The public spaces of Canadian cities, towns and villages — including streets and roads, parks and plazas, waterfronts and commercial districts — are the source of the country’s greatest potential to create livable, walkable, healthy and sustainable communities.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Centre for Sustainable Community Development is bringing Project for Public Spaces Inc. (PPS) to Toronto to deliver a one-day Walkability and Placemaking training seminar. This session is designed specifically for elected officials from Canadian municipalities as part of the Walk 21 Toronto 2007 Conference.

Seminar details:

Who: Elected municipal officials from across Canada

What: Walkability and Placemaking training seminar

When: Monday, October 1, 2007, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Where: Metro Hall, Toronto, Ontario

Cost: Free. The $475 fee that PPS normally charges for this executive training will be paid by FCM.

The City of Toronto invites seminar participants to attend the Walk 21 opening reception. This event is an excellent networking opportunity that will be attended by a number of elected officials.

Walk 21 opening reception: Monday, October 1, 2007, 6 p.m.–8 p.m., City Hall

Seminar overview:

The Walkability and Placemaking training seminar will introduce elected officials to new ways of thinking about cities and towns and their public spaces. It will identify themes and principles of walkability and street design in town centres across Canada, and help address and resolve issues through the principles of placemaking. The diverse, multidimensional training session will include guided walks and on-site exercises as well as seminar-style lectures and dialogues that will allow participants to gain valuable knowledge while expressing their own creative ideas. PPS will help participants understand the delicately balanced elements that create both a thriving business and social environment in Canada’s downtowns and neighbourhood centres. Attention to walkability, accessibility, and livability can help the public spaces of many Canadian cities achieve their enormous potential.

Facilitators:

The seminar will be facilitated by two senior PPS staff members: Fred Kent, president, and
Cynthia Nikitin, vice-president.

Registration:

Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. To register, please contact Elizabeth Allingham, FCM program officer, Capacity Building program, at eallingham@fcm.ca or 613-907-6334.