World-renowned agency to help Memphians imagine riverfront possibilities

Update: Several of you have asked about group rates. The answer is "Yes". See details below.


Memphians will have a shot at dreaming a dynamic role for our riverfront on Saturday, March 31 - with a little help from the Project for Public Spaces.

PPS is recognized world-wide for its knowledge of what makes good spaces -- public and private, large and small – spaces in which people love to be, spaces that both reflect and energize dynamic cities. Through a unique process called placemaking, PPS encourages and guides participants to imagine multiple uses for public spaces, always with an eye to enlivening and enhancing the space.

The agency’s track record for creating and sustaining community-building public spaces is unbeatable. The locations range from Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park in New York City to Chapel Street in New Haven, Conn. to Campus Martius Park in Detroit to the French Market in New Orleans, to name just a few.

PPS works all over the world to help communities create dynamic public spaces - and now they’re coming to Memphis on March 31 to help the community take a fresh look at the riverfront. It’s an exciting opportunity to work together to create our vision - to come up with some short-term experiments and long term goals for the Memphis riverfront. Everyone will bring something to the table, and it will be exciting to see where we go.

PPS’s visit is being sponsored by the Crawford-Howard Foundation and presented by Rhodes College, University of Memphis Graduate Program in City and Regional Planning, Memphis Heritage, and Friends for Our Riverfront.

Reserve your spot today! The session can accommodate only 300 and space is filling up fast. Bring your imagination, hopes for our city’s future, and come. All information gathered will become part of the recommendations for developing our riverfront being compiled by Friends for our Riverfront.

EVENT DETAILS:
Saturday, March 31
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Jack Robinson Gallery (Front St. at Huling)
(Map at the end of this article.)
$20; $10 for students (price includes lunch)

RESERVATIONS:
* Click (HERE) to print out a PDF reservation form
Or simply write your Name, Address, Phone number, E-mail address, and Number of attendees on a sheet of paper
* Include your check made payable to Friends for Our Riverfront
* Mail check and information to
FfOR
P.O. Box 111387
Memphis, TN 38111.
(Deadline – March 21)

GROUP DISCOUNTS:
Non-profit and government groups of 5 or more, 25% off ($15 per person). Click HERE for the group reservation form [PDF).

For more information, phone Renee Lartigue at 901-496-0736, Memphis Heritage at 901-529-9828, or e-mail info@friendsforourriverfront.org

"Placemaking" will be led by Fred Kent, founder of PPS, and Ethan Kent. For biographical information, click on a name.



MAP TO ROBINSON GALLERY:
(Click the graphic to download a printable PDF version [278K].)

[Click here to read more...]

Charles Jordan answers "why green?"

Perhaps we should have expected it of a “Visionary.” As John Muir said, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” Charles Jordan’s talk Saturday morning broadened the scope of the greening movement in Memphis and took us back to the basics to reflect on what it is we are actually doing and why.

He reminded us of the fundamental reason we need to protect our parks and public spaces, create greenways, and build pathways -- people.
It’s not my park or your park, it’s OUR park. We are interconnected to the land, air, water, and most importantly to each other. Our challenge is to create the future -- a better world for our grandchildren.

The problems we face, are everybody’s problems, and the way to address those problems is to meet people’s basic needs. There are no quick, easy answers -- no new programs that will fix it all, but parks and conservation are a tool to address those problems and a realistic defense against crime and division within a community. Parks are connected to successful human beings and are vital to a society that is safe and viable. There is a positive correlation between green space and livable communities.

In an interview on “Nature of Conservation”, airing this month on WYPL – TV 18, Mr. Jordan compares Portland and Memphis, the two riverfronts and the adjacent historic downtowns. He delights in our city’s treasures and says with public lands there are three essential steps: protect, enjoy, and pass along for the future. You can see the interview on Channel 18 on Mondays at 1:30 p.m.; Tuesdays at 4 p.m.; Wednesdays at 3:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 11 p.m.; Thursdays at 7 a.m.; Fridays at 2:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 10 a.m.; and Sundays at 1:30 a.m.

We all have individual reasons for wanting to protect and improve the Memphis riverfront. Mr. Jordan reminded us of our collective reason, a better community in which to live.

[Click here to read more...]

Manifesto

In case you weren't able to read it Thursday night, here's the Greening Greater Memphis Manifesto dated February 8, 2007 and a way to sign-up electronically. It's exciting to be a part of the proud history and bright future for parks and public spaces in our community!

Whereas, Regions across the U. S. are discovering what the Greater Memphis area has known from its earliest days - that quality parks and public spaces are crucial if a city is to achieve its highest potential for its people; and

Whereas, Memphis and Shelby County have in their history served as national models, whether it was in setting aside the riverfront for public use in the early 19th century, laying out a grand network of parks and parkways during the Progressive Era of the early 20th century, or preserving Shelby Farms for parkland three decades ago; and

Whereas, As region after region in the U. S. turn to green assets to differentiate themselves and stake out strong competitive positions and create improved quality of life, they have identified parks, outdoor recreation, and trail projects as bold strategies for their future; building on its history, Greater memphis should be a leader in these kinds of exciting projects and in unifying its citizens in support of them; and

Whereas, Few regions can boast of natural resources that rival ours, and there is no reason that our community lags behind other areas and is not again a national leader in breakthrough green strategies that offer high-impact, multi-dimension benefits including health, safety, youth development, economic competitiveness, and civic cohesion; and

Whereas, The Greater Memphis area has rich potential for capitalizing on its assets by excercising renewed leadership to reclaim its reputation as the nation's leader by realizing the rich potential of signature projects like Shelby Farms park, Wolf River Greenway, the Greater Memhis Greenline, and neighborhood parks and adopting a green ethos in public policy that characterizes transportaion, land use, economic growth, environmental stewardship and health programs; and

Whereas, A historic alliance of environmental organizations, neighborhood groups, and community leaders are joining hands today to launch the Greening Greater Memphis movement that will visualize a future in which the region is again nationally recognized for its vision, that will mount grassroots support for new public funding and leadership, and that will capitalize on our distinctive opportunities;

Therefore, we the undersigned affix our signatures to this historic manifesto as a public acknowledgement of our personal, organizational, and collective commitment that ultimately results in our region becoming the U. S. leader in parks, parkland, trails, and outdoor recreation.

Click here to connect with the Greening Greater Memphis website, leave comments, and sign-up to support the Manifesto.

[Click here to read more...]