively, attractive areas for everyone to enjoy. This process involves more than just installing structures in plazas and expecting results. It requires cultivating a sense of place through local culture, art, and community engagement. By doing so, these spaces become more engaging and beneficial for the community. Simply building these spaces and hoping people will come is not enough; we need to foster community involvement and cultural integration actively. Click here to the Bloomberg Article here! https://lnkd.in/gsz3b6ZB #CommunityEngagement #CreativePlacemaking #PrivatelyOwnedPublicSpaces #RealEstate #RealEstateDevelopment MASSIVart

Architecture and design play a significant role in shaping community engagement. Well-designed public spaces, such as government buildings, parks, and community centers, have the potential to foster connection, interaction, and meaningful participation. Commercial Architecture Magazine recently delved into this topic in their article, "The Role of Architecture in Promoting Community Engagement," emphasizing how thoughtful design can enhance civic ties. What makes a civic space truly engaging? How can we design environments that not only serve functional needs but also inspire deeper community involvement?

Creating community is at the core of all hospitality offerings. When you recognize that you can work from a place of genuine purpose.

Today, let’s remember the importance of embedding inclusive design in the masterplanning concept stage. 🌱 As urban designers, planners and activists we understand cities must work for everyone, not just a privileged few. 🌆 This resonates with the work of Dr Léonie Tanczer, who advocates for inclusivity in design to tackle social inequalities. 🤝 https://lnkd.in/eJa-JKma Let’s create urban spaces where everyone feels they belong! 💡 #InclusiveDesign #Masterplanning #UrbanEquity #SustainableCities

Don’t bother speculating. This phrase is often uttered while facing uncertainty. Consider this perspective instead: Speculation is not just idle daydreaming; it's a disciplined exercise in creativity, a powerful tool for devising novel solutions. History is rich with stories of visionaries who broke barriers and reshaped their fields through speculation and creative thinking. In the heart of New York City, a philosophical battle unfolded between Jane Jacobs, a visionary urbanist, and Robert Moses, a powerful urban planner. Moses envisioned a city shaped by grand infrastructure with neighborhoods yielding to the concrete majesty of urban design. Contrarily, Jacobs championed the vibrancy of city life, envisioning urban environments thriving on human interaction, diversity, and creativity. Their clash came to a head over Greenwich Village, where Moses planned a destructive highway. Jacobs, seeing the potential devastation to the community's social fabric, mobilized opposition, advocating for a city that nurtured human connection and complexity. Through her creative speculation about urban living, grounded in the value of organic, messy human networks, Jacobs halted the expressway project, preserving Greenwich Village's integrity. This victory underscored the transformative power of collective imagination and community engagement in shaping urban futures. Creative Speculation Exercise: Design a Pocket Park that fosters human connection and community spirit, inspired by Jane Jacobs. Choose a Space: Select a neglected or underutilized area in a community. Complete This Statement in Your Mind: The Pocket Park will transform this space from a _____ to ______. Visualize Your Pocket Park: Incorporate elements that encourage interaction. Thought Cloud: Imagine visiting a park that fits within the tiny confines of an actual pocket! Memory Keepsake: Before leaving the Pocket Park, you get a magical item to remember your visit. Tell us what it does in the comments below! #PurposefulDaydreaming #Speculation #Imagination #YonderGPT #AIcollaboration #CloudClub #creativity #pocketpark #humanitycentereddesign

interesting read about how the environment impacts health and equity in communities - As a whole, designers must work in collaboration with their communities to create and facilitate a place where everyone can belong in equity! https://lnkd.in/gGY9f-k9

What?! Design driven collision theory?! ✏️💥. Culture first people..culture first. Check out my musing on social value through design in the link below👇 Gensler

Rather than just serving vehicles as transportation networks, our streets can be spaces in which to convene, create, and experiment The enhanced roles streets can play include: Streets as Living Rooms: the “third spaces” where communities are forged. Placemaking strategies that create the infrastructure for these meaningful interactions include tactical plazas, parklets, open streets, and sidewalk cafes. Streets as Canvasses: a place for creative expression. Programs that enable these activities include Street Murals, Temporary Art, and Paint Box. Streets as Experiments: public spaces where new tech- nologies are tested and integrated into the built environ- ment. The New Urban Mechanics’ Public Space Invitational, the Kiosk Program, and the Soofa bench initiative are examples of how placemaking can provide space for experimentation. ✍️ City of Boston, Tactical Public Realm Guidelines