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Waseda Placemaking Symposium 2016 “Placemaking Until Now and Beyond: The Future of Placemaking” was held at the Waseda Campus on July 9 and 10. Over 500 participants from within and outside the University gathered to discuss topics in placemaking such as technology, implementation of the practice, networking, society, and disaster restoration.

This annual symposium, now in its 24^th year, is mainly headed by the Waseda Urban Planning Forum, which organizes opportunities for scholars to exchange the latest research and studies on placemaking, and the Waseda Institute of Urban and Regional Studies.

Divided into eight sessions, the symposium welcomed Emeritus Professor Patsy Healey from Newcastle University in England this year. Professor Healey presented the social impacts of placemaking, placing empahsis planning and place based on her recent publication “Making Better Places.”

Emeritus Professor Patsy Healey

In session 3, “Placemaking for Regional Sustainability – The Theory and Practice of Compact Cities,” Healey mentioned Yubari City in Hokkaido as an example to illustrate the urgency for designing compact cities and the significance of collaborating with local residents. In sessions 5, “The Other Placemaking – The Initiatives and Field Design for Restoration and Regeneration,” Healey emphasized the importance of preparing for large-scale natural disasters such as earthquakes and the need for communities to take the lead in relief restoration efforts.

Could taking actions such as building trust among community members and creating new cultural phenomenon play a valuable role in placemaking in the future? To address this issue, the audience engaged in a lively discussion with the guest speakers in the last session “The Future of Placemaking.”