… and the City.
“A FONDNESS FOR STONE: LOVE AS THE PRIME FORCE IN THE ECONOMY OF CITIES”
Larry Beasley,
The 2009 Munro Lecture at Simon Fraser University, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
27 May, 2009 7:00 pm, room 1400
Who in the previous generation would have thought that “love” might become a prime force in the economy of cities? Now we know that people will only come to a city and stay in a city if they feel real affection for it and make it their place.
Larry Beasley will use examples from his long practice in Vancouver and more recent work around the world to explain what he sees as the basic dimensions of the sustainable and humane city – the “eco-city” — arguing that “placemaking” is the pivotal missing component in the commonly pursued strategies of smart growth.
Larry Beasley was Vancouver’s Co-Director of Planning for many years. After retiring from government, he was appointed the “Distinguished Practice Professor of Planning” at the University of British Columbia. He is the principal of his own international planning consultancy, “Beasley and Associates”, and lectures worldwide.
This lecture is free but seating is limited, please reply to “cs_hc@sfu” or to 778 782 5100
[I can hardly wait for the comments.]
Love! Well it’s a start.
But it will take more than words to expunge the damage this strutting pip-squeak leaves on the toilet seat. He and his ilk, with their pensions and expense accounts, have access to impressionable, nay gullible, minds at those Mickey mouse “schools” of planning: UBC and SFU. Mea culpa is in order!
Ever since the ridiculous Gerald Sutton-Brown was able to intimidated an, essentially, uncultured council “planning” minions have allowed the city to drift.
No one has ever posed the question, “what on earth do those 100 strong minions do all day?
May I suggest, as one who has more hands-on experience that the lot of ’em, to take a long hard look at the City of Vancouver’s planning vulgate: cut to match reality, by 90%!
So good on, Mr. Larry Beasley, for recognizing LOVE, the essential ingredient. I wish him God’s speed and hope some of it rubs off on the incumbents.
That’s it for me. I’m off to pick up a civic award for my latest, well-integrated urban, building.
Ojala y paz
There doesn’t seem to be much construction action at the site of The Beasley these days. Not enough love?
Does anyone know if it is possible to get a transcript of this lecture?