Mrs. Martine Kildeby

Downtowns capture the economic pulse, cultural heartbeat, and civic spirit of their host cities, towns, and communities. Yet, depending on their context, they may be loved or reviled, in financial ruin or a vibrant destination, a source of neighborhood pride or a national embarrassment, 24x7 socioeconomic engines or gray ghost towns. Shaping the downtown experience is simultaneously an art and a science that requires orchestrating skills and systems, vision and execution, strategy and structure, placemaking and place stewarding. Learn from the visionaries and specialists leading downtown transformations across the world's greatest cities. From San Francisco to Singapore, Chicago to Copenhagen, Mumbai to London, and beyond, this session convenes key voices to put a spotlight on what's working and what's not. At a time of unprecedented global change and uncertainty, what's next for downtowns, the cities they serve, and our collective urban future?