Tactical Urbanism. Placemaking. Suburban Sprawl. Revitalization. If you've kept up with the news in Memphis development in the last few years, you've heard these terms. But if you're not an urban planning expert, the topics can seem a little pie-in-the-sky or at the least, confusing.

Go here to see the full poster.

Next week, Urban Land Institute - Memphis (ULI) will host three public symposiums aimed at explaining these topics as part of the "Bootstrap City: The Case for Agility" lecture series. I wanted to share this with you because the ultimate goal of these talks is not only to bring in experts to educate anyone who's interested, but most importantly, to learn how we can apply these concepts to improve our city. 

All of the lectures are free and open to the public. They'll take place in the High Point Ballroom (behind 330 North Main Street) downtown in the Pinch District at 6:30 p.m. each night, and free parking is available. Here's a run down of the topics. 

1. Curbside Chat (Tuesday, April 22)
President of the non-profit "Strong Towns" and city planning expert Chuck Marohn will answer questions like: "Why are our cities and towns so fragile and short of resources despite decades of robust growth? How do we change our patterns of development now that the economy has changed so dramatically?"

Here's a clip from a presentation Marohn did last year. Skip to 27:00 to hear him talk about Memphis.

2. Changing the Culture of a City (Wednesday, April 23)
Principal of The Streets Plan Collaborative and tactical urbanism expert Mike Lydon will talk about how creative placemaking and tactical urbanism drive grassroots change by making tangible improvements and alterations to the public realm, why this matters, and the potential for expanding their impact across in Memphis.

Here's a video of a presentation Lydon gave last year. Skip to 6:30 for a fairly succinct explanation of tactical urbanism. 

3. How We Measure the City (Thursday, April 24) 
Principal of Urban3 and urban design and real estate expert Joe Minicozzi will discuss how different kinds of development patterns affect municipal coffers in different ways. He'll answer questions like: "How should public and private sectors work together to cultivate the most productive aspects of their communities? What is the relationship between land use, land value, and a city's long-term ability to adequately manage itself?"

Here's a recent article in Forbes about Minicozzi and some of the things he'll discuss while in Memphis. 

Go there:

ULI Memphis Boot Camp 2014 "Bootstrap City: the Case for Agility" Lecture Series
April 22 - 24, 6:30 p.m.
High Point Ballroom (behind 330 N. Main Street)
free with free parking

ULI on Facebook
memphis2014.com