KUALA LUMPUR: Think City has launched Placemaker Week Asean, a regional gathering of international and local placemaking experts, activists and city makers to share experiences, projects and innovations around placemaking to promote vibrant public spaces, enabling cities to transform into thriving places.
The company said the programme is also initiated to help cities within South East Asia to benefit from a collaborative approach to better placemaking in support of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals 11 (SDGs).
Think City managing director Hamdan Abdul Majeed said placemaking is increasingly recognised as the cooperative process to improve public spaces, buildings, streets and cities driven by dynamic communities of stakeholders to ensure sustainable outcomes and livable places for all.
He said it is also seen as a critical component to address some of the challenges of massive urbanisation happening throughout South East Asia.
“Our iteration of Placemaker Week ASEAN acts as our follow up to the UN Habitat sponsored Placemaking Week Wuhan where a Wuhan Declaration was mooted and accepted by participants.
“Taking place in December last year, participants pledged to promote city-building through placemaking to maximise the shared value of the public realm,” he said.
Placemaking is a multifaceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces that capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspiration, and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that promote people’s health, happiness, and well-being.
Held for the first time in Asean, Placemaker Week ASEAN will take place over two weeks within Kuala Lumpur’s creative and cultural district and the programme will comprise of education workshops, design charrettes, place games and seminars, culminating in a two-day plenary session on November 7 until November 8, 2019.
Various programmes will also take place in multiple locations around downtown Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru, Putrajaya and Klang.
The Placemaker Week Asean is presented by Think City and UN Habitat and co-presented by Nextdor Property Communications Sdn Bhd, European placemaking advocate STIPO and the Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP).
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), British Council Malaysia, Air Asia Foundation and Citi Foundation are supporters.
In April 2020, the follow up programme to Placemaker Week ASEAN will be the Placemaker Awards Asean, co-presented by Think City and Nextdor Property Communications.
The Placemaker Awards ASEAN is the first award of its kind in the region and is a special opportunity to celebrate the best in placemaking and community building throughout the ASEAN.
It covers categories such as Best Rejuvenation, Best Green Place and Best Place.