Start your day by checking in at the registration table! Pick up your badge and other materials before the sessions begin. Our team will be there to welcome you and answer any questions. Please plan to arrive early so you have plenty of time to get settled.
In today’s world, where mental health challenges and social isolation are rising, the built environment holds a powerful role in supporting emotional and mental well-being. This session invites practitioners to explore how thoughtful placemaking can nurture stronger, healthier communities. By examining the connection between mental health and the spaces we create, we’ll discuss strategies to design environments that foster belonging, community healing, and joy. Participants will leave with practical tools and insights for integrating mental health considerations into their work, helping to shape spaces that not only meet physical needs but promote a deeper sense of well-being for all.
As the region braces against federal downsizing, the attempted erasure of the history of communities of color, and state and regional jurisdiction budget deficits, placemaking has never been more important. At the same time, we forecast that resources to support it will become harder and harder to come by. While Arts and culture can often be seen (incorrectly) as optional in tight budget seasons housing and creating economic opportunity rarely are. This panel will introduce attendees to placemaking that has met and accomplished broader economic development, housing and investments goals both regionally and nationally, and in so doing provide inspiration and insight on how to create placemaking initiatives that engage and involve, elected officials, developers, investors and more.
This panel explores an innovative pilot initiative using public art and AI to improve pedestrian safety and driver behavior at targeted intersections along Marlboro Pike—a major corridor connecting Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County. Led by Marlboro Pike Partnership CDC and local government partners, the project will combine right of way art with traffic data using AI to measure driver behavior pre and post art installation. The technology supports building use cases for ROWArt backed by AI-powered traffic monitoring to automatically detect traffic violations. This pilot will provide a blueprint to create a replicable model for other communities and municipalities. Panelists will share lessons learned, discuss cross-sector collaboration, and highlight how creative placemaking can support both safety and revitalization.
The Equitable Network (TEN) is a community-driven initiative reconnecting West Baltimore neighborhoods to green spaces like Druid Hill and Carroll Park through a safe, accessible trail network. In a city shaped by decades of segregation and disinvestment, TEN addresses dangerous pedestrian conditions, disconnected infrastructure, and environmental inequity. This panel will explore how TEN’s phased, equity-first approach—shaped by extensive community engagement at four key nodes—integrates pedestrian crossings, gathering spaces, and green infrastructure to promote mobility, cultural preservation, and environmental justice. Speakers from Byzig Studio, Parks & People, the National Park Service, Rails to Trails Conservancy, and Studio for Collaboration, Research, and Design will share strategies for inclusive design, authentic engagement, and measuring impact in ways that center community health, economic opportunity, and resilience.
This hybrid panel and community walk highlights youth engagement in traffic safety and placemaking through two Prince George’s County initiatives: WABA’s Vision Zero Youth Leadership Institute and the School Pedestrian Safety Work Group. Despite a statewide commitment to ending traffic deaths, Prince George’s faces a disproportionate number of pedestrian fatalities—many of them youth. This session will explore how youth-led walk audits, public education, and grassroots advocacy can influence policy and reshape unsafe streets. Panelists will share best practices and lessons learned from working directly with high school students, and participants will gain tools to meaningfully engage youth in transportation decisions and will experience a short walking tour that demonstrates youth-centered walk audit techniques.
Accessibility note: This session will involve a 0.5mi walk. The approximate route can be accessed here.
Discover how a team of volunteers transformed underutilized planting beds at Joe’s into a thriving native plant and wildlife habitat garden—now a vibrant community resource. This interactive workshop and site visit will explore the practical steps to creating your own community-based wildlife garden, with a focus on restoring connections between people, plants, and pollinators.
