The Montgomery County Planning Department is sponsoring a three-part Winter Speaker Series in December 2017 and January and February 2018 that celebrates 90 years of planning achievements since the M-NCPPC was founded in 1927. The series, titled The Economic Future of the Suburbs: Infill, Commerce, Placemaking, will examine the shift away from sprawling, car-centric places to more walkable, mixed-use and urban-style communities.
The sessions, which will include question-and-answer discussions, will be held in the Planning Department auditorium (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring) from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The Winter Speaker Series is free and open to the public and planning professionals.
Session 3 on February 28, 2017: Placemaking
Ethan Kent, Senior Vice President of Project for Public Spaces (PPS) in New York City, has traveled to more than 800 cities and 55 countries to advance the cause of placemaking and public spaces. He will speak about placemaking as a strategy for economic development in the suburbs.