Watch the video on Suburban Placemaking (held on November 15, 2013 at SACOG) Should the suburbs give up on placemaking just because they don’t have a turn of the century street grid with charming streetcar era buildings? Absolutely not! With some creativity, a united community, and a few forward thinking property owners, communities can make real progress toward reshaping their commercial districts so they reflect a unique and authentic identity. Progress comes in all sizes, from transforming ugly concrete boxes into small, beloved nodes of activity, to remaking an entire corridor on a budget. This presentation is laden with real-world examples of revitalization that you can take back and apply to your own communities. Presentation length: approx 95 minutes.

Presenter, Michele E. Reeves, is providing technical assistance to three of SACOG’s member agencies (Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova & Sacramento County) through the Portland State University Urban Sustainability Accelerator program. She is an urban strategist with significant private sector experience revitalizing districts. Her 14 plus years in real estate include working on public/private partnerships, marketing unknown or undesirable districts, pre-development consulting, siting manufacturing facilities, strategizing acquisitions and development with private sector investors, and creating retail leasing plans. Michele founded Civilis Consultants to assist commercial districts, businesses, and large public sector organizations to recognize and leverage their strengths, accomplish economic development goals, and craft their unique stories to create compelling, multi-faceted brands. Michele has a bachelors degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.