by Julie Fitzpatrick
When we first selected the theme of this year’s conference, it was July 2019. Little did we know what lie ahead and how the world would dramatically change within the following two years.
The conference theme – Design: Beyond the Structures now includes what at the time would have been unimaginable concepts and terms that have now become overused and trite vernacular. However tired we may have become of using the dreaded terminology of “social” or the preferred “physical distancing”, the concept behind this term has impacted our behaviors, our public spaces, our commercial and workspaces, and how we relate to one another. We need to consider how people live and move, and how these activities are changing. We need to consider designing for the future – from creating Smart Cities, and reinventing our parking “challenges”, to identifying ways to integrate new approaches, new ideas, new values, and new cultures into our communities.
On the surface, one might think this conference will focus on the built environment, historic preservation, codes and zoning, streetscapes, use of public spaces, public art, and active transportation, however, when you distill it to its core, it’s really about how we as humans relate to our built environment and public spaces, and how we relate to one another within these places. It is about our actions and interactions, behaviors, and responses to the places we both tolerate and hold dear. Yes, the concept of DESIGN is more than buildings. DESIGN is beyond the structures.
This isn’t to say that historic preservation will be ignored. Our authentic and unique characteristics are often what sets us apart from other communities. The stories we have to tell of our cultural heritage, the people who have made our communities what they are today – from our deep and varied industrial, agricultural, and manufacturing heritage which we still celebrate today – as we add our own 21st Century twists to the events and celebrations that many of our Main Street and Elm Street communities revel in today.
The conference will offer over 40 individual sessions to choose from, bringing in speakers from all over the commonwealth and surrounding region. We will be highlighting various projects and initiatives from within the City of Reading, and we will offer mobile workshops for participants to visit and learn from our other Berk’s County Main Streets: Boyertown, Hamburg, and West Reading.
The conference will cover a plethora of concepts and ideas, and we are hoping to provide opportunities for education and inspiration, face to face connections, and something we are all in need of – a little bit of fun!
I cannot wait to see you all, live and in person in Reading in September!
Julie