Three years in and I'm still in awe of our Lost Spaces Infill Development Conference. So much goes into designing and facilitating an engaging, culturally responsive experience with lasting impact. It's a labor of love and a necessity in an ever-changing development landscape.
Redlining didn't just impact the physical geography of urban communities, it skewed perspectives on who is empowered to own and shape integral pieces of the built environment. It's why less than 1% of the development industry is comprised of persons of color. The missing 1% that could help solve the housing and commercial shortage, and revitalize disinvested communities.
That's what this conference is about. Changing the narrative, pulling back the curtain and positioning professionals with a vested interest in the communities they want to own, invest and develop in. We're bringing in experts, (including those that look, sound and have experienced the same hurdles as our small scale developers), public agencies, universities and residents to share perspectives on an equal playing field...and leaving with real strategies. We're showing active projects and leveraging input in real time. The way it should be but rarely is.
What looks like a three-day experience is actually an innovative strategy fueling an ecosystem and model that will change how small-scale development is done, not just in Third Ward, but across the country. You can't keep what you don't own, so we're going all in! Hope you will join us (or tell somebody what we're doing 😅), it goes a long way.