Public Realm Lecture

Held on September 20, 2007

The quality of the public realm is vital to our ability to succeed as a place where people want to live, work, and visit.

The public realm is the space between buildings. It includes all public spaces, streets, alleys, sidewalks, parks, plazas, and open space. It also is the classroom for teaching civic engagement. A successful public realm creates interesting and engaging experiences for the people who use it.

Get answers to your questions:
What does it mean to be pedestrian friendly?
Why is pedestrian friendly important?
What characterizes a pedestrian-friendly city?
How do we create a pedestrian-friendly city?
What is the connection between design, development, and sustainability?

Meet our presenters:
Adrienne Schmitz, Director, Residential Community Development, Urban Land Institute

Ms. Schmitz is an urban planner and author of numerous books and articles on real estate and urban planning topics. She was the primary author and project director of Creating Walkable Places (2005) and editor of Density by Design (1999), to name a few. She has been quoted in newspapers and periodicals, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and USA Today. Before joining ULI, Ms. Schmitz was a real estate market analyst, consulting with real estate developers and home builders. She holds a masters degree in Urban Planning from the University of Virginia.

Walter Kulash, P.E., Principal and Senior Traffic Engineer for Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin, Orlando, Fla.

Mr. Kulash is nationally recognized for his work in the rapidly emerging fields of traffic calming and "livable traffic" design, which balances traffic goals with other street qualities like retail friendliness and community public space. He has worked on traffic and transit planning projects throughout the United States and Canada including neotraditional community design, community shopping centers, outdoor shopping villages, and resort villages. Mr. Kulash is a regular speaker at national and regional forums and workshops.