In the Fall of 2023, Georgetown University’s Global Cities Initiative hosted an Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) a program of the UN Habitat’s World Urban Campaign. The theme of this extended, virtual, multi-panel global forum was “International Practices of Place Management Through Multisectoral Partnerships.” This multi-event engagement explored the localization of SDGs through place-based cross-sector partnerships.
Through this global Urban Thinkers Campus, Global Cities explored best practices in place management in cities around the world. The term “place management” embodies the professional practice of creating multi-stakeholder partnerships to manage and sustain a specific urban district.
Core to this convening were the following questions:
1. How do place management organizations serve as the governance vehicle to create place-based partnerships between public, private and philanthropic sectors?
2. How are place management organizations embracing data, research and performance management practices in service of their mission?
3. How are place management organizations localizing the adoption of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
The opening session of the Urban Thinkers Campus was conducted on Friday, September 8, 2023 and was followed by regional workshops culminating in the Friday, December 8, 2023 from 9:00am - 12:00pm EST: UTC Closing Session. We invited thought leaders and place management practitioners from all cities and regions of the world to join us in this dialogue.
We were honored to be partnering on this effort with the International Downtown Association, the Urban Land Institute and PlacemakingX.
Read our full conference report here.
All Digital Sessions and Roundtable Dialogues and Recordings:
Kick-off Event (virtual)
Friday, September 8, 2023 from 9:00am - 12:00pm EST: UTC Opening Session
(Find recordings here)
Regional Roundtable: Downtown Place Management (U.S. & Canada)
Friday, October 6th, 2023: In-person roundtable co-hosted in Chicago with the International Downtown Association
Regional Roundtable: Place Management for Social Transformation (Africa - South Africa)
Friday, October 27, 2023: Virtual roundtable co-hosted with Space for Souls
(Final recordings here)
Regional Roundtable: Place Management Advancing Place Making (Latin America)
Friday, November 3rd, 2023: In-person roundtable co-hosted in Mexico City with PlacemakingX
Regional Roundtable: Place Management through Heritage and Culture (Middle East North Africa-Qatar)
Wednesday, November 15th from 8:00am - 9:15am EST: Virtual roundtable co-hosted with Qatar Museums x Amaken
(Final recordings here)
Regional Roundtable: Innovation on Homelessness (New York-Los Angeles-San Francisco)
Tuesday, November 28: Virtual roundtable co-hosted by NYU Marron Institute
(Final recordings here)
Regional Roundtable: Place Capacity and Vital & Viable Priorities for Place Managers (United Kingdom)
Wednesday, November 29 (morning EST, tentative): Virtual roundtable co-hosted with Institute of Place Management
(Final recordings here)
Regional Roundtable: Entities of Place Management in Less-Resourced Areas (Bronx and Brooklyn of NYC)
Friday, December 1: Virtual roundtable co-hosted by NYU Marron Institute
(Final recordings here)
Regional Roundtable: Golden Triangle Business Improvement District in Washington, D.C.
Asynchronous
(Final recordings here)
Closing Event (virtual)
Friday, December 8, 2023 from 9:00am - 12:00pm EST: UTC Closing Session
